Austria's Price Marking Act: fines nearly doubled, new warning step before penalties (BGBl. I Nr. 43/2026)
Austria's Price Marking Act (Preisauszeichnungsgesetz – PrAG) is amended by BGBl. I Nr. 43/2026: from 1 July 2026, fines for price-labelling violations rise sharply, authorities must issue a written warning before starting penalty proceedings, and tourism levies may now be shown separately. A change to accommodation price-display rules also takes effect immediately after publication.
What changed
Fines for failing to mark prices correctly or charging above the displayed price rise from €1,450 to up to €2,500 (maximum €10,000 per case); repeat offenders face up to €3,750 (maximum €15,000). Before imposing any fine, the authority must now send a written warning giving the business a reasonable deadline to comply. Tourism levies (Tourismusabgaben) may be shown separately or included in the gross price. Hotels and accommodation providers no longer need to post standard room-price category boards at the entrance, but the ban on booking-platform best-price clauses remains fully in force.
Who is affected
All businesses required to display prices under Austrian law — retailers, restaurants, hotels, and online sellers. Consumers benefit indirectly from stronger enforcement of price transparency.
What to look out for
The higher fines and the new warning procedure under § 15 apply from 1 July 2026, but violations committed from the day after the law is published already count toward the repeat-offence threshold. Accommodation businesses should verify which entrance-display obligations have been dropped, and all price-marking businesses should familiarise themselves with the warning procedure before the July deadline.