Communicating discounts may seem simple. A strikethrough recommended price with an attractive discount percentage has been standard in webshops for years. But that time is over. The Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) now applies a new, stricter perspective. And this has direct consequences for how you display prices in your webshop.
Why strikethrough recommended prices are no longer allowed
The ACM wants consumers to be fairly and transparently informed. A recommended price that has never or hardly been used gives a misleading impression of a discount. The same applies to a discount percentage based on a price that has not been relevant in practice.
The core of the new perspective is simple: a price comparison must be based on a realistic and demonstrable reference price.
What is the difference between a recommended price and a selling price?
It is the price recommended by a manufacturer or supplier. This price is not mandatory and is often not actually used in webshops.
This is the price that your online store actually charges consumers. It is the price that is used for billing and that consumers use for comparison purposes.
According to the ACM, you may no longer simply use a recommended price as a comparison price unless you can demonstrate that this price was actually common in the market.
What does “most displayed price” mean?
The most displayed price is the lowest price you have used most frequently in the past 30 days. This price serves as the reference point for a discount.
Concretely, this means:
- You may only display a discount in relation to this price.
- Temporary price increases just before a promotion are not allowed.
- The price must be objectively justifiable.
This aligns with European regulations against fake offers.
What happens if the price information is incorrect?
If prices are displayed incorrectly, there can be consequences. The ACM can issue warnings, impose fines, and require that price communication be corrected.
But aside from that, you mainly risk loss of trust. Consumers quickly see through unclear discounts, which directly impacts conversion and brand perception.
Should I display my consumer price including or excluding VAT?
For consumers, there is a clear rule: prices must always be displayed including VAT. Only if your webshop exclusively targets business customers may you show prices excluding VAT. In all other cases, a VAT-inclusive price is mandatory, including in banners, category pages, and product listings.
What does this concretely mean for your webshop?
The new regulations require more than just a minor adjustment. You need to take a critical look at:
- how prices are stored historically
- how discounts are calculated technically
- how price information is visually presented
When building or optimizing a webshop, this is not a minor detail, but a structural part of compliance. Within our approach to webshop development, we include this as standard, ensuring your webshop is legally compliant and commercially strong.
The key points at a glance
The ACM no longer allows crossed-out recommended prices or misleading discount percentages. Discounts must be based on the most displayed price over the past 30 days, and consumer prices must be shown including VAT. Transparency is no longer a nice-to-have but a requirement.
