FTC settlement forces bill-pay platform Doxo to drop hidden delivery fees

Doxo will pay $2.1 million and accept a conduct order covering how it advertises itself and how it discloses fees on third-party bill payments. The order also binds two of the company's co-founders. What changed A stipulated final order resolves the US Federal Trade Commission's 2024 case against the third-party bill-payment platform. Beyond the $2.1 million redress payment, the order bars Doxo from implying an affiliation with billers it has no relationship with, from using a biller's web address or branded name and logo in search advertising in a way that suggests affiliation, and from obscuring the amount a consumer will pay. It also requires express informed consent before any charge, and clear notice of recurring-subscription terms including the cancellation deadline and the amount that will be billed. A federal court separately found that the company breached the Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act on subscription disclosure and consent. The Commission approved the order 2-0 and filed it in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington; stipulated orders take effect once the district judge signs them.