Better Conversion Without Legal Headaches

Strikethrough prices are among the most eye-catching pricing elements in an online store: the old price crossed out, the new, reduced price next to it, and ideally the percentage savings. Used correctly, they increase the perceived appeal of an offer. Used incorrectly, they invite legal warnings.

Shopware offers built-in support for this: Strikethrough prices can be managed directly on the product page and automatically displayed on the front end, both in category overviews and on the product detail page.

How to Manage Strikethrough Prices in the Backend

First, the good news: For simple strikethrough price scenarios, no one in Shopware needs to delve into complex pricing logic. By default, the “General” tab in the product management screen is all you need.

In the Shopware backend, go to Catalogs → Products and select the appropriate product. In the “General” tab, under the “Prices” section, you’ll find settings for the current price and an optional strikethrough price. The strikethrough price is the previous price that is no longer valid and appears crossed out on the front end.

Legal Framework

30-Day Best Price Rule

In addition to the technical aspects of pricing, you must comply with the EU Omnibus Directive when using strikethrough prices. This directive stipulates that an advertised price reduction must be based on the lowest price over the past 30 days.

In practice, this means that the displayed strikethrough price cannot be an arbitrarily chosen “desired price,” but must reflect the lowest actual price over the past 30 days. The regulation aims to prevent artificially inflated “previous prices” that were never on the market or were only available for a very short time. If you want to be on the safe side legally, you should consistently adhere to the 30-day rule and thoroughly document your price history.

Unfortunately, Shopware does not provide an automatic analysis of prices from the last 30 days. This is because Shopware does not version product data and therefore cannot access older data sets. This information is best obtained from the ERP system or the PIM.

Strikethrough prices in combination with tiered pricing and customer-specific prices

Depending on your setup, you can also combine strike-through prices with advanced pricing models:

· Tiered pricing.

In the advanced pricing view, you define prices per quantity tier (e.g., 1 unit, 10 units, 50 units). Accordingly, different strike-through prices can be set for each tier.

· Customer-specific prices.

Using the “Advanced Prices” tab (not included in all Shopware plans), you can set individual prices per customer, including custom list and strike-through prices. This allows you to display different “before/after” prices for A-customers than for standard customers—which is important in B2B business with customized terms.

· Currency-dependent prices.

Strikethrough prices can be managed in different currencies, which is particularly relevant for international stores that offer channel- or country-specific discounts during promotions.

To get started, managing prices in the standard price widget is entirely sufficient. You should integrate more advanced pricing logic specifically with your pricing strategy and, if applicable, your ERP/PIM integration.

Strategic Use Cases for Strikethrough Prices

As the person responsible for this area, you should not view marked-down prices in isolation, but rather as part of your pricing and promotions strategy:

· Clearly communicated price promotions.

Limited-time promotions (“Summer Sale,” “Clearance Sale”) can be effectively highlighted using marked-down prices—in combination with promotions, discounts, and campaigns.

· Differentiation from products with unchanged prices.

In category listings, discounted products immediately catch the eye and can be specifically used to clear inventory or promote certain brands.

· Avoiding discount inflation.

Strikethrough prices should signify a genuine difference. When used permanently and across the board, strikethrough prices desensitize customers and can undermine the credibility of your pricing strategy.

· B2B Context.

Strikethrough prices can also be useful in B2B, for example for time-limited project prices or special quotas, provided communication is clear and aligned with individual terms and conditions.

Best Practices and Pitfalls

To ensure strikethrough prices work for you—and not against you—you should keep a few points in mind:

· Real historical data instead of made-up prices.

The strikethrough price should always be a price that was actually charged, ideally the lowest price from the past 30 days. Anything else is legally risky and undermines trust.

· Clean data foundation.

Make sure you can track historical prices—whether in Shopware itself or in connected systems. Without a history, you can hardly justify strikethrough prices in an audit-proof manner.

· Consistency Across Channels.

Verify that the crossed-out prices displayed in Shopware match price information on marketplaces, at the point of sale (POS), or in print campaigns to avoid inconsistencies.

· Front-End Design and Usability.

Ensure that strikethrough prices are clearly legible in your chosen theme (font size, contrast, position) and that the savings are easily understood. Extensions can provide additional display options.

· Combination with other discounts.

Clearly define whether additional coupons or promotions may be applied to already discounted products to prevent unintentionally high total discounts.

Recommendations for Shopware Implementation

In summary, the following recommendations apply:

· Use strikethrough prices strategically to highlight genuine price reductions—not as a permanent feature.

· Ensure that the strikethrough price reflects the lowest price over the past 30 days and document this history.

· Use the standard price fields in the “General” tab for simple scenarios; only use advanced pricing and tiered models when necessary.

· Check the front-end display (listing, detail page, and extensions if applicable) to ensure that discounts are communicated clearly and in compliance with legal requirements.

· Integrate strike-through prices into your overarching pricing and promotions strategy, rather than treating them in isolation at the product level.

When used correctly, strike-through prices in Shopware become an effective yet reputable tool for highlighting offers. Ideally, they provide added value for conversion, inventory management, and customer expectations without exposing you to unnecessary legal risks.