Discount Advertising

Also known as: Sales Advertising, Strike-Through Price, Promotional Campaigns, İndirimli Satış Reklamı

In short

Advertising showing that the price of goods or services has been reduced; the lowest price applied in the thirty days before the discount must be shown as the pre-discount price.

Discount advertising is advertising showing that the price of goods or services has been reduced. The Regulation on Commercial Advertising and Unfair Commercial Practices sets specific rules for such advertising to prevent consumers being misled by fake discounts.

The 30-Day Lowest Price

Under an amendment to the Regulation that entered into force on 1 March 2022, discount advertising must show as the pre-discount price the lowest price applied in the thirty days before the discount. Raising the price before a campaign and then announcing a “discount” is therefore misleading advertising. For details, see Changes Made in Discount Sales Advertisements and Commercial Advertising Regulations.

What the Ad Must Include

The pre-discount price and the discounted price must be shown together.
Which products, dates and conditions the discount applies to must be stated clearly.
If stock is limited, this must be stated in the ad.
For claims such as “up to 70% off”, the stated rate must actually apply to a meaningful portion of the campaign products.

Common Mistakes

The advertised discounted product running out at the start of the campaign or never being offered,
Vague terms for “buy one, get one free” campaigns,
Never-ending “last day” or “don’t miss out” messages; see Unfair Commercial Practice,
The displayed discounted price becoming misleading because of extra charges appearing in the basket; see Price Labelling and Unit Price.

Discount campaigns are among the matters most frequently inspected by the Ministry of Trade; records of the pre-campaign price history are the basis for proving compliance in an inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the pre-discount price determined?

The lowest price applied in the thirty days before the discount must be shown as the pre-discount price. Keeping records of price movements before the campaign is important for proving compliance in an inspection.

Can we say "up to 70% off"?

Yes, but the stated discount must actually apply to a meaningful portion of the products in the campaign. Highlighting a rate that applies to only a few products may be misleading.

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