Quick Answer
To highlight discounts in India, set a compare-at (MRP) price alongside your selling price. Your storefront shows the MRP struck through, the live price, and the percentage saved — an honest, GST-inclusive display. On HOD Media you enable this per product or per variant in seconds.
Why MRP vs selling price matters for Indian shoppers
Indian buyers are trained to look for the strike-through. From kirana shelves to marketplace listings, the printed MRP is the reference point everyone trusts, and the gap between MRP and your selling price is the fastest way to signal value. When a shopper in a tier-2 or tier-3 town lands on your product page, a clear "₹1,499 ₹999, 33% off" tells the whole story before they read a single line of description.
The catch is honesty. MRP is a legally meaningful, GST-inclusive ceiling — the maximum retail price. Showing a discount off a genuine MRP builds trust; inflating a fake "was" price to fake a saving erodes it and invites returns, chargebacks and complaints. The right way to display discounts is to store a real compare-at price and let the storefront do the maths automatically.
How compare-at (MRP) price works on HOD Media
On hodmedia.in every product and every variant carries two fields: the selling price (what the customer pays) and the compare-at price (the MRP). When compare-at is higher than the selling price, the theme renders the MRP with a strike-through, shows the live price prominently, and can display the saved amount or percentage. Leave compare-at blank and the badge simply doesn't appear — no clutter.
Because pricing is per-variant, a 250g pack and a 1kg pack can each carry their own MRP and their own discount. Pair this with product subtitles and units ("Net 500g", "Pack of 3", "₹40/100g") so the price reads clearly and comparably. That unit clarity is what converts hesitant COD shoppers and reduces "why is this costlier?" queries on WhatsApp.
| Field | What it holds | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Compare-at (MRP) | The higher reference price, GST-inclusive | Struck-through above the live price |
| Selling price | What the customer actually pays | Bold, primary price |
| Saving | Auto-calculated ₹ or % | Discount badge / "You save" |
| Subtitle / unit | Weight, pack size, per-unit rate | Under the product title |
Compare-at price vs coupon discounts — when to use which
Compare-at is a standing price display; it's ideal for products that sit permanently below MRP. For time-bound or conditional offers, layer HOD's discount engine on top instead of faking a bigger strike-through.
| Goal | Best tool on HOD |
|---|---|
| Always sell below MRP | Compare-at (MRP) price on the product/variant |
| Festive or flash sale | Automatic code-less discount + countdown timer |
| Move stock in bundles | Combo "Buy 3 for ₹X" or Buy-X-Get-Y (BOGO) |
| Reward prepaid, cut RTO | Online-payment-only offer + COD partial-advance |
| Targeted VIP pricing | Hidden / once-per-customer coupon |
Keeping the discount display honest and compliant
Treat MRP as your true GST-inclusive maximum. Since HOD merchants connect their own Razorpay or Cashfree keys and money settles directly to the seller with no per-sale cut, the price the shopper sees is exactly what UPI or card collects — no hidden platform markup to explain away. Your GST-style invoice then reflects the actual selling price with HSN codes and place-of-supply, so the discount you advertised matches the tax document the customer receives.
A quick setup checklist
- Enter the genuine MRP in the compare-at field, per variant.
- Set the selling price at or below MRP — never above.
- Add a subtitle/unit so per-gram or per-piece value is obvious.
- Use the discount engine (not fake MRPs) for temporary sale pricing.
- Confirm the invoice price equals the displayed selling price.
Where compare-at pricing pays off
Beyond the product page, an honest MRP-vs-price setup feeds the rest of your stack. Your Google Merchant Center feed (google.xml) carries your product pricing, so free listings and Shopping ads reflect what shoppers actually pay. Meta Pixel and Conversions API report the real value collected. And on the branded order-tracking page, the customer sees a purchase that matches what they were promised — the kind of consistency that earns repeat orders and better reviews.
For Indian sellers running one store across retail and wholesale, compare-at also plays well with catalogue mode and manual counter orders: the same MRP logic that powers your online strike-through keeps your walk-in "list price minus discount" consistent. It's a small field with an outsized effect on trust — and on HOD Media it's built in, not an add-on.
What is a compare-at price and how is it different from MRP?
Compare-at price is the higher reference price your storefront strikes through, and for Indian stores you set it to the product's MRP. MRP is the legally printed, GST-inclusive maximum retail price. On HOD Media the compare-at field holds that MRP, while the selling price is what the customer actually pays, and the storefront auto-calculates the saving.
Is it legal to show a struck-through MRP with a discount in India?
Yes, showing a genuine MRP alongside a lower selling price is standard and expected in Indian retail. The key rule is honesty: the MRP must be the real maximum retail price and must not be artificially inflated to fake a bigger discount. Keep your invoice selling price matching the displayed price, and treat this as general guidance rather than formal legal advice.
Can I set different MRPs for different variants like pack sizes?
Yes. On HOD Media pricing is per-variant, so a 250g pack and a 1kg pack can each carry their own compare-at MRP and their own selling price. Adding a subtitle or unit such as "Net 500g" or "₹40/100g" makes the per-unit value clear, which helps tier-2 and tier-3 shoppers compare packs before buying.
Should I use compare-at price or a coupon for a festival sale?
Use compare-at for standing prices that always sit below MRP, and use HOD's discount engine for time-bound sales. Automatic code-less discounts, countdown timers, combos and BOGO handle festive offers without you faking a larger strike-through. This keeps your MRP honest while still creating urgency during Diwali or end-of-season sales.
Does the discounted price flow through to invoices and ad feeds?
Yes. The selling price the shopper sees is what Razorpay or Cashfree collects via UPI, card or COD, and it appears on the GST-style invoice with HSN and place-of-supply. HOD Media's Google Merchant Center feed carries your product pricing, and Meta Pixel plus Conversions API report the actual value, so your discount stays consistent everywhere.