Digital platform pays a fine of DKK 1.275.000 for violating the Danish Competition Act

The digital platform Ageras offers users – typically smaller companies – to receive three offers on services in the field of bookkeeping, auditing and accounting. Partners that sell their services via the platform provide the offers.

Ageras has accepted to pay a fine of DKK 1.275.000 for infringing the Danish Competition Act by using a price standardization mechanism and setting minimum prices on the platform ageras.dk.

The unlawful behaviour took place in the period from March to June 2018. The fine originates from a case decided by the Danish Competition Council in June 2020.

If a partner – typically an accountant – offered a lower price than the market price estimated by Ageras, the partner would receive a message on the screen saying that the offered price was below the estimated market price. The partner was then given the opportunity to adjust the bid.

At the same time, Ageras had set up its fee model so that the partner’s payment to Ageras was depended on the size of the bid, unless it was below the estimated price. In that case, the fee was calculated based on the estimated market price. In addition, there were examples of Ageras adding minimum prices to customers' job descriptions before bids were obtained for them.