The 30-day rule for was-prices (EU Omnibus directive): the law explained with examples

The 30-day rule means that in France, every price-reduction announcement must show the seller's prior price, defined as the lowest price it charged all consumers in the 30 days before the reduction. It is set out in article L112-1-1 of the French Consumer Code and has applied since May 28, 2022, online and in store.

The rule comes from the EU "Omnibus" directive, so the same logic applies across the European Union. It curbs fake discounts, but it has exceptions and one major blind spot. Here is the text, how it works in practice, worked examples and what it does not guarantee.

What does article L112-1-1 of the French Consumer Code say?

The article, created by ordinance no. 2021-1734 of December 22, 2021, contains three ideas:

• The principle: every announcement of a price reduction must state the prior price charged by the business before the reduction. That prior price is the lowest price charged to all consumers during the 30 days before the reduction.
• Successive reductions: if the price is cut several times during a set period, the prior price remains the one charged before the first reduction.
• Two exclusions: perishable goods at risk of rapid deterioration, and operations in which a business compares its prices with those of other businesses.

According to the DGCCRF, France's consumer protection authority, sellers remain free to choose how they display the discount: as an amount ("-€10"), a percentage ("-10%") or a struck-through price. What they can no longer choose is the reference price.

Where the rule comes from: the Omnibus directive and EU case law

The article transposes Directive (EU) 2019/2161, nicknamed "Omnibus", which amended Directive 98/6/EC on price indication. The same principle therefore applies throughout the EU, with national variations.

The Court of Justice of the European Union clarified the rule on September 26, 2024 (Aldi Süd, case C-330/23): when a reduction is shown as a percentage or highlighted, it must be calculated from the lowest price of the last 30 days. Mentioning that price in small print next to a percentage calculated from a higher price is not enough.

How to work out the reference price: worked examples

The examples below are hypothetical illustrations meant to show the reasoning. They do not describe any real product or retailer.

Example 1: a brief dip within the 30 days

Example: a pair of headphones sells for €349 all month, except for 5 days at €329. The seller then launches a deal at €299.

Display	Compliant?	Why
"€349" struck through, "-14%"	No	The 30-day low is €329, not €349
"€329" struck through, "-9%"	Yes	Reduction calculated from the 30-day low (€30 off €329)

Example 2: successive markdowns during the sales

Example: a jacket costs €100 before France's official sales. First markdown to €80 (-20%), then a second markdown to €60 a few days later, within the same sales period. The reference price stays €100: the seller may show "-40%", not "-25%" calculated from €80. This is the successive-reductions exception, relevant during the winter 2027 sales.

Example 3: the early price hike, legal but misleading

Example: a vacuum cleaner sells for €200 in August and September. On October 15 its price rises to €250 and stays there. On Black Friday, November 27, 2026, it is shown at €225 with "€250" struck through and "-10%". The hike happened more than 30 days earlier, so the display follows the rule. Yet you pay €25 more than in September.

That third case is the rule's biggest limitation, and exactly what it cannot see.

What are the exceptions to the 30-day rule?

Perishable goods

The text excludes perishable products at risk of rapid deterioration. A shop can therefore mark down fresh food close to its use-by date without referring to the 30-day price.

Successive reductions

As in example 2, when prices are cut several times during a set period, the reference is the price before the first cut. The DGCCRF points out, however, that a promotion is by nature limited in time: a was-price displayed permanently may be considered to have no economic reality.

Comparisons with other sellers' prices

The rule does not apply when a seller compares its price with prices charged by other businesses. According to the DGCCRF, shoppers must then be clearly told that it is a comparison, not a reduction, and what kind of comparison price it is: manufacturer's recommended price, usual market price and so on. A struck-through RRP is therefore not a price the retailer actually charged.

Loyalty schemes, multi-buys and launch prices

An FAQ published on May 31, 2022 by French employers' body MEDEF, drawn up in consultation with the DGCCRF, treats several practices as outside the article's scope: prices reserved for loyalty-scheme members, joint or conditional offers (such as "buy one, get one free") and launch prices. That document is not law, and these offers remain subject to the general ban on misleading commercial practices.

What are the penalties for a fake was-price?

The DGCCRF states that a business breaking these rules faces, as a misleading commercial practice, up to two years' imprisonment and a €300,000 fine. Article L132-2 of the French Consumer Code adds that the fine can be raised, in proportion to the benefits gained, to 10% of average annual turnover or 50% of the spending on the advertising or practice, and that penalties rise to five years and €750,000 when the offence is committed online. These are maximums, assessed case by case.

In practice, inspections also lead to warnings and compliance orders. In its 2024 investigation into consumer information on prices and price reductions, the DGCCRF reports that a third of the businesses offering reductions had irregularities, and that 10% of the businesses inspected received compliance orders or official reports.

Is the 30-day rule enough to avoid fake discounts?

No. It protects you from a was-price invented yesterday, which is already a lot. But it lets through:

• price hikes made more than 30 days before a sales event (example 3);
• comparison prices presented to look like a discount;
• conditional offers and bundles, which blur the unit price;
• lower prices charged elsewhere: the rule only looks at the seller's own history.

For the full list of traps, see our guide on how to spot a fake discount, and the one on fake Black Friday discounts, when early price hikes are most tempting.

How to check a was-price yourself

1. Read the exact wording: "lowest price in the last 30 days", "RRP" and "typical price" do not mean the same thing.
2. Redo the percentage from the reference price shown.
3. Look back further than 30 days with a price history: our guide to Amazon price history shows how.
4. Report abuse in France on SignalConso (signal.conso.gouv.fr), the DGCCRF's reporting service, with a dated screenshot.

Step 3 is the most useful and the hardest: most online stores show no history, and logging a price by hand every week quickly becomes unmanageable once you follow several products. UniverTrack automates it: the price is checked regularly, a dated history builds up from the day you start tracking (on Amazon, past history can also be shown), and you can see at a glance whether today's was-price reflects a genuine drop. See also our page on the fake discount detector.

Put it into practice: check was-prices without a calculator

1. Paste the link of the product you want into UniverTrack, ideally several weeks before a sales event.
2. Set a target price based on the real history, not the was-price.
3. Get an email alert when the price hits your target, then buy.

To check deals across many products, the Malin plan (€6.99/month) fits best: up to 50 tracked products, fake-discount detection and an AI shopping assistant. For one major purchase, the Découverte plan is enough. All plans are listed on the pricing page and start with a 14-day free trial, no commitment.