Regional Court Cologne (LG Köln) rules on pricing in REWE Bonus loyalty programme

Bonus advertising without simultaneous price indication is unfair and misleading competition: The Regional Court Cologne (LG Köln) ruled by judgment of 19.11.2025 that advertising with specific bonus or discount amounts without stating the price is impermissible. The decision has significant implications for online and app advertising by individual retailers.

Background: Bonus indication without price – the specific case

At the core of the decision by the LG Köln vom 19.11.2025 was the question of whether a particular form of digital advertising violates the Act Against Unfair Competition (UWG). The action was brought by the Consumer Centre Baden-Württemberg (Verbraucherzentrale Baden-Württemberg) against REWE Markt GmbH. The advertising in the REWE app displayed a bonus amount for products, such as "2 € Bonus" for the purchase of a particular bottle of sparkling wine, without at the same time showing the total price of the product. The consumer could collect the bonus and redeem it later in other purchases.

Example from the disputed advertising:

Image from the judgment of the LG Köln

The legal assessment: § 5a UWG as the central standard for the disputed bonus advertising

The LG Köln makes clear that the decision was not made solely on the basis of thePreisangabenverordnung (PAngV) but on the basis of theGesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (§ 5a UWG). According to this, a commercial practice is unfair ifmaterial information is withheld that consumers need in order to make an informed commercial decision.

In this case, the court regarded the missing statement of the total price as such material information:Without the price, the consumer cannot realistically assess the value of the bonus. A "2 € Bonus" sounds advantageous at first glance, but without price information it is unclear whether the sparkling wine was previously significantly more expensive or whether the bonus appears small in relation to the price.

The court particularly emphasised:

• The price indication mustappear on the same advertising surface as the bonus, not scattered throughout the further app or website presentation.
• Information that can only be retrieved later in the purchase process is insufficient if thefirst contact already influences the purchasing decision.

Why the judgment is important

This judgment sends important signals to retailers, platform operators and marketing professionals:

1) Bonus advertising is not price advertising without conditions

Even if at first glance it is not a matter of a classic price discount, abonus in euros is often perceived by the consumer as aprice advantage. If the total price is missing, this can bemisleading, and the Regional Court Cologne (LG Köln) classified this as unfair competition.

2) Transparency is decisive

Consumers mustreceive all relevant information at a glance. This applies not only to classic price offers, but also to bonus advertising or points systems that serve as an incentive.

3) Digital advertising is assessed legally in the same way as traditional advertising

The same requirements apply in apps and online brochures as for print or outdoor advertising:Complete, comprehensible information is decisive if it influences acommercial decision.

Implications for advertising practice

For companies, this decision means:

• For every euro bonus highlighted in advertising, theprice of the product must be visible and immediately apparent.
• Advertising in apps, newsletters, online shops or on social media must be reviewed forprice and bonus clarity.

Especially in digital contexts where app or web screens offer little space, it is important to combine price and bonus sensibly or to choose alternative presentation forms (e.g. price indication directly at the bonus text).

Conclusion

The judgment of the Regional Court Cologne (LG Köln) makes clear:Bonus advertising without simultaneous price indication is unfair competition if it withholds material information that consumers need for their decision. Anyone advertising bonus amounts must inform customersshow the product price simultaneously and transparently, namely at the point of advertisement itself, not only at a later stage in the purchasing process

Our law firm AVANTCORE has extensive and long-standing expertise in competition law. We advise companies of all sizes on the legally compliant design of advertising measures, bonus and discount campaigns as well as digital marketing campaigns. In doing so, we support our clients both preventively in the legal review of advertising concepts, brochures, online shops and app displays, as well as in litigation in the defence or enforcement of competition law claims. The aim of our advice is to identify legal risks at an early stage, to avoid warnings and costly court proceedings, and at the same time to enable legally compliant and economically effective market communication