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Guide

Omnibus & Price-Reduction Rules in Poland

Omnibus Directive

Selling online to Polish consumers means living with the Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161, applicable across the EU since 28 May 2022. It tightened how traders may advertise price reductions through the 30-day lowest-prior-price rule and added transparency duties for reviews, rankings and online marketplaces. Poland has transposed these obligations into its national law and enforces them through its own consumer authority.

This guide explains how the Omnibus rules operate in a Polish context and what a compliant store should do. For the underlying framework, see our Omnibus law page and the complete Omnibus guide.

The 30-day lowest-prior-price rule

The core obligation is the reference-price rule. Whenever you announce a price reduction, you must show the prior price, and that prior price is the lowest price you applied during the 30 days before the reduction. The point is to prevent sellers from raising a “normal” price shortly before a promotion so the discount appears bigger than it is.

Poland’s implementation has been strict on exactly this display requirement: alongside a reduced price, the lowest price from the previous 30 days must be shown, so consumers can judge the real size of the discount. For a store running frequent promotions, that makes an accurate 30-day price history essential.

How Poland implements and enforces the rules

The Directive takes effect through Polish national law on consumer protection and pricing information. Supervision and enforcement rest with UOKiK — the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (Urząd Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów), the national authority responsible for consumer rights and fair-trading rules.

UOKiK can investigate traders, require corrective action, and pursue those whose reduction claims mislead consumers. Because it enforces nationally, a store targeting Polish buyers should treat the reference-price display as a live compliance requirement.

Language and clarity

Information addressed to Polish consumers is expected in Polish and presented clearly. The lowest 30-day price should be shown in a way the buyer can readily see and understand next to the reduced price.

Reviews, rankings and marketplaces

The Omnibus reforms reach beyond sale pricing. Polish rules, mirroring the Directive, also require transparency around:

  • Consumer reviews — you must take reasonable steps to confirm reviews come from genuine purchasers and disclose how you check them.
  • Search rankings — the main parameters behind ranked results, and any paid placement, must be disclosed.
  • Marketplace transparency — buyers must know whether the seller is a professional trader or a private individual.

In Poland, UOKiK expects the lowest 30-day price to sit beside every reduced price — the “before” figure is defined by law, not chosen by the seller.

A practical checklist for the Polish market

  • Show the lowest 30-day prior price alongside every announced reduction.
  • Keep a reliable per-product price history to justify each reference figure.
  • Present prices and reductions clearly, in Polish.
  • Be transparent about review verification, ranking parameters and marketplace seller identity.

If you would like to check how your store displays reductions to Polish consumers, our PrestaShop compliance audit reviews your reference pricing against the applicable rules.

This article is educational and does not constitute legal advice.