Current information on dual pricing of goods and services in Bulgarian levs and euros

In connection with the introduction of the single European currency („Еuro“) in the Republic of Bulgaria, the Law on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria (“LIERB”) provides for a period during which the prices of all goods and services offered to consumers must be displayed simultaneously in levs and euros. The aim is to facilitate the transition to the new currency by ensuring transparency and awareness, in accordance with EU requirements. With the publication of the Law Amending and Supplementing the Law on the Introduction of the Euro in the Republic of Bulgaria in issue 65 of the State Gazette on 08.08.2025, the legislator supplements the requirements for dual display.

·• Dual display period

In accordance with the adopted amendments to the LIERB, dual pricing will apply for a period starting on 08.08.2025 (one month after the Decision to adopt the euro on 08.07.2025) and will continue until 08.08.2026.

• What does dual display mean?

According to the additional provisions of the LIERB, "dual display of prices" means the simultaneous display of prices of goods and services in euros and in levs.

According to the law, "goods" are:

a) any movable material item, including water, gas, and electricity, when offered for sale, packaged in a limited volume or in a specified quantity;

b) any movable tangible item that contains digital content or a digital service or is interconnected with digital content or a digital service in such a way that the absence of the digital content or digital service would prevent the goods from performing their functions ("goods containing digital elements").

It is regulated that a "service" is any material or intellectual activity that is performed independently, is intended for another person, and does not have as its main purpose the transfer of ownership of an item.

During the transition period, all merchants are required to display their prices in both levs and euros. This includes not only physical and online stores, but also restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, electronic catalogues, mobile applications, advertising materials, menus, price lists, etc.

• Basic requirements

The prices of all goods and services offered to consumers shall be indicated in euros and in levs for the specified period, with the rules for currency conversion under Article 12 of the LIERB and, respectively, for rounding or the special rules for rounding provided for in the LIERB applying to prices in euros.

When prices of goods and services are indicated in both currencies, the prices in euros and in levs shall be placed in close proximity to each other, shall be clearly, legibly, unambiguously, and easily understandable, shall be in the same font size, type, and colour, and shall be presented in a manner that does not mislead consumers. The two prices shall be accompanied by the relevant currency, distinctive sign or abbreviation, written in a font of the same size, type and colour, allowing for easy recognition.

• Exceptions to dual labeling

Dual labeling is not required in the following cases:

1. The selling price of goods or payment instruments, when it is permanently affixed to the product and it is technically impossible to duplicate it;

2. Tobacco products where the price is printed on the packaging or tax stamp;

3. Fuels – prices printed on price signs and displays at petrol stations;

4. Taxi services where the price is displayed on a taximeter;

5. Documents under Article 112(1) of the VAT Act;

6. The price indicated on labels issued by electronic scales for measuring weight;

7. The price of goods or services displayed on vending machines, devices, and self-service systems, including those without an electrical power supply;

8. The selling price permanently printed on personalized paper transport documents;

9. The selling price of books, textbooks, teaching aids, and other printed works, including educational books and teaching kits, children's books with illustrations, for drawing or coloring, printed or handwritten sheet music editions.

Despite the exceptions introduced, persons under Article 12(1) of the Road Transport Act shall comply with the obligation to display prices in two currencies from October 31, 2025. The dual display of the selling price of books, textbooks, teaching aids, and other printed works, including educational books and teaching kits, children's books with illustrations, for drawing or coloring, printed or handwritten sheet music editions, shall commence on January 1, 2026.

Pursuant to Article 43 of the LIERB, postage stamps, lottery games with a predetermined outcome, discount coupons, coupons for the value of returned goods, vouchers, including food vouchers, other bearer securities, compensation instruments, and payment instruments, as well as tobacco products, personalized transport documents printed on paper, books, textbooks, teaching aids, and other printed works, including educational books and teaching kits, children's books with illustrations, for drawing or coloring, printed or handwritten sheet music editions that were on sale, in circulation, or released for consumption in the country before the date of introduction of the euro in the Republic of Bulgaria and whose values are expressed in levs, shall continue to be used after the date of introduction of the euro until their expiry date or shall be sold in the commercial network until stocks are exhausted, applying the official exchange rate and in accordance with the rules for conversion and rounding.

• Price on the packaging in levs only?

If the price in levs is already printed on the packaging, it is not necessary to reprint it with the price in euros. It is sufficient to add a sticker/label with the price in euros on the packaging or to place a label with the price in euros near the product, for example on the shelf or stand.

• Which price is the leading one – in euros or in levs?

The law does not specify which of the two currencies should be the leading one. The trader can choose whether the prices will be side by side or one below the other and which one will be displayed first – the one in euros or in levs.

It is important that the information is presented honestly and clearly, without misleading consumers. The requirements of the Consumer Protection Act, including the prohibition of unfair commercial practices, remain mandatory.

• Provision of information by traders

During the period of dual price display, traders engaged in the retail sale of foodstuffs, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, non-food products, and medicinal products, with a turnover for the previous financial year of more than BGN 10,000,000, are required to publish daily by 7:00 a.m. on their websites, in a machine-readable format that allows data extraction, information about the day's prices. are required to publish daily by 7:00 a.m. in a machine-readable format that allows data extraction on their websites information for the day on the individual selling prices of goods offered for sale from the composition of the large consumer basket, as determined by the Consumer Protection Commission. Where a trader does not maintain a website, it shall provide the Consumer Protection Commission with the information in a machine-readable format allowing data extraction on a daily basis.  Where the same goods are offered at different retail prices in the trader's different outlets during the same period, the information shall be published separately for each outlet. Traders shall publish price lists containing the following information: data on the commercial outlet, product name, brand, net quantity, retail price, category, as well as data on the price reduction, duration of the price reduction, reference price applied before the reduction, current reduced price, and the percentage change between the two prices.

In this regard, the Consumer Protection Commission creates and maintains a publicly accessible internet portal and publishes daily individual sales prices and all data.

Traders who fall outside the scope of mandatory information provision may voluntarily apply the provisions to a limited extent, with the data they submit being published on the internet portal maintained by the Consumer Protection Commission.

• Assistance for traders

The Commission for Consumer Protection (“CCP”) provides sample of labels with dual pricing. These are published on the CCP's official website: https://kzp.bg/bg/za-evroto/163  

If you have any questions regarding this article, please do not hesitate to contact us at office@peshkovski.bg 

This publication is informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion.