Poland Fines Biedronka Nearly $29 Million Over Misleading “Free Voucher” Promotions

Key Takeaways

• Penalty Imposed: UOKiK fined Jeronimo Martins Polska $28.9 million (PLN 104,722,016) over Biedronka’s misleading “100% moneyback as a voucher” campaigns.
• Misleading Promise: Promotions suggested customers would receive simple “100% moneyback” vouchers, but in practice the vouchers carried narrow and often unrelated product-category restrictions.
• Hidden Conditions: Key limits, including minimum spend requirements above voucher value, one voucher per person, and restrictions on products sold by weight, were only revealed after purchase or in hard-to-find terms.
• Consumer Harm Identified: UOKiK found that consumers had no real opportunity to understand the true conditions before deciding to join the promotion, amounting to a violation of collective consumer interests.
• Regulatory Signal: The decision, which Biedronka’s owner can still appeal, signals stricter scrutiny of retail promotions and greater expectations for clear, upfront disclosure in marketing.

Deep Dive

Poland’s competition regulator has issued a big enforcement decision against the country’s largest supermarket chain, Biedronka, after finding that the retailer misled customers with its widely advertised “100% moneyback as a voucher” promotions.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) determined that Biedronka’s “Special Wednesday” and “Valentine’s Wednesday” campaigns encouraged shoppers to buy specific items by promising a full refund in the form of a shopping voucher. But customers only learned after checkout that the vouchers carried a series of restrictions that sharply limited how they could be used.

The penalty against the chain’s operator, Jeronimo Martins Polska, totals $28.9 million (PLN 104,722,016). The decision is not yet final and the company may appeal.

A Simple Promise That Wasn’t Simple

According to the regulator, Biedronka’s advertising suggested that consumers could use the voucher freely on future purchases. In reality, the vouchers were valid only for particular product categories, often unrelated to what the shopper originally bought. For example, purchasing chocolate could trigger a voucher limited to cosmetics, while meat purchases could produce vouchers valid only for drinks or sweets.

In many cases, customers also had to spend more than the voucher’s value just to redeem it. Limits such as one voucher per customer and special rules for items sold by weight added further hurdles.

Shoppers frequently discovered these conditions only after completing their purchase, prompting complaints that questioned the fairness and clarity of the campaign.

Information Withheld From Consumers

UOKiK concluded that Biedronka failed to provide essential information at the moment customers decided to buy into the promotion. The important conditions, including required minimum spends, product-category restrictions, and redemption limits, were not made clear in the marketing materials seen before checkout.

Instead, these details were available only on the retailer’s website, posted behind checkout areas, or printed on the voucher itself, meaning consumers learned the true rules too late.

UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny emphasized that promotional messaging must include the information that matters most to shoppers’ decisions, presented clearly and upfront.

A Warning Shot for All Retail Promotions

The nearly $29 million (PLN 105 million) fine is among the most significant UOKiK has issued in a consumer-protection case. The authority found the retailer intentionally violated the collective interests of consumers by promoting a “free” benefit that came with conditions hidden from view.

The decision is expected to encourage closer scrutiny of promotional campaigns across Poland’s retail market. As households increasingly rely on discounts and special offers, regulators are signaling that unclear or incomplete marketing practices will face consequences.

Jeronimo Martins Polska plans to appeal the ruling, but if retailers promise shoppers a deal, the full terms must be just as visible as the promotion itself.

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