Earlier this year, the Competition & Markets Authority strengthened pricing transparency rules, which changed how brands present prices, discounts, subscriptions and fees across marketing activity.
To help their clients understand this better, APMA Gold Member and leading affiliate platform, Awin published a practical guide explaining what the new rules mean for campaign creative, landing pages and partner activity.
Download Awin’s free guide here
The new guidance applies across consumer-facing sectors and is designed to crack down on “drip pricing” and unclear promotional messaging. Brands must now make the true cost of a product or service much easier for consumers to understand upfront.
One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a clearer “three-in-one” pricing approach. Affiliate marketers should now ensure that any offer prominently shows:
- upfront costs,
- recurring costs, and
- contract duration
Mandatory charges such as booking fees, platform fees or unavoidable delivery costs must now be included within the headline price rather than added later in the customer journey.
The CMA has also tightened rules around mid-contract price rises, particularly in sectors such as telecoms and subscriptions. Future price increases must now be shown in clear £ and pence terms, with equal prominence to the headline offer, rather than buried in small print or linked to inflation formulas.
The guidance also raises the bar for savings claims and “was/now” pricing. Discounts must be based on genuine historic selling prices and comparisons must be fair, verifiable and like-for-like.
Meanwhile, brands are being warned against misleading use of the word “free”. If the cost is effectively built into the wider subscription or tariff, marketers should instead use wording such as “included in your plan” or “included at no extra cost”.
A huge thank you to the Awin team for sharing this guidance with the industry for free.
Download Awin’s free guide here
NB: This guide has been prepared and provided by Awin for general informational purposes only. While the APMA welcomes the sharing of practical industry guidance, the APMA has not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or legal validity of the information contained within it. Nothing in the guide should be construed as legal advice and businesses should seek their own independent legal or regulatory advice where appropriate.
