The key facts
- A store must sell an item at the price-tag price, even if the difference is noticed after payment
- A 'repricing in progress' notice does not exempt the store from the duty to display accurate prices
- If the store refuses — a written claim, Rospotrebnadzor or the court
The price tag beats the register
If an item is rung up at the register at a higher price than shown on the price tag, the store is obliged to sell it at the shelf price — Rospotrebnadzor has reminded consumers of this more than once, and Life.ru has broken down how to act in such a situation. The rule applies even when the customer has already paid and only noticed the difference at home: the store must refund the overpayment.
What to do at the register and after the purchase
Under the Civil Code, a price tag is considered the store's offer, and the Consumer Protection Law requires providing accurate information about the price. Explanations like 'we didn't have time to change the price tag' or 'the promotion ended yesterday' carry no weight: it is the store's mistake. The practical procedure is as follows: photograph the price tag next to the item (preferably with the date and time), ask for the item to be sold at the shelf price or the difference refunded, and if refused, file a written claim stating the date, the item's name, the price on the tag and the amount on the receipt. If the discrepancy is discovered at home, the procedure is the same: receipt, photo of the price tag, a request to the manager, then a formal claim. The customer is also entitled to abandon the purchase and leave the item at the register.
When the store may refuse
There are cases when demanding the shelf price is pointless. If someone else's price tag hangs under the item (for example, from a different product), it is simply corrected. If the tag honestly shows both prices — with the loyalty card discount and without it — the store is right: in 2025 a magistrate judge in Lipetsk rejected a claim from a customer who declined the offered discount, paid for the drink at the full price explained in advance, and then went to court. But if the reduced price is displayed prominently and nowhere does it say that it applies only with a card, the discount can be demanded. The store may not refuse to sell because the customer declines to give a phone number for a loyalty card, nor charge different prices for cash and card payments. In September 2026, the Ministry of Economic Development prepared a draft amendment: the price without additional conditions should become the main price on the tag, while the card price would be only supplementary.
Where to complain
If the store refuses or does not respond to the claim, a complaint is sent to Rospotrebnadzor with a photo of the price tag, the receipt and a copy of the claim — the store faces an inspection and a fine. When demanding compensation for losses caused by inaccurate price information, the seller has ten days from the date the demand is made; there is no mandatory pre-trial procedure for such a dispute, and in court, along with the overpayment, one can seek compensation for moral harm.
