A tougher stance on unfair trading aims to stop subscription traps and inflate-by-stealth fees, offering clearer protections for households.

Subscription services that force-renew by drawing on consumers' accounts without clear consent, along with the inflationary practice of drip pricing, are finally facing a firm response from the Albanese government.

In a move that is likely to hit everyone from airlines to pay-TV to gyms and even credit cards, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities, and Treasury Andrew Leigh on Sunday announced new legislation and boosted regulatory powers are now on the runway.

The confirmation of the crackdown comes after the states and the Commonwealth finally reached an agreement on what a national framework will look like, an essential element given the degree of crossover in the country's consumer protections.