Anchor price in Croatia from 1 October 2026: what sellers must display

On 10 September 2026 the Croatian Government adopted the Decision on displaying an additional price as a measure of direct price control (Odluka o isticanju dodatne cijene), published in the Official Gazette Narodne novine 101/2026 the next day. It enters into force on 1 October 2026. From that date, next to every retail price the customer must also see a second, fixed price of the same product or service – the one that applied on 10 September 2026. In Croatia it is commonly called the anchor price (sidrena cijena).

Below is a summary of what the Decision actually requires, who it applies to and what to check on your website and in your advertising. This article is for information only and is not legal advice.

Who must display the anchor price

The Decision applies to all traders registered for retail trade and to all service providers registered for providing services in the Republic of Croatia (point III of the Decision). It is not limited to large retail chains: a small online store, a hair salon, a repair shop and a restaurant are equally covered.

Which price is displayed

Next to the retail price, the trader clearly, visibly and legibly displays an additional retail price that applied to that product or service on 10 September 2026 (point II). Two details matter:

• the anchor price excludes special forms of sale – if the product was on promotion on 10 September, the anchor is the regular price, not the promotional one;
• the Decision does not freeze prices – you can still change the current price freely, while the anchor price stays the same and serves the customer as a fixed point of comparison.

Exception for food, drinks, cosmetics and household products

Traders who, on the day the Decision enters into force, were already displaying an additional price for food, drinks, cosmetics, cleaning products, toiletries and household products – under the previous 2025 decision (NN 75/25) – keep displaying the price that applied on 2 May 2025 (point IV). For those traders and those categories the reference date does not change.

Where it must appear: shop, advertising and website

The obligation does not stop at the shelf. When advertising, the trader or service provider must display the anchor price whenever the price is advertised on leaflets, posters, digital advertising inside the premises and outdoors, including websites (point II, paragraph 2). For an online store this means in practice that the anchor price appears wherever the customer sees a price: on the product page, on product listings and cards, and in ads and posts that state a price.

An example on a product page:

Price: €24.90
Anchor price (10 Sep 2026): €22.90

The Decision does not prescribe the exact wording of the label. We recommend making it clear which price it is and which date it refers to.

The anchor price is not the lowest price in the last 30 days

For discounts and promotions the rule from the Consumer Protection Act still applies: next to the reduced price the trader shows the lowest price applied in the 30 days before the reduction. These are two separate obligations:

• anchor price – always, next to every price, with a fixed date (10 Sep 2026, or 2 May 2025 for the exception above);
• lowest price in 30 days – only while the reduction lasts, with a rolling 30-day window before the start of the reduction.

On a discounted product the customer may therefore see the reduced price, the lowest price in 30 days and the anchor price. A struck-through “old” price is not the anchor price and cannot replace it.

What are the fines

The legal basis of the Decision is the Act on Exceptional Price Control Measures (Zakon o iznimnim mjerama kontrole cijena, NN 40/2025). Its Article 20 sets fines for a trader who fails to display the additional price determined by a Government decision, does not follow the manner set by the decision or omits it in advertising:

• for a legal person, from €3,000 to €30,000;
• for the responsible person in a legal person, from €1,000 to €4,000;
• for a craftsman or a person performing another self-employed activity, from €1,000 to €20,000;
• for a trader who is a natural person, from €1,000 to €6,000.

Any financial gain from the offence is also confiscated.

Checklist for online stores before 1 October

1. Record and keep the prices of all products and services as of 10 September 2026 – without promotional prices. This record is the basis for everything else and must not be changed later.
2. Check whether you fall under the exception for food, drinks, cosmetics and household products, and which reference date applies to which category.
3. Show the anchor price on the product page, on product listings and on product cards.
4. Align ads, leaflets, newsletters and social media posts that state a price.
5. If your website has an AI assistant or chat that quotes prices to customers, make sure it quotes the anchor price as well.
6. Separately, make sure the lowest price in 30 days is shown for every discount.

From 1 October a second decision from the same issue of the Official Gazette also requires publishing a machine-readable price list in XML or CSV format.

How AI MAX Commerce handles it

On the AI MAX Commerce platform the anchor price is stored as an immutable record with both reference dates and is shown in the catalogue, on product cards and on the product page, and the store's AI assistant is not allowed to quote a price without the anchor price. To check whether your store is ready, get in touch or see how AI MAX Commerce works.