"Was £500, now £350": when an online shop can use a "was" price, and what the discount really is

A crossed-out price is the quickest way to make a sale look like a sale. It is also where a small shop is most likely to be told the comparison was not fair. This guide sets out what the Trading Standards guidance says and works out the real discount for a few common cases.

What the guidance says

The Business Companion page, written for traders, says reference pricing means price promotions that aim to show good value, usually by pointing to a higher price. One of its four types is "Was / now": comparing today's price with a price the trader previously charged. It notes that consumers rarely keep a record of earlier prices, so the trader is relied on to be accurate.

Its examples, in plain terms:

• Likely to comply: "Was £500, now £350" where the item really was sold at £500 and no other offer ran on it.
• Less likely to comply: the same claim where the previous month's price had a "buy 2 get 10% off" offer running.
• Less likely to comply: a sofa sold at £500, cut to £350, and "Was £500" added to the label weeks later, after other prices.
• Less likely to comply: a coat shown as "Was £150, now half price £75" and later as "Was £150, now £99", a series where each claim does not offer a bigger discount.
• Timing: a price charged less than two months ago gave a genuine indication of value in one example; a price charged many months ago may not.
• RRPs: the page says a recommended retail price must represent a genuine selling price.
• The test it gives: ask whether the average consumer would think it is a fair comparison.

The sums, worked

Percentage off is (was - now) / was.

This is our arithmetic. Check each sum against your own order history before you print a percentage: the percentage on the page must match what a customer pays at the checkout.

A short check before you cross a price out

• Find the last real price. Look up what the item sold at, and for how long, in your own orders.
• Check no other offer was running when you set that price.
• Make sure the "was" is recent. The guidance warns about prices charged many months ago.
• Work out the percentage with the formula above and use the true figure.
• Do not raise a price just to cut it. The page treats comparisons that are not fair as likely to mislead.

Related guides: drip pricing and postage in the headline price, the Black Friday and Christmas checklist and what to do about a wrong price.

What I did not read

I did not read the legislation itself, the sections of the page on perishable goods, "up to" claims or multi-buy offers in detail, or any Competition and Markets Authority page. The page I read is the April 2026 edition and the law on false "was" prices may change; I have not checked for newer guidance. The figures in the table are examples, not your prices.

Overlyft builds AI staff who join your shop team and keep a price history for every product, check each "was" price against the last real selling price and the percentage you plan to print, and flag any that fail, with a person approving every sale label before it goes live.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check the Trading Standards page and your own position with a qualified adviser.