Minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland

Minimum unit pricing sets a minimum price per unit of alcohol that it can be sold at.

The minimum unit price for alcohol is currently 50p per unit.

From 30 September 2024, it will increase to 65p per unit.

Anyone with a licence to sell alcohol cannot sell it cheaper than this to the public. This applies whether you have a premises licence or occasional licence.

Who minimum unit pricing applies to

Minimum unit pricing applies to both:

• retailers who sell alcohol for drinking off the premises, such as newsagents and supermarkets
• places that sell alcohol for drinking on the premises, such as pubs, clubs and restaurants

It does not apply to wholesalers carrying out trade to trade business. Get minimum unit pricing guidance for wholesalers on the Scottish Wholesale Association website.

Check who is responsible

You’re responsible for meeting the minimum unit price if you are:

• the licence holder for the premises
• a premises manager
• a staff member working on a licensed premises

You must make sure that the correct price is displayed or used:

• in your central pricing system
• on any price tags, displays or menus
• on any promotional posters or flyers
• on your website

How to calculate a minimum unit price

Every drink has a minimum price based on the amount of pure alcohol it contains.

To calculate this, multiply the following together:

• the price per unit – this is £0.50
• the strength of the alcohol – the ABV percentage
• the volume in litres

If a calculation does not give you a whole number of pennies, you must round up to the nearest penny. This makes sure it’s not less than the minimum unit price.

Do not use the number of units shown on the product label. The units are usually rounded, so it will not give you an accurate price.

You can use the minimum unit pricing calculator on the Scottish Grocers Federation website.

How minimum unit pricing is enforced

Your local council’s Licencing Standards Officers can check that you sell alcohol at the correct price.

If you do not, they can issue you or the licence holder with an enforcement notice. This will tell you to either change the price of a product or stop selling it.

If you ignore this notice, the Licencing Board can review your licence, and you could lose your licence to sell alcohol.

Discounts and offers with minimum unit pricing

If you discount alcohol that you sell, the final price must meet minimum unit pricing.

This applies to:

• multipack products
• discount coupons
• staff discounts
• damaged stock, no matter what condition it’s in 
• products with the price already marked on the packaging
• threshold spend vouchers, where a customer saves if they spend a certain amount
• inclusive drinks, such as a drink included with a meal, or a free bottle of champagne with a hotel room – the total price of the promotion must cost more than the minimum unit price of the alcohol

If you sell alcohol online or through phone sales, the delivery charge cannot be included in the total price to take it above the minimum unit price.

Exemptions where minimum unit pricing does not apply

Minimum unit pricing does not apply if you give a customer a complimentary drink. For example, as compensation if their food was late.

Minimum unit pricing does not apply to alcohol sales which are despatched from outside Scotland directly to a buyer within Scotland. For example, fulfilling an online order.

Get more information on minimum unit pricing

These examples do not cover every situation. If you need more advice, you can contact your local council’s Licensing Standards Officer.

Information on the policy

There is information on minimum unit pricing policy and its role in reducing alcohol harm on gov.scot.

If you have questions about minimum unit pricing policy, email alcoholharmprevention@gov.scot.

Get posters and flyers

You can download posters and flyers to tell your customers about minimum unit pricing.

Download posters and flyers on gov.scot.