ARTICLE
29 October 2024

Understanding Unit Sale Price - Compliance Under The Legal Metrology

SR
S.S. Rana & Co. Advocates

Contributor

S.S. Rana & Co. is a Full-Service Law Firm with an emphasis on IPR, having its corporate office in New Delhi and branch offices in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, and Kolkata. The Firm is dedicated to its vision of proactively assisting its Fortune 500 clients worldwide as well as grassroot innovators, with highest quality legal services.
The unit sale price refers to the price of the product per standard unit of measurement, such as per kilogram, per liter, per meter, etc. It is a critical piece of information...
India Consumer Protection

What is the Unit Sale Price?

The unit sale price refers to the price of the product per standard unit of measurement, such as per kilogram, per liter, per meter, etc. It is a critical piece of information that helps consumers compare prices of similar products sold in different quantities and packaging.

Key Requirements for Declaring Unit Sale Price-

  1. Format and Placement:
    • The unit sale price must be declared clearly and prominently on the package.
    • It should be in close proximity to the retail sale price (MRP).

  2. Standard Units of Measurement:

    i. "Rs.__ per g" For pre-packaged commodities with net quantity of commodity less than one kilogram
    ii. "Rs.__ per kg" For pre-packaged commodities with net quantity of commodity more or equal to one kilogram
    iii. "Rs.__ per cm" For pre-packaged commodities with net length of the commodity less than one meter
    iv. "Rs.__ per metre" For pre-packaged commodities with net length of the commodity more or equal to one meter
    v. "Rs.__per number"
    vi. "Rs.__ per ml" For pre-packaged commodities with net volume of the commodity less than one litre
    vii. "Rs.__ per L" For pre-packaged commodities with net volume of the commodity more or equal to one litre
  1. Visibility and Legibility:

    The unit sale price must be easily readable and understandable by consumers under normal conditions of purchase and use.

    The font size should be proportionate to the label size and not smaller than the font size used for the net quantity declaration.
  1. Consistency and Accuracy:

    The declared unit sale price must be accurate and consistent with the net quantity and the maximum retail price (MRP) of the product.

    Manufacturers and packers must ensure that there are no discrepancies between the declared unit sale price and the actual price calculated based on the MRP and net quantity.

    Example of Unit Sale Price Declaration-

    Let's take an example of a packaged commodity, "Sunflower Oil," sold in a 1-liter bottle with an MRP of ₹200. The declaration would look like this:

    "Sunflower Oil

    Net Quantity: 1 Liter

    MRP: ₹200.00 (Inclusive of all taxes)

    Unit Sale Price: ₹200.00 per Liter

    Manufactured by: ABC Pvt. Ltd., 123 Industrial Area, Mumbai, India

    Date of Manufacture: April 2024

    Best Before: April 2025

    Consumer Care: 1800-123-4567, customercare@abc.com"

Benefits of Declaring Unit Sale Price-

  1. Transparency:Providing the unit sale price promotes transparency and helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
  2. Comparability:It allows consumers to easily compare the prices of different brands or different package sizes of the same product.
  3. Consumer Protection:It helps prevent deceptive pricing practices and ensures that consumers are not misled by varying package sizes and presentations.
  4. Fair Trade Practices:Encourages fair competition among manufacturers and retailers by standardizing price declarations.

Conclusion-

The declaration of the unit sale price as per the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, is a significant measure to enhance consumer protection and promote fair trade practices. By providing clear and accurate unit sale prices, manufacturers, packers, and retailers can build consumer trust and facilitate better decision-making for their customers.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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