Core Viewpoint - The National Development and Reform Commission, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Internet Information Office jointly issued the "Internet Platform Pricing Behavior Rules," which will take effect on April 10, 2026, to promote innovation and healthy development in the platform economy [1] Group 1: Applicability of the Rules - The pricing behavior rules apply to platform operators and operators within the platform [2] - Platform operators are defined as legal or non-legal entities providing online business venues, transaction matching, and information publishing services, while operators within the platform are those selling goods or providing services through the platform [2] Group 2: Pricing Behavior Regulations - The rules specify that pricing behavior includes actions related to pricing during the sale of goods or services, such as setting or changing prices, price marking, charging fees, and implementing subsidies [2] - The rules require clear pricing, including differential pricing, dynamic pricing, and auction ranking, and mandate that all fees must be explicitly stated without additional charges [3] Group 3: Price Competition and Integrity - The rules emphasize maintaining price competition order and require operators to refrain from unfair pricing practices such as predatory pricing, price discrimination, price collusion, price gouging, and price fraud [5] - Operators are prohibited from selling goods or services below cost to eliminate competitors or monopolize the market, with exceptions for certain types of goods [5] Group 4: Consumer Rights Protection - The rules focus on protecting consumer rights, including the right to be informed and the right to choose, requiring operators to clearly present options for services like automatic payments and provide easy cancellation methods [7] - Operators must notify consumers in advance about automatic payments, including the timing, amount, and cancellation options, and must not use deceptive practices to manipulate prices [7]

Core Viewpoint - The rapid development of platform economy in China has played a positive role in empowering the real economy, developing new productive forces, and meeting people's needs, necessitating more detailed regulatory requirements to ensure fair competition and protect the rights of operators and consumers [2] Group 1: Guiding Operators on Pricing - The draft "Internet Platform Pricing Behavior Rules" emphasizes the basic requirements for platform operators and internal operators to set prices autonomously, while regulating the pricing behavior of platform operators [3] - It specifically prohibits platform operators from imposing unreasonable restrictions on the pricing behavior of internal operators, such as limiting traffic, blocking stores, or delisting products or services [3] Group 2: Price Marking Requirements - The rules detail the requirements for clear price marking by platform operators and internal operators, specifying the norms for pricing goods and services [4] - It mandates transparency in promotional pricing, subsidies, differential pricing, dynamic pricing, and auction ranking, allowing for social supervision [4] Group 3: Regulating Price Competition - The rules provide specific standards and regulatory requirements to maintain price competition order and clarify price integrity requirements [6] - They aim to guide operators towards orderly and fair competition in pricing practices [6] Group 4: Collaborative Governance Mechanism - The rules advocate for enhanced collaboration among government departments to form a regulatory synergy and guide industry associations in promoting self-discipline [7] - They encourage platform operators to establish internal compliance management systems to foster a healthy platform ecosystem [7] - The public consultation period for the draft rules is from August 23, 2025, to September 22, 2025, inviting feedback from various stakeholders [7]