With the amendment published in the Official Gazette on December 19, 2023, effective as of 01.01.2024, the Regulation Amending the Price Labeling Regulation ("Regulation") introduced the obligation for establishments providing food and beverage services such as restaurants, cafes, patisseries, etc. to display tariffs and price lists in places where consumers can easily see them. The primary objective of the Regulation is to ensure that consumers are informed in a correct and transparent manner.
Due to the lack of explicit information under the Regulation, the relevant sectors have approached the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey (“
the Ministry”) for interpretation of these amendments. Following these inquiries, the Ministry shared an explanatory letter with sector members and concerned parties on December 21, 2023. The points mentioned below have been elucidated in this explanatory letter issued by the Ministry:
- In self-service establishments (where table service is not provided), if the tariff and price information are easily visible to the consumer at the point of ordering, it is not mandatory for such information to be displayed on the tables. However, it is essential that the price and tariff information are prominently displayed at the entrance of the establishment.
- In locations such as shopping malls, where "self-service" is provided in open or closed common areas without a dedicated space for the establishment, it is not feasible to display information at the entrance. Therefore, for these establishments, the tariff and price information should be clearly displayed at the points where orders are placed, and payments are made.
- In establishments that have their own tables and provide/offer table service, price and tariff information should be provided/displayed both at each table and at each entrance door.
- In today's terms and condiations, with the effect of developing technology, some establishments only share price and tariff information with QR codes. However, according to the Regulation, access to menus, prices, and tariffs solely via QR codes is not sufficient. The price and tariffs must be displayed in the manners specified by the Regulation, and the use of QR codes should be considered only as an additional service.
Both under the Regulation and in the explanatory letter issued by the Ministry, the requirements for tariff and price lists have been stipulated. A detailed table outlining these conditions is presented below for your information.
Cerensu Çetin Yenigün, Senior Associate