How to Use This Template
This minimum advertised pricing policy template gives you the structural framework used by leading CPG and B2B brands. Every section below is ready to customize — look for the highlighted placeholders where you'll insert your brand-specific details.
A few critical reminders before you begin:
- This is a unilateral policy, not a contract. Do not ask retailers to sign it, negotiate its terms, or acknowledge it in writing. Doing so turns a lawful policy into a potentially unlawful agreement.
- Have antitrust counsel review your final version. This template is educational — it is not legal advice.
- Distribute to all resellers simultaneously. Use BCC. Don't share selectively.
- Route all questions to a dedicated MAP administrator — never your sales team. For more on why this matters, see our complete minimum advertised pricing guide.
Section 1: Policy Statement
The opening section establishes that this is a unilateral policy, identifies your brand, and states the purpose clearly.
[Brand Name] Unilateral Minimum Advertised Price Policy
Effective Date: [Date]
To protect the value of the [Brand Name] brand and the investment of our retail partners, [Brand Name] has unilaterally adopted this Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) Policy. This policy applies to all distributors, resellers, and retailers who sell [Brand Name] products in the United States.
[Brand Name] is solely responsible for establishing MAP prices, interpreting this policy, and determining appropriate consequences for violations. This policy is not an agreement and is not subject to negotiation. [Brand Name] will not discuss the terms of this policy with any reseller.
Section 2: Scope & Definitions
This section defines exactly what constitutes "advertising" under your minimum advertised pricing policy. Ambiguity here is the most common source of enforcement failures.
This Minimum Advertised Price Policy applies to the advertised price of [Brand Name] products in all public-facing channels, including but not limited to:
- Product detail pages on retailer websites and online marketplaces
- Google Shopping, Bing Shopping, and other comparison shopping engine results
- Email marketing campaigns, newsletters, and promotional email blasts
- Social media posts, ads, and sponsored content
- Print advertisements, flyers, mailers, and catalogs
- Banner advertisements, display ads, and paid search results
- Coupon displays or promotional overlays where the effective price is calculated and shown publicly
This policy does not restrict the price at which a reseller may sell [Brand Name] products. The following are not considered "advertising" under this policy:
- Prices displayed only within the shopping cart or during the checkout process, provided the product detail page displays a MAP-compliant price
- In-store signage visible only to customers physically present in a retail location
- Negotiated prices in B2B contracts between a reseller and a business customer, provided these prices are not publicly displayed
The current MAP price for each [Brand Name] product is listed in the MAP Price Schedule provided separately. [Brand Name] reserves the right to update MAP prices at any time by distributing an updated MAP Price Schedule.
Section 3: Enforcement & Consequences
The enforcement section must be specific, graduated, and uniformly applied. This is the backbone of any effective minimum advertised pricing policy.
[Brand Name] monitors advertised prices across all channels on an ongoing basis. Violations are recorded with timestamped evidence including screenshots, URLs, and pricing data.
- First Violation: Written notice to the reseller identifying the violation. The reseller has [24/48] hours to correct the advertised price. If corrected within the specified window, no further action is taken.
- Second Violation: Written notice and an immediate [30/60]-day suspension of product shipments for the affected product line. During the suspension, the reseller may not place new orders for the affected SKUs.
- Third Violation: Indefinite termination of the reseller's account. The reseller will be placed on the [Brand Name] Do Not Sell list, and all authorized distributors will be notified to cease supply.
These consequences apply equally to all resellers, regardless of size, sales volume, or strategic importance. [Brand Name] will not selectively enforce this policy.
Violation records are maintained for [12/24] months. After this period, the reseller's violation count resets to zero, provided no additional violations have occurred.
Section 4: Authorized Reseller Requirements
Minimum advertised pricing enforcement is only possible when you know who your sellers are. This section closes the gray market loophole.
All authorized resellers of [Brand Name] products must disclose the following to [Brand Name]:
- All trade names, "Doing Business As" (DBA) names, and storefront identities
- All online marketplace seller accounts (Amazon, Walmart, eBay, and others)
- All websites where [Brand Name] products are advertised or sold
Authorized resellers may not resell [Brand Name] products to any third-party wholesaler, distributor, or reseller without prior written authorization from [Brand Name]. Any authorized reseller found to be diverting product to unauthorized channels will be subject to the enforcement consequences outlined in Section 3.
Section 5: Policy Administration
This section establishes who manages the policy and how questions are handled — keeping your sales team safely out of the conversation.
All questions, disputes, and communications regarding this Minimum Advertised Price Policy should be directed to:
[MAP Policy Administrator Name/Title]
Email: [[email protected]]
[Brand Name] sales representatives are not authorized to discuss, interpret, or modify this policy. Any statements made by sales personnel regarding MAP are not binding and do not represent the position of [Brand Name].
[Brand Name] reserves the right to modify this policy at any time. Updated versions will be distributed to all authorized resellers simultaneously. The most recent version of this policy supersedes all prior versions.
Customizing This Template
Correction Windows
Most brands use a 24-hour window for first violations. Some use 48 hours for complex marketplace listings where the reseller may need to coordinate with a third-party platform. Shorter is generally better — every hour a violation stays live, it risks triggering algorithmic repricing across other retailers.
Violation Reset Period
12 months is standard. Brands with very aggressive enforcement may use 24 months. The longer the window, the stronger the deterrent — but it also means fewer opportunities to rebuild relationships with reformed resellers.
Cart-Price Exclusion
The "add to cart for price" exclusion is common but not universal. Some brands explicitly include cart pricing in their minimum advertised pricing policy to close this loophole. Consult your attorney on which approach fits your market.
Promotional Holidays
Some brands build in scheduled MAP holidays (typically Black Friday, Prime Day) where minimum advertised pricing is temporarily suspended. If you do this, define the exact dates and communicate them in advance. Open-ended or vague promotional periods undermine the policy.
Need Help Monitoring Your Policy?
A minimum advertised pricing policy is only effective if you can detect violations quickly. Automated MAP monitoring tools scan the web continuously and flag violations in real time. See our guide to MAP monitoring tools for what to look for, or learn how MARKETWRK automates MAP enforcement for CPG brands.
Launch Checklist
Before distributing your minimum advertised pricing policy, confirm every item on this list.
- MAP prices established for every active SKU
- Policy document finalized and reviewed by antitrust counsel
- MAP Price Schedule created as a separate document
- "Do Not Sell" list created for tracking terminated resellers
- MAP monitoring software selected and configured
- Dedicated MAP administrator email address created
- Warning and suspension email templates drafted
- Sales team trained on legal do's and don'ts
- Authorized reseller disclosure form prepared
- BCC email distribution to all resellers scheduled
Further Reading
For a complete walkthrough of minimum advertised pricing strategy — including legal framework, enforcement best practices, and eCommerce challenges — see our Minimum Advertised Pricing Definitive Guide. For MAP policy fundamentals, templates, and implementation checklists, see the MARKETWRK MAP Policy 101 Guide.