Overview

• The Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart dismissed the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband’s suit against Lidl over its Lidl Plus app and allowed revision to the Bundesgerichtshof.
• Judges held that under German and EU law a price is a payable money amount, so Lidl need not state a total price and may describe participation as kostenlos.
• The ruling means Lidl can continue marketing and operating the loyalty app as free, with no immediate change for users.
• Vzbv signaled it will likely appeal, with chair Ramona Pop arguing consumers effectively pay for discounts by disclosing personal data.
• The case is treated as a pilot with sector‑wide implications for retailer loyalty apps, which are widely used and rely on collecting registration, usage, and purchase data.