Advertising rules
for online stores.

The ACCC says businesses must show the total price as a single figure, including taxes and unavoidable fees, and at least as prominently as any part price. A sale price is misleading if the item wasn't sold at the 'was' price for a reasonable period beforehand.

In May 2026 the Federal Court found Coles misled shoppers with 'Down Down' discounts: 13 of the 14 sample tickets were misleading, because prices had been raised for short periods, mostly around four weeks, before being 'reduced'. The court also said a 'was' price would likely not have misled if it had applied for at least 12 weeks, which had been Coles' own policy before it relaxed it. The ACCC doesn't set a fixed period, but 12 weeks is now the clearest marker. As at May 2026 the penalty was still to be set, and a similar case against Woolworths was before the court.

For an online store, the safe habit is simple: only show a 'was' price you genuinely charged, for a good while, and keep a record of your price history.

Answer seven questions about your next promotion or your product pages. Each flag links back to a rule on this page.

The ACCC's guidance for businesses covers how online reviews can and can't be used: no fake reviews, no suppressing or editing negative ones to paint a better picture, and clear disclosure when a reviewer got something in return.

Watch your review app's settings: some can be set to show only four and five star reviews. Showing your best reviews on a product page is fine, as long as the overall picture isn't misleading, and the ACCC expects a rating to show how many reviews it's based on.

Words like 'eco', 'sustainable' and 'biodegradable' are claims. The ACCC's environmental claims guidance sets out eight principles, starting with: make accurate claims you can back up, and don't leave out what matters.

Be specific. 'Made with 70% recycled cotton' can be checked. 'Eco-friendly sheets' can't.

Marketing emails and SMS need consent, your business clearly identified, and a working unsubscribe under the Spam Act. ACMA expects businesses not to rely on pre-ticked boxes, and a bought list doesn't give you consent: you still need it for every address.

New unfair trading practices laws take effect on 1 July 2027. They add a general ban on practices that manipulate shoppers or distort their decisions, tighter rules on disclosing per-order charges like delivery fees alongside the price (the ACL already requires the minimum delivery cost to be stated where it's known), and subscription rules: clear terms up front, and if people can sign up online they must be able to cancel online.

Fake countdown timers, 'only 2 left' that isn't true, and checkout steps that trick people into add-ons can already breach the ACL as misleading conduct. The 2027 ban adds to that. Remove them now.