Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) policies help manufacturers protect brand integrity and maintain consistent pricing across resellers. To support this, we developed a MAP Pricing Add-On for BigCommerce that enables merchants to stay compliant without compromising user experience.
But for merchants with pricing rules must vary by customer group, standard MAP enforcement may fall short. In those cases, businesses need more precise control.
The Challenge: Enforcing MAP Rules Based on Customer Group
A recent customization for Skin Elite illustrates how MAP pricing enforcement can go beyond simply hiding prices until checkout. The client needed to restrict access to the “Add to Cart” (ATC) button based on customer group, ensuring that only approved buyers, such as licensed professionals, could purchase certain high-end skincare products.
Requirements Included:
- Limit ATC visibility to specific customer groups
- Prevent logged-out and unapproved users from adding certain products
- Use custom fields to designate product-level restrictions
The Solution: Flexible, Field-Based MAP Restrictions
To meet these needs, our developers extended the standard MAP functionality with a custom field–driven system that works alongside BigCommerce customer groups.
- Login + customer group validation: Customers must be logged in and belong to an approved group to access the ATC button.
- Custom field–driven logic: Admins assign a custom product field that defines which customer group(s) are permitted to purchase specific products.
- Scalable configuration: Store owners can configure multiple restrictions by adding additional custom fields, enabling access for VIPs, professionals, wholesale buyers, etc.
This approach gives merchants granular control over product access while simplifying enforcement of brand and vendor requirements.
Why Does Minimum Advertised Pricing Matter?
Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) is a policy that sets the lowest price a reseller is allowed to publicly advertise. It’s used by manufacturers to:
- Protect brand value
- Ensure fair competition among resellers
- Comply with manufacturer agreements
- Prevent price undercutting
In ecommerce, MAP enforcement tools must not only hide prices but do so selectively—often based on login status, customer type, or visibility rules.
Ready to Customize MAP Pricing for BigCommerce?
If you’re working with strict vendor policies, segmented customers, or regulated products, our team can help you enforce pricing rules your way.
Explore our MAP Pricing Add-On or contact our team to talk through your project needs.
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