Practical framework / 5 MIN READ
Make the crossed-out price earn its place
Identify what the reference price means and retain evidence for that exact comparison.
AI-assisted research and analysis for the SNS Creative Fieldbook
Sources checked 2026-11-06
A crossed-out number implies a comparison even when the label is vague. The marketing team needs to know whether it represents a genuine former price, a recommended price or another properly supported benchmark.
What you will leave with: Build a reference-price evidence check before publishing a saving claim.
Use this when
- Products display permanent sale badges.
- Campaigns use “was,” “worth” or recommended-price comparisons.
This is not legal advice or a universal lookback period for establishing a lawful reference price.
Name the comparison explicitly
Write what the higher price represents in a complete sentence. Was this store recently offering the same product at that price? Is it a manufacturer recommendation? Is it a comparison with another product? These are different claims and need different evidence.
The FTC’s advertising guidance states that truthfulness standards apply to price comparisons and sale claims. Local rules can be more specific, so obtain qualified review for the markets involved. Do not assume that removing the word “was” eliminates the implication created by a strikethrough or percentage-saving badge.
Check the exact product and conditions
Match the reference to the same variant, quantity, included accessories and purchase conditions. A former price for a larger set cannot automatically support a saving on a smaller one. Record the currency, tax treatment, channel and relevant period so the comparison can be reconstructed.
Keep contemporaneous price records rather than a screenshot created after the campaign is questioned. A proposed future price or a briefly inflated number should not be treated as an established ordinary price. If evidence is incomplete, use a clear current-price offer without an unsupported saving claim.
Control the claim across campaign surfaces
A price field can feed badges, email subject lines, ads and marketplace listings. Map those outputs before changing the reference. Check whether a global percentage claim remains true for every advertised item or whether the range needs a properly qualified statement.
Set an owner and a review event for the promotion. A seasonal markdown should not become a permanent comparison simply because nobody removed the badge. If the product or pack size changes, reassess the reference rather than carrying the number forward. Keep creative files connected to the approved price version.
Evaluate clarity without using performance as permission
Ask a reader what they believe the higher price means and what they must do to obtain the lower one. If their interpretation exceeds the evidence, revise the claim. A technically accurate footnote does not necessarily repair a misleading overall impression.
Track discrepancies and corrections as a quality measure. Strong conversion cannot justify an unsupported comparison. If a mistake reaches customers, involve the appropriate service and legal owners in the response rather than silently editing the page and treating the incident as finished. Preserve the records needed for review.
Make the reasoning concrete.
A fictional bedding shop advertises a duvet as “Was $160, now $96.” The $160 figure is a supplier’s recommendation, but the shop’s own ordinary offer has been $110.
Accurate current-price offer
Opening: Advertise the $96 price while the comparison is reviewed.
Hypothesis: The customer sees a true available price without a false former-price implication.
Risk: Any claim of a saving still needs a clearly supported basis.
Unqualified former-price badge
Opening: Keep “was $160” because it produces a larger percentage.
Hypothesis: The promotion looks more dramatic.
Risk: It misstates what the reference represents if the shop did not have that former price.
Remove the unsupported former-price claim. Use only a properly reviewed comparison whose label and evidence match.
Take the questions into your next brief.
Use these prompts in your own notes. Nothing is submitted from this page.
Reference meaning
What exactly does the higher number represent?
Exact match
Does it cover the same variant, quantity and conditions?
Evidence
Which contemporaneous records support the claim?
Surface map
Where will the price field and saving appear?
Expiry
What event requires the comparison to be reviewed or removed?
Watch for the wrong conclusion.
- Treating recommended price as the store’s own former price.
- Keeping a sale badge indefinitely without review.
- Using strong sales as evidence that a claim is acceptable.
Your next action
Choose one strikethrough price and write its evidence-backed meaning before approving the next campaign.
Sources & scope
Frameworks, worksheets and proposed tests are original editorial synthesis. Examples are hypothetical and do not report measured outcomes. Source checking is not an independent audit of effectiveness. Platform features and applicable law can change. No named human author or reviewer is claimed.
- FTC: Advertising FAQs, A Guide for Small Business →Primary government guidance · Supports: States that truthfulness standards apply to price comparisons and sale claims, and discusses pricing accuracy. The audit process here is editorial advice, not a legal opinion.