What is the ‘prior price’ or reference price?

Under the Omnibus Directive, the prior price (often called the reference price) is the figure a discount is measured against. It is defined as the lowest price the trader applied during at least the 30 days before the price reduction.

This matters because the “was” figure in a “was / now” display must equal that 30-day lowest — not the most recent price, and not a manufacturer’s recommended retail price. If your product was €90 then briefly €100 in the last month, the reference price for a new sale is €90, because that was the lowest price actually in force.

For progressive discounts that deepen over a single campaign, the reference price is anchored once — to the lowest price before the first reduction — and does not reset at each stage. This stops each new markdown looking like a fresh saving from an already-reduced figure.

Genuinely individual prices, such as an automatically applied members-only rate, are treated differently from general reductions announced to all shoppers, which are firmly within the rule. For the calculation with worked examples, see the 30-day rule explained; the short definition also lives in our Omnibus hub.

Educational only, not legal advice. Verify against the official EUR-Lex text.