MRP vs Shopify compare-at vs prior price: which discount are you showing?

Four amounts, four different jobs

MRP identifies the maximum retail price; it does not show what your store offered the product for last month. Shopify’s compare-at field supplies a reference for sale presentation, not proof of an earlier offer. The statutory prior price depends on historical offers, while the sale price is the newly announced amount.

In this illustrative example, assume all amounts concern the same variant. The ₹899 figure is supported by complete offered-price evidence for the relevant window; the ₹999 compare-at value is simply what the merchant has entered.

Start with current price below MRP

In the example, ₹799 is below MRP ₹1,299, so it meets ComplyCat’s below-MRP display condition. That tells the app when to surface the price context; it does not calculate the ₹899 prior price. The historical record supplies that separate value.

Keep the current price, MRP and 30-day lowest prior price individually labeled. A Shopify compare-at amount can support merchandising, but it is not automatically verified MRP or the historical minimum. Below-MRP pricing can also persist when a selling price rises, which is why the app-display condition and the legal reduction claim are separate questions.

Sources: Official Gazette: 2026 amendment, rule 4(13) · PIB explanation of the historical prior price · Shopify Help Center: setting sale prices and compare-at display

Understand what Shopify’s fields actually control

Shopify explains that a typical sale setup places the reduced amount in Price and a higher reference amount in Compare-at price. Product and collection presentation depends on the theme, and inconsistent values across variants can affect collection-page sale displays. At checkout, only the sale price appears—not the compare-at reference.

Those are technical behaviours, not Indian legal guidance. Putting ₹899 into Compare-at price may support a chosen presentation, but the field name alone does not establish the legal meaning of the visible label. Preview the selected variant, collection card and mobile layout. Check whether theme-generated badges calculate their percentages from the reference you intend to communicate.

Sources: Shopify Help Center: setting sale prices and compare-at display

Calculate each percentage with its own denominator

Percentage saving equals the reference amount minus ₹799, divided by that same reference amount, multiplied by 100. Rounded to two decimal places, the example produces three different percentages.

• A badge calculated from ₹999 must not be described as a reduction from the ₹899 prior price.
• A comparison against MRP should not be made to look like the store’s previous selling price.
• Rounding and labels should remain consistent across the banner, product card and selected variant.

Use history to establish the prior price

From 1 January 2027, rule 4(13) requires the prior price alongside an announced reduced price. The government clarifies that prior price means the lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days. It is not automatically MRP, yesterday’s price, an average or the amount entered in Compare-at price.

If compare-at happens to equal the supported prior price, retain the calculation that establishes the match. If it does not, review how the storefront will disclose the correct prior price without confusing the references. These arithmetic examples are not blanket permission to advertise every comparison; the evidence, labels and overall presentation still need review.

Sources: Official Gazette: 2026 amendment, rule 4(13) · PIB explanation of the historical prior price

Fix the evidence before fixing the field

When history is incomplete, copying MRP into a comparison field does not repair it. Locate reliable offer records and identify what remains unknown. Ask merchandising to approve the meaning of each amount and the storefront team to confirm that the rendered labels and savings badges preserve those meanings.