BARRE PRICE
Definition
A strikethrough price refers to a reference price displayed with a line through it, next to the new selling price, to visually highlight the magnitude of a discount or promotion. Since May 28, 2022, the European Omnibus Directive (transposed into French law) has strictly regulated this practice: the reference price displayed must be the lowest price charged by the seller during the 30 days preceding the discount—a rule intended to prevent false promotions based on a strikethrough price that was artificially inflated just before the promotion.
Why it matters
- Building credibility for the promotion in the eyes of the customer: a strikethrough price that aligns with the actual price history builds trust, while an artificial strikethrough price destroys it as soon as it is identified.
- Comply with a direct regulatory requirement: Failure to comply with the 30-day rule may result in penalties for deceptive business practices.
- Ensure consistent pricing communication across all channels (store, website, marketplace), with the reference price remaining consistent wherever the product is sold.
Real-world example
An item is sold for €40 for 45 days, then its price drops to €32 for 10 days, before temporarily rising to €42 for 5 days just before the launch of a promotion advertised as “-30%, original price €42, sale price €29.40 ”
This practice is non-compliant: the legal reference price must be the lowest price over the last 30 days, which is 32 €, bringing the actual discount to approximately 8 %, far below the advertised -30 %.
How to Bring It into Compliance
Compliance requires tracking the price history of each SKU over a 30-day rolling window and automatically calculating the legal reference price before any promotional activity. Pricing Optimization Software ’s tools natively incorporate this rule to prevent any discrepancies between the disclosed strikethrough price and the actual price history across all sales channels.
Common pitfalls
- Artificially inflating the price just before a sale to display a more favorable crossed-out price—a practice that is now noncompliant and legally risky.
- Applying the 30-day rule inconsistently across channels (different reference prices in-store and online for the same product).
- Do not confuse the crossed-out price with the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP), which follows a different logic and is not subject to the same 30-day rule.
FAQ
As of May 2022, the reference price shown with a strike-through must be the lowest price charged during the 30 days preceding the discount, and not an earlier price chosen at the seller's discretion.
No, a retailer can advertise a promotion without showing a strikethrough price (for example, by listing only the new price or a discount percentage); however, if a strikethrough price is used, the 30-day rule applies.
Yes, the Omnibus Directive also applies to sales periods: the crossed-out reference price must comply with the same rule regarding the lowest price over the previous 30 days.
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