Croatia introduces double price tags for goods and services to make price increases visible to buyers

In Croatia, from October 1, 2026, the system of so-called reference prices is being significantly expanded: shops, restaurants, cafes, hair salons, service companies and other sellers of goods and services must show, alongside the current price, how much the same good or service cost on a state-determined date.

For most goods and services that the system did not previously cover, this reference date will be September 10, 2026. For example, if a dish in a restaurant cost 12 euros on that date, and is now sold for 14 euros, the consumer must see both amounts on the menu.

The rule applies not only to catering. It covers clothing, footwear, electronics, household appliances, furniture, building materials, telecommunications, repair, hairdressing and other services. The reference price must be placed directly next to the current one and be clearly visible to the buyer.

For food products, beverages, cosmetics, detergents, hygiene products and household goods, a similar rule was already in force. For these, the reference date remains unchanged - businesses will continue to show the price as of May 2, 2025.

The aim of the innovation is to give the buyer the opportunity to immediately see the actual change in the cost of a good or service. Croatian Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar explained that the reference price is additional information and should make it easier to compare the current cost with the previous one against the backdrop of high inflation.

The rules will also apply in online stores. Companies that have their own website are also obliged to publish their price lists in CSV or XML formats, so that prices can be automatically collected and compared. There is no need to create a website specifically for this requirement, and a social media page is not considered a website.

Retail sellers must update online price lists daily on working days no later than 8:00. For restaurants, salons and other service providers, a new file must be published with every price change. Previous versions of price lists must remain available for at least 30 days.

If a product is sold at a discount, in some cases there will be even three price tags: the current promotional price, the lowest price in the previous 30 days and the reference price on the state-determined date.

There are exceptions. In particular, the requirement does not apply to accommodation prices that hotels and landlords show in their own booking systems or through intermediary platforms. It also does not apply to personal prices in loyalty programmes and offers available only to specific groups of customers.

Based on materials from: Der Standard, Ministry of Economy of Croatia