A new Section 53C of the Trade Practices Act will commence on 25 May 2009.

The amendments require that where a business makes a price representation to a consumer and that amount is less than what the consumer will actually have to pay to acquire the goods or services, the business must also prominently state a total price as a single figure.

The Act does not prohibit component pricing, provided that a single figure price is also displayed.

A breach of the section may result in either a civil penalty or criminal penalties.

ACCC Guidelines on component pricing