Year-end sales 2026: compare the total price, not the discount

A “40% off” banner is easy to compare across two websites; the amount on the final payment screen is harder, and it is the number that matters. During the 2026 year-end sales, compare that final total, not the headline discount. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS; its website now uses the abbreviation CCS) says suppliers should include unavoidable or mandatory charges in the total headline price and should make sure any discount is genuine and has a valid basis, and it encourages an “opt-in” or “opt-neutral” approach to optional add-ons. A price log started now gives you your own baseline.

The dates behind the names are calendar facts: 11.11 is Wednesday 11 November 2026 and 12.12 is Saturday 12 December 2026, and, by the usual convention of the Friday after US Thanksgiving, Black Friday is Friday 27 November 2026. They are not announcements by any Singapore platform or retailer: as of 17 October 2026 we could not confirm any 2026 sale dates from an official page we could open. Sellers set their own sale periods and terms (our inference), so treat these dates as reminders to check each seller’s own campaign page, not as deadlines.

What do the CCCS guidelines expect?

CCCS’s Guidelines on Price Transparency (last updated 26 September 2025) took effect on 1 November 2020 and apply to “all suppliers, whether operating online or in physical stores”. CCCS’s release of 7 September 2020 on the final guidelines says they “set out how CCCS will interpret and give effect to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act” for the display of prices and other pricing practices. The guidelines page separates actions suppliers “should” take from good practices they are “encouraged” to adopt, and the points below keep that distinction:

• Drip pricing: “Suppliers should ensure that any unavoidable or mandatory charges (e.g. taxes, surcharges, service fees, etc.) are included in the total headline price.”
• Pre-ticked boxes: “Suppliers are also encouraged to adopt an ‘opt-in’ or ‘opt-neutral’ approach to bring consumers’ attention to optional add-ons”, so that you actively tick the add-ons you want. Our reading is that this is encouragement rather than a flat rule, but the same release defines drip pricing in a footnote as “Displaying a product/service at a lower headline price than the final price by omitting certain mandatory or pre-ticked optional add-ons.” CCS’s page on dark patterns (last updated 9 October 2026) describes “Sneak Into Basket” as businesses adding “items or subscriptions to your shopping cart without clearly telling you (e.g. using pre-ticked boxes)”.
• Discounts and comparisons: when a supplier compares a price with its “usual/previous price (e.g. through strikethrough pricing)”, “they should ensure the discount or price benefit offered is genuine and provide a valid basis for the discount or comparison.” For a time-limited discount, suppliers “should state the time period clearly and accurately to avoid misleading consumers.”

The guidelines also cover the use of the word “free”. They describe what CCCS says suppliers should do and what it encourages; they do not guarantee that every listing follows them, so your own checks still matter.

Start a price log before 11.11

Shoppers cannot see a seller’s price history, even though the guidelines say suppliers are “encouraged to keep records of past sales and prices to prove that the past prices and discounts given are genuine”. That is why a dated record of your own is useful. Between now and early November:

1. Choose three to five items you already intend to buy, and note the exact model and variant.
2. Screenshot each product page with the date, price, seller and delivery terms visible.
3. Repeat weekly, and again on the sale day.

When the sale arrives, compare the offer with your log rather than with the crossed-out price. A published case shows why. In CCCS’s release of 13 February 2025 on OSIM’s product information and pricing, the commission found that none of the “usual prices” shown for several OSIM products between 1 January 2022 and 14 May 2023 had actually been offered to consumers during that period. OSIM gave CCCS an undertaking and has since made changes, including ensuring that its promotions reflect actual discounts.

Compare at the final screen

Here is an illustrative comparison, using invented prices for the same air purifier from two sellers:

• Seller A: S$349, marked “was S$599”, plus S$19 delivery and a pre-ticked two-year protection plan at S$39. Total if you pay without changing anything: S$407.
• Seller B: S$379 with delivery included and no add-ons. Total: S$379.

The headline suggests Seller A is S$30 cheaper. At the final screen, B is S$28 cheaper unless you untick the plan, and even then A saves only S$11. Before paying for a plan, check what it adds to the manufacturer’s warranty and your rights under the Lemon Law, which our after-purchase action plan explains.

Compare like with like: the same model, delivery speed, payment method and bundle. If an instalment plan or a particular card changes the price, write down its conditions before you decide.

Do countdown timers mean the price is good?

No. Urgency displays are claims too. On “False Urgency”, CCS’s page on dark patterns says: “CCS is concerned if there is no reasonable basis for businesses to make urgency or scarcity claims. Businesses must be prepared to back up any urgency or scarcity claims made.” In CCCS’s case on features of Agoda’s website (16 June 2025), the commission raised concerns over how search-result rankings, badges and countdown timers could mislead consumers; Agoda gave an undertaking and changed its website and app.

That does not make every timer false: the concern CCS describes is a claim with no reasonable basis. Our inference: a timer on its own is not evidence of a good price. Set your own deadline, the date by which you will decide using your log, and let the sale meet it or not.

If the price was not what it seemed

Save the screenshots, order confirmation and any chat messages, as our checkout records guide suggests, and raise the issue with the seller first. CCS’s page on reporting unfair trade practices (last updated 26 September 2025) says you may contact the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) at 6277 5100. CCS’s consumer protection FAQs (last updated 1 October 2026) say CASE is a first point of contact for local consumers and that “CCS does not assist consumers in obtaining redress”. The same FAQs say “a consumer needs to be a CASE member in order to establish a relationship for CASE to represent the consumer and act on his/her behalf in dispute resolution”, and mention an administration fee waiver for some groups. We could not open CASE’s own website on 4 or 17 October 2026, so confirm what it covers and any charges with CASE before you file.

Common questions