Strikethrough price: Display a discount to encourage a purchase
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Would your crossed-out prices pass an audit?
Let's plan an exchangeLearn more abour our promotion moduleThe strikethrough price is a reference price displayed with a line through it next to the new price, to show the extent of a discount. Since 2022, the European Omnibus Directive has required that this reference price be the lowest price charged in the 30 days prior to the discount.
The Essentials in 6 Questions
A previous price that has been crossed out, indicating a discount.
Promotions, Pricing, Legal, and E-commerce teams.
On every promotion, including during sales.
In-store, on the website, and on marketplaces— all consistently.
Ensure the credibility of the handover and comply with regulations.
30-day rolling price history; reference price calculated automatically.
Why the crossed-out price must be flawless
Because an artificially strikethrough price undermines customer trust and exposes a business to penalties for deceptive business practices.
- Building credibility for a promotion: A strikethrough price that aligns with the actual price history builds trust; an artificial strikethrough price destroys it as soon as it is spotted.
- Compliance with a regulatory requirement: The 30-day rule, which stems from the Omnibus Directive as transposed into French law, has been in effect since May 28, 2022.
- Align pricing communications across channels: the reference price must be consistent wherever the product is sold.
A concrete example: a “-30%” that isn’t really a 30% discount
A price crossed out at €42 indicates a 30% discount, but the actual discount compared to the statutory reference price of €32 is only about 8%.
The item is sold for €40 for 45 days, then for €32 for 10 days, before rising to €42 for 5 days just before the “strikethrough price €42, sale price €29.40” promotion. Since the lowest price over the last 30 days was €32, that is the price that should be crossed out: this practice is noncompliant.
How can you ensure your strikethrough price complies with regulations?
By tracking each price over a 30-day rolling period and automatically calculating the reference price before any promotion.
Track Price History
Each SKU, each channel, over a 30-day rolling window.
Calculate the reference price
The lowest price charged during that period, automatically.
Check before publishing
Verify that the advertised crossed-out price matches the actual historical price.
Align the channels
The same list price in stores, online, and on marketplaces.
Our promotions management system includes this rule natively; it also applies to end-of-season markdowns managed through our markdown offer. See also:shelf price.
The 3 Common Mistakes with Strikethrough Prices
Inflating the price before the sale, varying prices by channel, or confusing it with the suggested retail price.
- Raising the price just before a promotion to display a more favorable crossed-out price: noncompliant and legally risky.
- Apply the 30-day rule inconsistently across stores and the website for the same product.
- Confusing the crossed-out price with the suggested retail price: The manufacturer's suggested retail price follows a different logic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the most frequently asked questions about the strikethrough price.
What is a crossed-out price?
A strikethrough price is a previous price that has been crossed out next to the new price to visually highlight the size of a discount. Its use has been regulated since 2022 by the European Omnibus Directive, which requires that the lowest price charged in the previous 30 days be listed.
What changes does the Omnibus Directive bring to the strikethrough price?
Since May 2022, the crossed-out reference price must be the lowest price charged during the 30 days preceding the discount, rather than a previous price chosen at the seller’s discretion. The rule targets false promotions, where a price was artificially inflated shortly before the sale to make the discount appear larger than it actually was. In practice, a retailer must maintain a price history for each product to justify every crossed-out price displayed, both in-store and online.
Is a strikethrough price required when advertising a promotion?
No. A retailer may advertise a promotion using a new price or a discount percentage without displaying a strikethrough price. However, the 30-day rule applies to any advertisement of a discount, whether it’s a strikethrough price or a percentage: the discount is always calculated based on the lowest price charged during that period. A retailer must therefore be able to justify this reference price; otherwise, an audit will reveal a discrepancy between the advertised discount and the prices actually charged previously.
Does the 30-day rule apply to sales?
Yes. During sales as well, the crossed-out reference price must be the lowest price charged during the preceding 30 days. A retailer that ran a promotional campaign in the weeks leading up to the sales must therefore use the price from that campaign as the reference, not its usual price. It’s best to plan the end-of-season sales schedule with this requirement in mind; otherwise, the discount displayed during the sales will appear smaller than expected.
What reference price should be displayed next to a strikethrough price?
The reference price is the lowest price charged by the retailer during the 30 days preceding the announcement of the discount. It is therefore neither the price recommended by the supplier, nor the usual shelf price, nor the price charged by a competitor. If a promotion took place in the previous month, that promotional price becomes the reference.
What are the consequences for a retailer if a crossed-out price does not comply with regulations?
An inflated reference price constitutes a deceptive business practice, which is regulated by the DGCCRF. Beyond the penalty, the operational risk is often more significant: the correction must be applied to all materials—including labels, flyers, and the website—while the promotion is still underway. This is why it is important to calculate the reference price automatically rather than by hand.
How should you handle the strikethrough price for a promotion that lasts several weeks?
The reference price is fixed at the start of the quote; it is not recalculated during the trade. However, if the discount deepens in stages, each new stage constitutes a new quote and must be compared to the same initial reference price, not to the previous stage. This is the most common mistake in long trades.
Key Takeaways
- The crossed-out price must be the lowest price over the past 30 days (Omnibus Directive).
- This rule applies to all promotions, including sales, and across all channels.
- Only an automated price history ensures compliance on a large scale.
Would you like to use the strikethrough price without any regulatory risks?
Booper automatically applies the rules for displaying strikethrough prices (product code, duration).
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