Online platforms - who can set the price and are most favoured nation clauses compatible with competition rules?

The OFT announced on 31 January 2014 that it has accepted commitments in the hotel online booking investigation which allow online travel agents (OTAs) to discount hotel room rates to members of closed user groups.

The Competition Commission has also recently come to a provisional view on the validity of most favoured nation clauses used by price comparison websites for motor and other insurance products.

These cases are likely to have a significant impact for all online platforms, in particular those used for travel, insurance, music, e-books and consumer goods.