New online shopping rules from 1 January 2027: real discounts, clear fees, faster complaints
From 1 January 2027, shopping sites must show the lowest price of the last 30 days next to a sale price and answer complaints within 48 hours.
The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 on 9 September 2026. They apply to shopping apps and websites, including marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra, and they start on 1 January 2027, as reported by SCC Online and LawBeat.
The festive sales running now are not covered. The new rules matter from the first big sales of 2027, such as the Republic Day sales.
The "was" price must be real
Today a sale page can show a high "was" price next to the sale price, which makes the discount look bigger than it is. From 1 January 2027, when a site announces a price cut, it must show the prior price next to the new price. The rules define the prior price as the lowest price of the product in the 30 days before the price cut was announced.
So if a phone sold for ₹62,999 in the month before a sale, the site cannot show it as cut from ₹79,999. You still need to compare the final price after bank and card offers, but the starting point should be honest.
Faster complaints
- The site's grievance officer must acknowledge your complaint within 48 hours.
- The complaint must be resolved within one month of receipt.
- You must get a copy of your complaint as the site recorded it.
- Sites must take part in the National Consumer Helpline process, which used to be voluntary.
What else you will see
- Sponsored listings must be clearly marked, and sites cannot twist search results to mislead you.
- Seller details such as the business name, address, contact details and ratings must be shown before you buy.
- Seller name on the bill: the invoice must show the seller's name in the same font size as the site's name, which helps with warranty and returns.
- Imported goods must show the full name of the country of origin.
- Return, refund and warranty terms, including return shipping costs, must be shown on the product page.
- No bundled fees: a marketplace cannot charge you bundled fees for services unrelated to the platform. Loyalty and membership programmes, such as paid shopping memberships, are still allowed.
- Dark patterns: sites must audit themselves every year for tricks such as fake urgency or hidden charges, and display a certificate saying they comply with the 2023 dark pattern guidelines.
What it means for card offers
Bank offers do not change under these rules. A 10% instant discount still has its own cap and minimum order, so check those before you pay. What changes is that the price the discount starts from must be one the product actually sold at in the last 30 days. Our sale offers page shows which card saves the most during each sale.
If a site breaks these rules after 1 January 2027, you can complain to the site's grievance officer first and then to the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or consumerhelpline.gov.in.
Sources: Department of Consumer Affairs: Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, SCC Online: Centre notifies e-commerce rule changes, LawBeat: annual dark pattern audits and prior price disclosures, Argus Partners: overview of the amendment rules.
Rules, rates and limits change. Check the official source linked above before you rely on a figure here. Posts never contain referral or affiliate links from the writer.
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