Why the same pack of beer can cost more in Scotland or Wales than the price a supermarket shows online.
Scotland and Wales each set a lowest price that a shop may charge for alcohol, based on how much alcohol is in the drink rather than what the drink is. It is called minimum unit pricing. England has no minimum unit price.
In Scotland the minimum has been 65p for each unit of alcohol since 30 September 2024. In Wales it rose from 50p to 65p a unit on 1 October 2026.
A UK unit is 10ml of pure alcohol. For a pack of beer, multiply the strength (the ABV percentage) by the total volume in litres to get the units, then multiply the units by the rate.
For example, four 440ml cans hold 1.76 litres. At 5% ABV that is 8.8 units, so at 65p a unit the pack cannot be sold for less than £5.72 in Scotland or Wales.
Drinks at 0.5% ABV or under are not counted as alcohol by either law, so alcohol-free beer has no minimum price.
Scotland also does not allow a pack of two or more alcoholic drinks to be sold for less than the drinks would cost one by one, so offers such as several packs for a set price do not run there. Wales has no such rule, but an offer there still cannot take the price of the alcohol below the minimum.
Supermarket prices on this site are each supermarket's standard online price. A price below the minimum is one a shop in Scotland or Wales cannot charge, so the price there may be higher.
The supermarket pages have a Buying in Scotland or Wales setting. It hides the multibuy offers that do not run in Scotland and marks any price that is below the minimum, with the minimum price beside it.
This page is a plain summary, not legal advice. The price a shop charges you is always the one on its own shelf or website.