AustraliaI was overcharged at a shop because the shelf price differed from the scanned price. What's the law?
In Australia, shops must honour the lower of the displayed shelf price or the scanned price, unless the difference is due to an obvious error and you knew or should have known about it.
What the Law Says
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) protects consumers from misleading pricing practices. Shops must not mislead customers about the price of goods — including by displaying one price on the shelf and charging another at the register.
Under the ACL, it is unlawful for a business to engage in misleading or deceptive conduct — this includes displaying a price that differs from the price charged at checkout, unless the discrepancy is clearly accidental and the consumer was aware (or should reasonably have been aware) of the error.
Section 29(1)(i) of the ACL specifically prohibits making a false or misleading representation about the price of goods or services. If a shelf label shows $15.99 but the scanner charges $19.99, that may breach this provision — especially if the error wasn’t obvious (e.g., smudged label, typo, or outdated sign).
Businesses are expected to have systems in place to ensure pricing accuracy. While the ACL doesn’t guarantee a 'price match' in all cases, courts and regulators treat persistent or systemic pricing errors as evidence of misleading conduct.
Statutory TextA person must not, in trade or commerce, engage in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead or deceive.
— Australian Consumer Law, s. 18 — Misleading or deceptive conduct
Statutory TextA person must not, in trade or commerce, make a false or misleading representation that the price of goods or services is a particular amount or is determined in a particular way.
— Australian Consumer Law, s. 29(1)(i) — False or misleading representations about price
What to Do
Politely point out the shelf price to the staff and ask to be charged the lower amount.
If refused, ask for the store’s official complaints procedure and request written confirmation of their decision.
Contact your state or territory consumer affairs agency (e.g., NSW Fair Trading, VIC Consumer Affairs) to report the issue.
Keep your receipt and photo of the shelf label as evidence.
If the overcharge was significant or repeated, consider lodging a formal complaint with the ACCC.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.