India’s 30-day prior-price rule: when it applies and how to count
Identify the sale-announcement trigger, work through a 30-day offer window and understand why MRP or order history cannot replace prior-price evidence.
Read the guideCOMPLYCAT / PRICE TRANSPARENCY
Clear prices.
Confident
commerce.
Get ready for India’s 30-day prior-price rule. Track your prices, explain your discounts, and keep the evidence behind them.
PRICE TRANSPARENCY · STOREFRONT EXAMPLE
EVERYDAY GOODSExample storefront
THE EVERYDAY COLLECTION
Cotton crew tee
₹799
Current price · Charcoal
MRP ₹1,299
30-day lowest prior price
₹899Price history behind this below-MRP offer
Reference window: 2–31 Dec 2026 · Offer starts 1 Jan 2027
The record behind the pricePrice history
2 DEC15 DEC31 DEC
A clearer price. A record to back it up.A FOCUSED WORKFLOW
One job, thoughtfully covered.
Keep the essential steps together, from the first record to the next action.
A history you can refer to
Timestamped product and variant prices, with a clear view of where your recorded history begins.
Clear context below MRP
When your current price is below the product’s verified MRP, show its relevant 30-day lowest prior price alongside it. Keep MRP and historical prior price separately labeled.
The evidence behind the number
Campaign records and exports that explain how a displayed prior price was established.
A CLEAR WORKFLOWThe essentials.
The essentials.
The details that matter.
Your workflow
- Record product and variant offered prices.
- Show the 30-day lowest prior price beside the current price when it is below verified MRP.
- Flag missing history and retain reference-price evidence.
Setup considerations
- Use verified historical records when the reference window starts before tracking.
- Check the treatment of coupons, bundles, loyalty offers and Markets.
- Check that the MRP, current price and historical comparison refer to the same variant.
When a reduction is announced, Rule 4(13) requires the prior price alongside the reduced price. The official explanation uses the lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days. A public history chart is not itself prescribed.
Regulatory basis: G.S.R. 789(E), 9 September 2026 and the official government explanation. Effective 1 January 2027. Sources checked 10 October 2026.
BEFORE YOU CONNECTGood questions
Good questions
to ask first.
Understand the records, permissions and review steps behind the workflow.
When does the below-MRP label appear?
Use the display condition current selling price < verified MRP for the same variant. The historical prior price is a separate value supported by the relevant 30-day record; a Shopify compare-at value should not be assumed to be MRP.
Does “before the announcement” mean I must show the label in advance?
No. “Before” describes the historical prices used for the reference calculation. For an advertised reduction, show the prior price alongside the reduced-price claim. The legal reference window remains the 30 days preceding that announcement.
Is Shopify’s compare-at price the required prior price?
Not automatically. A compare-at value or MRP may differ from the lowest offered price in the relevant pre-announcement window. Keep the concepts distinct and make each comparison clear.
What if I have less than 30 days of history?
Show the gap and avoid presenting incomplete observations as a verified full-window minimum. The amendment does not explicitly provide a shortened-period exception for new listings; an appropriate policy needs review.
How should I handle different offers and storefront themes?
Review the supported display surfaces and the reference-price treatment for each offer type. Coupons, automatic discounts, bundles and market-specific prices need explicit policies rather than one blanket assumption.
Where can I read the official requirements?
The guides below link directly to the official Gazette notification, the government’s explanation and relevant NCH materials. Each guide separates the requirement from implementation details.
A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT
All guides →Read before you decide.
Shopify price history: build a record that survives missing events
Design an offered-price interval ledger, check webhook gaps and assess a provider’s evidence before relying on a Shopify prior-price calculation.
Read the guideMRP vs Shopify compare-at vs prior price: which discount are you showing?
Use a four-price example to distinguish MRP, Shopify compare-at, historical prior price and sale price—and calculate savings against the right denominator.
Read the guide
Price Transparency, with clarity.
Bring the right records and next steps together.