Is a crossed-out RRP a discount?

An RRP (UVP in German) is the manufacturer's recommended price, not the shop's own earlier price, so it says nothing about whether the price actually dropped.

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How to check if a Black Friday discount is real in the EU

Q: What is the 30-day rule for discounts in the EU?

Since 28 May 2022, Article 6a of the Price Indication Directive (added by the Omnibus Directive 2019/2161) says that when a shop announces a price reduction, the prior price it refers to must be the lowest price it charged in the 30 days before the reduction.

Black Friday 2026 is on 27 November. Here is the rule shops have to follow, the common tricks, and a five-step check you can do on any product page in about a minute.

The rule: the old price is the lowest price of the last 30 days

Since 28 May 2022, EU law (Article 6a of Directive 98/6/EC, added by the Omnibus Directive 2019/2161) says that when a shop announces a price reduction, the "prior price" it compares with must be the lowest price that shop charged in the 30 days before the reduction. In 2024 the EU Court of Justice confirmed in case C-330/23 (Aldi Süd) that a percentage discount, like "-30%", must also be calculated from that 30-day lowest price.

In practice: if a TV cost €499 for most of October, was briefly raised to €699 and is now "€499, was €699, -29%", the reference should be €499. The real discount is zero.

Member states may allow some exceptions, for example for goods that spoil quickly or products on sale for less than 30 days, so national details vary.

Common tricks

Raise, then "reduce"The price goes up in early November, then comes back down with a big red percentage.

RRP or UVP as the old priceThe crossed-out price is the manufacturer's recommended price. Few people pay it, and it is not the shop's own earlier price.

"Often" or "usual" pricesLabels like "often", "regular price" or "was" without saying which period. Check whether the 30-day lowest is shown somewhere else.

Percentage from the wrong baseThe 30-day lowest is printed in small text, but the big "-40%" is calculated from a higher price.

The five-step check

Find out what the crossed-out price is. Hover or read the small print. "RRP", "UVP", "adviesprijs" or "Retail price" means a manufacturer price.
Look for the 30-day lowest price. Many shops print it near the deal, for example "Lowest price in the last 30 days", "Niedrigster Preis der letzten 30 Tage" or "Prix le plus bas des 30 derniers jours".
Recalculate. Discount = (30-day lowest minus sale price) divided by 30-day lowest. If that is far below the advertised percentage, the deal is inflated.
Check the history. Start watching products you want now, in October, so you know the normal price before the Black Friday labels appear.
Report clear cases. If a shop's "old price" was never its 30-day lowest, your national consumer authority or consumer organisation can act on it. The European Commission's consumer rights page lists where to go.

Doing it automatically

truediscount is a free, open-source browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that does steps 1 to 4 for you. It reads the shop's own "lowest price in 30 days" label in about 15 languages, flags RRP comparisons, and keeps a local price history of products you visit (stored only in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere). It works out of the box on Amazon EU, Zalando, MediaMarkt, Saturn, Otto, eMAG, Allegro, bol.com, Coolblue and Alternate, and on other shops after one click. You can also try the interactive discount checker on the homepage before installing.

Download (Chrome & Firefox)About truediscount

This page is a practical guide, not legal advice. Last updated 23 October 2026.