Preisbasis

Preisbasis is a term used to describe a reference price that serves as the anchor for measuring price changes and for making price comparisons over time or across products. In pricing theory and retail practice, the Preisbasis can be defined as the price in a designated base period, the manufacturer’s suggested list price, or the price per unit of a quantity used for comparison. The change in price is usually expressed as a percentage relative to the Preisbasis.

In pricing and marketing, the Preisbasis provides a stable benchmark that helps consumers and analysts evaluate discounts, promotions, or tariff adjustments. For example, when a discount is advertised, the savings are often shown relative to the Preisbasis rather than the current price, in order to reveal the relative magnitude of the reduction. In packaging variations, the Preisbasis may correspond to the price per unit of the base size, such as price per 100 grams or per liter.

Economically, the Preisbasis is used in the calculation of price indices and in contract indexing. A base-year price can form the Preisbasis for measuring inflation or cost-of-living changes, with subsequent prices compared to it to determine changes in purchasing power or price levels.

See also: Preis, Preisbildung, Price per unit, Preisangabenverordnung. Critics note that selecting a misleading or non-obvious basis price can distort comparisons, so clear disclosure of the basis and unit pricing is important to maintain transparency.