India’s 30-day prior-price rule: when it applies and how to count

The trigger is an announced reduction, not every price display

Rule 4(13), added by G.S.R. 789(E) of 9 September 2026, takes effect on 1 January 2027. When an e-commerce entity or seller announces a price reduction for goods or services on its platform, the prior price must appear alongside the reduced price. This is not a requirement to attach a permanently rolling historical-price label to every product.

A “was/now” comparison or a stated percentage reduction deserves review as an announced reduction. Merely deciding not to use the word “sale” does not answer whether the presentation announces one. Review the whole claim, including banners and product cards, rather than the selling-price field in isolation.

The government’s summary states: “Where a price reduction is announced, the reduced price and prior price shall both be displayed.” The rule concerns the reduction claim; the “before” wording in the reference period concerns historical prices, not an instruction to display the label in advance.

Sources: Official Gazette: G.S.R. 789(E), English pages 5–7; commencement and rule 4(13) · PIB explanation: lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days

Use below-MRP wording for the product display

For ComplyCat’s display approach, compare the current selling price with the product’s verified MRP. When current price is below MRP, show the relevant 30-day lowest prior price beside it, while identifying MRP separately. This is the app’s display condition, not a replacement definition of the statutory trigger.

For example, show “Current price ₹799”, “MRP ₹1,299” and “30-day lowest prior price ₹899” as three distinct values. Establish the ₹899 from the recorded reference period. A crossed-out MRP or discount badge may communicate a reduction, so review the full presentation rather than treating the MRP field as the historical evidence.

Sources: Official Gazette: G.S.R. 789(E), English pages 5–7; commencement and rule 4(13) · PIB explanation: lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days

Count back from the announcement, using offered prices

The government’s explanatory release clarifies prior price as the lowest price at which the goods or services were offered during the 30 days preceding the announcement. It is neither the price exactly 30 days earlier nor the lowest completed purchase. A lower offer can matter even if nobody bought the item.

For this illustrative calculation, assume a reduction is first announced at 00:00 IST on 31 January 2027. Its preceding 30-day period runs from 00:00 IST on 1 January up to, but not including, the announcement. Every boundary below uses IST; each end time is exclusive. Assume the same variant and offer conditions throughout.

Sources: Official Gazette: G.S.R. 789(E), English pages 5–7; commencement and rule 4(13) · PIB explanation: lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days

A higher reference number does not replace the minimum

If that item also carries an MRP of ₹1,299, MRP does not become its prior price. Nor does a manually entered ₹999 comparison value. The example’s prior price is ₹899 because of the offers in the relevant window; the reduction from that amount to ₹799 is ₹100.

Keep the meaning of any other reference amount clear and review surrounding savings claims. A correct prior-price label can still sit beside confusing copy. Conversely, a chart containing the correct history is not a substitute for checking whether the prior and reduced prices appear together in the announcement.

Separate the legal disclosure from your evidence workflow

A practical campaign record identifies the item, first announcement timestamp, offered-price evidence, calculation and final display. Check for missing periods before approving it. These are evidence recommendations: the amendment does not prescribe a public chart, a data schema or a specific retention term.

The cited materials leave the treatment of new products, coupons, loyalty and bank offers, bundles, different markets and progressive cuts open. Record the precise scenario for review rather than assuming an exception. In particular, fewer than 30 days of records is not an automatic short-history exemption, and an incomplete minimum should not quietly become a full-window claim.

Sources: Official Gazette: G.S.R. 789(E), English pages 5–7; commencement and rule 4(13) · PIB explanation: lowest offered price during the preceding 30 days