United Kingdom · CAP Code · landing pages
Price match guarantee claims on landing pages — CAP literacy
“Lowest price guaranteed”, “we’ll match any quote”, and price-match badges on checkout pages are objective promises if consumers take them literally. CAP Code 3.7 and promotional pricing rules expect clear terms and evidence before publish. Inventory literacy only — not ASA clearance.
Claim types to inventory separately
- Price match / price promise — “Find it cheaper, we’ll refund the difference.”
- Lowest price / best price — superlative pricing claims; see superlatives guide.
- Unnamed competitor — “any UK retailer” widens the comparison set.
- Named competitor — explicit comparison; see comparative claims.
- Trade / B2B quotes — “beat any written quote” on SaaS or services pages.
What consumers are likely to assume
CAP assesses the likely interpretation. A checkout strip saying “Price match guarantee” may be read as:
- Same product, same spec, same warranty length.
- Same delivery speed and return rights.
- Refund or credit within a stated window.
- Applies to in-stock items at named competitor types (high street, online only, etc.).
If your T&Cs narrow eligibility heavily, the headline must not over-promise. Rule 3.9 contradiction applies when hero copy and buried terms diverge.
Evidence checklist (hold before publish)
- Written price-match policy — eligible retailers, product parity definition, exclusions (marketplace sellers, refurbished, bundles).
- Process evidence — how CS validates competitor URLs or quotes; turnaround time.
- Contemporaneous competitor data — for “lowest price” superlatives, dated captures across the comparison set.
- Like-for-like definition — SKU, model year, capacity, subscription tier.
- On-page qualification — link to terms near the claim, not ten clicks away.
Common landing-page gaps
- Hero: “Lowest price in the UK” — no comparison methodology on file.
- Price match badge — terms exclude the channels where competitors actually sell.
- “We match Amazon” — marketplace third-party listings treated as Amazon retail price.
- Trade page: “Beat any quote” — no definition of legitimate competitor quote.
Log each as a register row: claim → consumer takeaway → evidence → gap. Run free scan to surface superlative and savings flags on the live URL.
Relation to other pricing claims
Price match sits beside was/now promotional pricing, free delivery, and money-back guarantees. A checkout stack may combine all four — inventory each line independently.
Questions
Is a price match promise an objective CAP claim?
Yes, if consumers are likely to read it as a binding promise that you will match or beat a competitor price on like-for-like terms. CAP Code 3.7 requires you to hold evidence that you can honour the promise — including clear terms, eligible competitors, and contemporaneous price data.
How is price match different from was/now pricing?
Was/now claims compare your own historical price to your current price. Price match claims compare your price to a named or unnamed competitor. Inventory them in separate register rows with different evidence columns.
Does CiteBefore substantiate price match claims?
No. CiteBefore inventories the claim text and flags gaps. You hold competitor price captures, T and Cs, and fulfilment parity evidence. Not ASA clearance.
Informational only. Not ASA clearance. More guides: /guides/.