Every time you announce a discount, EU law asks you to show a very specific figure: the lowest price the product had in the 30 days before the reduction. It sounds simple, but most ecommerce platforms do not keep a price history, so stores either show the wrong reference price or none at all.
What the regulation says
The Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161 added article 6a to the Price Indication Directive 98/6/EC. Since 28 May 2022, any announcement of a price reduction must state the prior price: the lowest price applied by the trader during a period of at least 30 days before the reduction.
A few details catch many stores out:
- The prior price is not your “regular” price, but the lowest one actually charged in the period, including earlier promotions.
- In case C-330/23, the Court of Justice of the EU confirmed that the advertised percentage (“-20 %”) must be calculated from that prior price.
- Member States may allow special rules for progressive reductions (a discount that gets deeper during the same promotion) and for perishable goods.
Why it matters for your store
Consumer authorities across Europe actively check Black Friday and sales campaigns, and the Omnibus Directive raised the bar for penalties: for widespread infringements, fines can reach at least 4 % of annual turnover. Beyond fines, showing a credible reference price builds trust: shoppers have learnt to distrust inflated “was” prices.
The real problem is technical. In PrestaShop a discount is a specific price or a catalog rule, in WooCommerce a sale price, in Drupal Commerce a promotion or a price list. None of them remembers what the product cost a month ago.
How our addon solves it
Lowest Price in 30 Days (Omnibus) starts a price log the moment you install it and prints the prior price under the discounted price, on the product page and in product lists.
- Automatic price history per product and variant, recorded every time a price changes, plus a daily task that catches scheduled promotions.
- Correct reference price: the lowest price of the reference period (30 days or longer, as you choose), never the inflated one.
- Optional percentage calculated the way the Court of Justice requires, and shown only when the price really is lower.
- Rule for progressive reductions, so a discount that gets deeper keeps the price before the first step.
- Lightweight: no external service, no extra JavaScript and no personal data.
It is available for PrestaShop, WooCommerce and Drupal Commerce, with documentation in English, Spanish and French, new versions for life and 6 months of support.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Check how the rules apply in your country.