#62025CJ0062ECJ Ruling on Online Order Processing Costs and Selling Price Transparency
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This law clarifies that flat-rate processing fees for online sales orders should not be included in the listed selling price of a product, particularly if they only apply to orders below a certain value. The ruling emphasizes the importance of transparency and consumer protection, ensuring that prices are clear and allow for informed comparison. Consumers are entitled to understand the total price they will pay without including additional charges that can be avoided by reaching a minimum order value.
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Key Changes
- Flat-rate processing fees do not need to be included in the selling price.
- Such fees apply only to orders below a specified amount.
- Prices must remain clear to facilitate comparisons.
Obligations
What this law requires
Online retailers must include flat-rate processing fees for orders below a minimum value in the displayed selling price of products, not as a separate charge.
Selling prices displayed to consumers must be unambiguous, easily identifiable, and clearly legible in accordance with Article 4(1) of Directive 98/6/EC.
Selling prices must represent the final price for a unit or given quantity of product, including VAT and all other taxes, without exclusion of conditional charges.
Online retailers offering goods through distance contracts must indicate whether processing fees, delivery costs, or other additional costs are payable, with amounts specified if reasonably calculable in advance.
Retailers must not structure pricing with asterisks, footnotes, or sub-pages that hide or defer disclosure of mandatory processing fees that apply to orders below minimum thresholds.