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Guide

Omnibus & Price-Reduction Rules in Slovakia

Omnibus Directive

If you advertise discounts on a shop that sells into Slovakia, the Omnibus Directive is the framework to understand. Formally it is Directive (EU) 2019/2161, and it has applied across the European Union since 28 May 2022. A Directive is transposed into each country’s own law and then enforced by that country’s authorities, so in Slovakia the substance comes from the EU while enforcement and language are Slovak. This guide walks through the parts that matter most to an ordinary online shop selling to Slovak customers.

The headline: the 30-day lowest-prior-price rule

The single change most shops feel is how announced reductions have to be presented. Whenever you advertise a price cut — a “was, now”, a percentage off, a crossed-out price — you must show the lowest price you charged for that item in the 30 days before the reduction. That prior low is the anchor the saving is measured against, not the price from the day before the sale opened.

The rule exists to defeat a well-worn tactic: raising a price briefly so a later “discount” appears larger than it is. By fixing the reference to the lowest price over the past 30 days, the Directive makes each advertised saving genuine.

  • It bites when you announce a reduction, not on ordinary day-to-day pricing.
  • The reference figure is the lowest price in the 30 days before the reduction.
  • It applies however the offer is framed — as a new price, a percentage, or a comparison.

Beyond price: reviews, rankings and marketplaces

Omnibus reaches wider than discounts. It also introduced a set of transparency duties that touch most online shops.

  • If you display consumer reviews, you must explain whether and how you verify that they come from real purchasers or users.
  • If you rank search results, you must disclose the main parameters that drive the ranking and flag any paid placement.
  • If you operate a marketplace, you must tell buyers whether a seller is a trader or a private individual, so they know which rights apply.

The Slovak layer

Because the Directive is transposed and enforced nationally, the day-to-day face of the rules in Slovakia is Slovak. The main supervisory body is the Slovak Trade Inspection — the SOI — which oversees consumer protection and market conduct. Its inspectors can review how offers are presented, and they can act where an advertised reduction is not backed by the correct 30-day reference price.

The language point is straightforward. Slovak consumers expect price and offer information in Slovak, so your reference prices, discount labels and your review, ranking and marketplace disclosures should read clearly in Slovak for the Slovak market. Our Slovakia country hub has more on selling into this market.

What Slovak-facing shops can do now

Getting Omnibus right does not take a compliance team. A short, practical review will usually cover it.

  • Check that every announced reduction shows the lowest price from the previous 30 days as its reference.
  • Make sure your platform keeps price history, so the 30-day figure is accurate and defensible.
  • Review your review, ranking and marketplace disclosures against the transparency duties.
  • Make sure the customer-facing wording is available in Slovak for your Slovak shoppers.

For the full picture across every Omnibus duty, see our complete Omnibus guide. National enforcement practice evolves, so revisit the detail as it firms up.

This guide is educational, not legal advice.