A Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policy is the document that sets the lowest price a reseller can advertise your product for — and the rules for enforcing it.
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A MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policy is a legal document a brand uses to define the lowest price a reseller is allowed to advertise its products for — along with the consequences for advertising below that price.
For example, say a brand sets a MAP of $100 on a product. Resellers can still sell it for whatever they want, but they can't advertise it below $100. Every listing shows $100 or more, so no one can undercut the others to win the click.
Brands adopt a MAP policy to protect their margins and brand image, and to keep resellers competing on service instead of racing each other to the bottom on price.
Important: MAP controls the advertised price only, not the final price a customer pays at checkout. That distinction is what keeps a properly written, unilateral MAP policy legal in the U.S.
The short version: MSRP is a suggestion. MAP is enforceable for advertised prices. Going above MSRP just costs a reseller sales; advertising below MAP triggers the penalties in your policy.
A complete MAP policy spells out what's covered, where it applies, and exactly what happens when someone breaks it.
Our free guide walks you through building a MAP policy that actually holds up, including a ready-to-use template you can adapt and send to your resellers today. One download, everything inside.
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