price-fixing

Price fixing involves the cooperation among two or more business competitors to set or stabilize a price for a product or service.  It may involve setting a minimum price, setting a maximum discount on price, agreeing to buy supplies at an "agreed upon" maximum price, agreeing to a standard set of charges or surcharges for a product or service, or even agreeing to a set rate of production of a product.  In any case, it involves an agreement that disrupts open market price competition.

Legally, price fixing may involve sharing price information with competitors with the intent to set prices.   According to the United States Department of Justice, price fixing does not necessarily involve setting the exact same price for a product or service, nor does it require the participation of every business in an industry.