Balances: rules to follow

Verified 21 January 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The sales period is a commercial operation that is popular with both consumers and professionals. If the balances allow them to quickly sell their stock, professionals must nevertheless respect a specific regulations.

Sales: what is it?

The period of the balances is a commercial operation during which the professionals reduce their price on all or part of their stock in order to accelerate its disposal.

Balances must be accompanied or preceded by advertising (ex: poster on the shop window, targeted advertising on social networks, e-mailing campaign...). This advertisement must include the start date of the sales as well as the nature of the products sold.

Please note

The sales regulations apply to “physical” stores as well as professional e-commerce sites.

What's the difference with promotions?

Sales and promotions are both one price reduction on all or part of the stock. Yet these commercial operations are subject to a different regulations.

Tableau - Differences between sales and promotions

Balances

Promotions

Calendar

Regulated: 2 legal periods of 4 weeks (winter and summer) with start and end dates fixed by decree

Free: at any time during the year, provided that you remain occasional and short-lived

Advertising

Indication on products that they are "sales"

Prohibition on using the name "balances".

Examples of authorized names: "private sales", "black friday"

Customers

Application to all customers

Application to all or part of the clientele (without being discriminatory)

Examples: loyalty card holders, newsletter recipients, students, etc.

Inventory management

Prohibition of replenishment during this period

Possibility of restocking throughout the promotion

Resale at a loss

Allowed

Prohibited, except in exceptions

Sales take place 2 times a year in winter and summer. The duration of each balance period shall be fixed at 4 weeks :

  • The winter sales start on second wednesday of january at 8 a.m. This date is brought forward to the first Wednesday of January when the second Wednesday occurs after the 12th of the month.
  • The summer sales start on last wednesday of june at 8 a.m. This date is brought forward to the penultimate Wednesday of the month of June when the last Wednesday occurs after the 28th of the month.

Dates apply for all of France, excluding certain departments and local authorities for which the start-up dates differ:

Balances: dates and regulations

Ministry of Economy

Pour en savoir plus

For online commerce (e-commerce), sales are aligned with national dates traditional trade, regardless of where the company is based.

Warning  

Outside official sales periods, the use of the word " balance(s) ” or derivatives thereof is forbidden. The unlawful use of these terms is punishable by a fine of €15,000 for individual entrepreneurs and €75,000 for businesses.

The merchant can only sell the products offered for sale for at least 1 month before the start of the sales period. If an item is no longer available, the merchant cannot replenish to sell it at the discounted price.

The balances relate to new and second-hand goods.

In addition, the merchant has the possibility to pay all or only part of its stock of its products. He is also free not to participate in the sales.

Warning  

Making balances on goods held since less than 1 month shall be punished by a fine of €15,000 for individual entrepreneurs and €75,000 for businesses.

During sales, the trader must comply with the traditional rules ofdisplay on prices and specific rules which apply only during that commercial operation.

For each product on sale, the trader must show both:

  • The reduced price product. It is also customary to mention the percentage of the rebate granted on the product on sale.
  • The reference price of the product, that is, the price charged for at least 30 days before the beginning of the sales. However, in case of successive price reductions (e.g. in case of 2e the reference price is the one applied before the application of the first price reduction.

Professionals are advised to keep a proof of reference price (note, slip, receipt, etc.) in case of DGCCRF: titleContent or consumer challenges.

Warning  

Artificially inflating the reference price before the sales may constitute a deceptive business practice punished with 2 years of imprisonment and €300,000 fines (for individual contractors) or €1 500 000 (for businesses).

The trader must distinguish clearly in the eyes of the client sale and unsale items for example, by means of color labels in his shop or a special section on his website.

It can also indicate products that are not on sale by displaying, for example, a “ new collection ».

The trader may dispense with labeling all discounted products if he decides to single rate of reduction by department, by product category or for the whole shop, clearly displayed.

Whether the product is sold or not, the trader is not obliged to accept the exchange or refund of a product purchased in a “physical” store. On the other hand, it can grant an exchange or a refund on a commercial basis.

On the other hand, for any purchase made at a distance (e-commerce), the consumer benefits from right of withdrawal of 14 days allowing him to cancel his order. In case of cancelation of the order, the professional is obliged to refund the customer.

Warning  

As of June 19, 2026, traders concluding distance contracts via an online interface will have to offer a feature enabling the consumer to exercise his right of withdrawal directly online (“one click to retract”).

This obligation applies to any contract concluded online.

The sales interfaces and the general terms and conditions of sale will have to be adapted under penalty of heavy administrative penalties.

The e-commerce rules (e-commerce) can be consulted on our dedicated sheet.

Discounted products also benefit from same guarantees than other products. Thus, they must be repaired, exchanged or refunded in case of lack of conformity or manufacturing defect not apparent (hidden defect).