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MRP rules every shopkeeper should know

MRP (maximum retail price) is printed on packed goods by the manufacturer, packer or importer. For a shop it sets one firm limit: you may sell for less, never for more.

What MRP is

The Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 call it the retail sale price: the maximum price at which the packed item may be sold to the final buyer (Rule 2(r)). It is printed as "MRP ₹… (inclusive of all taxes)", so GST is already inside it.

Never above MRP

Rule 18(2) says no retail dealer or other person, including the manufacturer, packer, importer and wholesale dealer, may sell a packed item at a price above its retail sale price. That covers common tricks too:

• Cooling charge on a cold drink sold above MRP.
• Adding GST on top of MRP. MRP already includes all taxes.
• Delivery or packing charges added to the item price so that the item costs more than MRP.

A buyer can complain to the state Legal Metrology department or the National Consumer Helpline (1915). Our price list maker warns you when a retail or wholesale price you type is above the MRP.

Below MRP is fine

MRP is a ceiling, not a fixed price. You may give a discount and sell below it, and many shops do. Your GST is worked out on the price you actually charge, not on the MRP.

Loose goods and your own products

• Loose items weighed or counted in front of the buyer (grain, vegetables, sweets from the counter) do not carry an MRP; your price list is how buyers see the price.
• If you pack goods yourself for sale, the packed goods rules apply to you as a packer: the label needs the declarations, including MRP. Ask your state Legal Metrology office before you start.
• Unit sale price: since 1 October 2022 packages also carry a unit sale price (for example price per kg) so buyers can compare pack sizes (Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2022).