NIST SP 1181 - Unit Pricing Guide - A Best Practice Approach to Unit Pricing (2025 Ed.)

Published

July 9, 2025

Author(s)

John McGuire, David Sefcik, Katrice Lippa, Scott Dolan, Isabel Baucom

Abstract

This guide was developed to provide retailers with information about the best practice requirements for the unit pricing of commodities. The guide consists of best practice approaches that will improve the accuracy and usability of unit pricing information offered. The Best Practice Guide encourages uniformity and implementation of weights and measures best practices for unit pricing across all states and use in all types of retail store formats including E-commerce sites. It was developed to assist industry in the practice of providing unit price information as a voluntary provision where no legislative requirements or standards exist. Where legislative requirements and standards do exist, this guide can be used to provide unit pricing that supplements and complements those requirements. The Best Practice Guide is made available online for use by anyone interested in improving the presentation of unit pricing information. This guide was built upon the existing Uniform Unit Pricing Regulation in NIST Handbook 130, "Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality" and considered the 16 states with current unit pricing regulations to achieve and promote a more comprehensive, consumer friendly and uniform approach to unit pricing.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1181 (2025 Ed.)

Report Number

1181 (2025 Ed.)

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1181e2025

Local Download

Keywords

Unit Price, Pricing, shelf label, signs, best practices, guide, ESL, Electronic Shelf Label, E-commerce, advertisement

Citation

McGuire, J. , Sefcik, D. , Lippa, K. , Dolan, S. and Baucom, I. (2025), NIST SP 1181 - Unit Pricing Guide - A Best Practice Approach to Unit Pricing (2025 Ed.), Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1181e2025, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=960284 (Accessed October 10, 2025)