Specific Price Displays
Certain businesses are required by law to display their prices in a specific way. Their price notices should be visible from the street or immediately inside the entrance to the premises, and should be legible and up-to-date.
The idea is that consumers should be in a position to compare prices in various premises and to inform themselves of the price in a particular premises before they decide to enter.
These premises include:
- Service stations
- Pubs, wine bars, hotels and other licensed premises (but not off-licences)
- Restaurants and any other businesses (e.g. hotels, pubs, cafés) that offer food for sale and consumption on the premises
- Hairdressers and barber shops
Service stations
The notice in service stations should give the prices per litre for petrol and diesel.
Licensed premises
Pubs and other licensed premises must have two price display lists:
- A comprehensive list of all drinks. This should be on display within each drinking area on the premises
- A "16 item" list of the prices of 16 specific drinks. This must be on display immediately outside or immediately inside each entrance
If the premises hasa bar, lounge and nightclub, each charging different prices, there must be a corresponding price list for each part of the premises.
If the bar has a policy of increasing prices after a certain time (for instance, after 11pm), the prices on display should be those being charged at that time.
Off-licences must comply with product pricing regulations. All goods for sale must show a final selling price, and the unit price must be shown where applicable.
Eating establishments
Restaurants and other eating establishments must display prices immediately outside or immediately inside each entrance to the premises and on menus (or if there are no individual menus, in a clear display on the premises such as a blackboard).
If applicable, the price display must indicate if there is:
- A minimum charge
- A service charge - and whether this is included in the price of the food
- A cover charge, a charge for entertainment, or any similar charge
If a pub or hotel has an eating area, the food price display must be at each entrance to the premises or at each entrance to the catering area.
Where different prices are charged at different times or days, these different prices must be specified, together with the items to which they relate.
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