Everyone wants to have them for their money. Alas! Traders employ all kinds of tactics that create confusion and prevent you from making informed choices. The entry into force of new rules on May 7, 2025 will contribute to ending certain questionable, even unfair practices. These measures follow the adoption of the bill no 72 Title Law protecting consumers against abusive business practices and providing better transparency in terms of price and credit.
It should be noted that the Quebec section of the Canadian Retail Commerce Council has publicly stated that the implementation of the new rules will be difficult, and one can imagine that several details will accuse a certain delay in setting up changes. The organization notably maintains that compulsory information on labels will now be too numerous, making their interpretation difficult. Overview of what, in theory, should change.
Calculated tip before taxes … and without pressure
According to a survey of the Angus Reid Institute carried out in 2023, 42 % of Canadians make out of the house outside the additional cost than the multiplication of tips for tips. And yet, the trend does not weaken: a tip on the Dépanneur counter, “thank you” requested for an order you come to look for yourself, tips for self-service or package collection counters which also ask for it, without forgetting the famous “support our team” where the service does not justify it …
The new rules will not end these irritants, but they represent a step in the right direction. “The percentage of tip indicated on the payment terminal must now be calculated by excluding taxes,” said Charles Tanguay, spokesperson for the Consumer Protection Office (OPC). Previously, he included them, so that when a terminal mentioned 15 %, the amount actually represented 17 % of the price.
Who has never felt discomfort in front of a terminal displaying percentages accompanied by qualifiers, for example “15 % (good)”, “18 % (very good)”, “20 % (super)” and “30 % (brilliant)”? From now on, traders will no longer be able to play this card. “The options will have to be presented in a neutral manner, and the screen will no longer be able to display a smile man for a high percentage, and a guy who makes the baboon for a weak percentage,” explains Charles Tanguay. The customer can of course choose the amount of the tip he wants to leave, but now, this option should be easy to choose. The OPC spokesman expects consumers to be “particularly on the lookout” as to measures related to tips.
Read also: “15 % tip, will it be correct? »»
$ 15 discount in the event of price error
About 69 % of Quebecers noticed at least one error on their grocery bill when you go to the checkout in 2023, according to a survey carried out by the analytical science laboratory in Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia. It is to supervise this type of situation that the OPC set up the famous Price accuracy policy 24 years ago.
The latter provides that in the event of a divergence between the price read at the checkout and that specified in the circular or on the label stuck on the tablet, you are entitled to compensation. The novelty? The amount of compensation goes from $ 10 to $ 15. Thus, in the event of an error on an article announced at $ 15 and less, we will give it to you free of charge. If it was displayed at more than $ 15, you will be entitled to a $ 15 discount applicable on the lowest price, for example the one mentioned on the tablet (and not the one displayed at the cashier when paying).
Admittedly, the new poster found at the cash designs is clearer and the cashiers have new informative tools. However, the incongruities that make the application of politics difficult have not been harmonized, and the exceptions are so many that it is impossible to know them all. For example, it is in effect for most foods, but not for clothing. Another example: it applies to ice skates, but not to shoes. To unravel this clutter, you have an interest in consulting our article “Cash price error: compensation goes from $ 10 to $ 15”.
From lighter prices to grocery store
Do you like to do good deals at the supermarket? Good news: it will be theoretically easier to target false discounts and to judge whether promotions are really worth it. The new rules concern the display of prices in stores, in circulars and on the web.
Price per unit of measurement. “Traders already had obligations concerning the indication of prices per unit of measure,” says Charles Tanguay. The change is that the units will have to be standardized for all products of the same category, in order to facilitate the task for people who compare prices. For example, the price of all cookie boxes could be accompanied by a price per 100 grams, while for juice containers, prices would all be accompanied by a price indication per 100 milliliters (ML).
Multiple products discount. If a discount only applies to the purchase of several products, the merchant will have to display the price per unit clearly. For example, he will have to state something like “3 yogurt pots for $ 9, or $ 4.25 per unit”.
More visible current price. Is the discount on this delicious apple pie at $ 8.99 really interesting? You can now judge for yourself since the merchant will “clearly and readably indicate, alongside this price, its current price”, stipulates the text of the law.
Finished, the prices read with a magnifying glass. This measure may please consumers who are tired of complaining in two to read the prices written in tiny characters. From now on, the prices appearing on tablets and posters will have to be written with a large font. The price per unit of measurement facilitating the comparison between the products (for example $ 0.85/100 ml) may be a little smaller, but still very visible.
Discounts reserved for members. Regarding reduced prices for foods offered to members of a loyalty program like scene+, me and PC optimum, shops will be able to continue to offer them. The size of the characters used to specify the price reserved for members should not, however, “exceed more than 25 % that used to indicate the price offered to other consumers”. An interesting statistic to underline: to be able to complete their budget, 73 % of Canadians had to register for loyalty programs or supermarket applications in order to have access to additional discounts in the past two years, according to the Union of Consumer. Read on our website the article “Loyalty programs in grocery store: a real headache!” »»
Taxable, pas taxable. Is an eight cookie packaging taxable? And the box that contains five? What about cookies that are sold per unit? The answer: the first is not taxable because of its format, while the other two are. According to a consumer union survey conducted in 2024, 86 % of Canadians wanted to be better informed about the taxable nature of food. These products should now be clearly identified.
– The package on the left is taxable, while the one on the right is not. Now information should be clearly indicated.
Coming: credit rate, repairability and car credit
Other measures will come into force in the coming months. Here is an overview, according to information made public.
Repairability of goods. Instructions that allow you to repair a product will have to be accessible, and repairs should be able to be done with current tools. It will also be prohibited to use a technique “having the effect of making the maintenance or compensation for a property more difficult”, states the document from the Ministry of Justice which formalizes the adoption of the bill No 72. As for car manufacturers, they will have to give access to the data to establish a diagnosis about the vehicle, maintain the latter or repair it. To learn more about repairability, read our article “Is repairability really within our reach?” »»
Hidden membership fees. For the moment, several traders, such as furniture sellers, announce attractive credit rates for the financing offered in stores, but this rate can explode when we take into account membership fees. From now on, it will be prohibited to exclude them in calculating the rate (unless it is a credit card, and under certain conditions). These traders must also hold a license from the Consumer Protection Office, “in the same way as money lenders,” said the Document of the Ministry of Justice. If you plan to buy your credit furniture, read our item “Furniture and electros: the risks of store financing”.
Durability of products. When they are defective inside a period which will eventually be determined by law, the following devices must be repaired free of charge: washer, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, stoves, cell phones, televisions, computers, tablets, game consoles, air conditioners and heat pumps. This new guarantee is added to the other legal guarantees of quality, sustainability and normal use already provided for by the Protection law consumer.
Car paid on credit. You have not finished paying your vehicle, but the dealer offers you to exchange it for a more recent model? If you are going ahead, your loan will understand what is called, in everyday language, a “Balloune”. This represents the difference between the balance of loan-author and the residual value of the old vehicle. For example, if you had $ 10,000 to pay for your car and it is worth about $ 7,000, the “Balloune” amounts to $ 3,000. To prevent situations that can lead to the consumer in what the OPC calls “debt spiral”, the transfer of debt to a new contract could only be allowed under certain conditions.
Read also: Investigation: What is the cheapest pharmacy?
