Buying a flag in Portugal – price and what affects the cost

The price of a flag varies widely, even between flags that look alike in a photo. The differences have an explanation: size, fabric, making and finish. This guide gives no prices, since they vary between suppliers and over time. Instead it explains what affects the price of a flag, what distinguishes a national flag of the official pattern and what rights the consumer has.

What affects the price of a flag?

Size and the price of a flag

Size is often the most important factor. According to a Portuguese supplier, a 200 × 300 cm flag has four times the area of a 100 × 150 cm one. The size depends on the height of the pole: the flag’s height is usually between one seventh and one fifth of the pole’s height. The subject is covered in the guide to flag sizes, and the flag size calculator shows the usual size for each pole.

Fabric and making

• Polyester: the most common fabric for outdoor flags, light and quick-drying.
• Knitted polyester: more elastic and more resistant to wind wear, usual for flags flown permanently.
• Bunting (filele): Lei n.º 53/91 provides for local authorities’ flags for flying to be made in bunting or an equivalent fabric.
• Embroidered silk: used for local authority standards, which under the same law are parade flags, not flags for flying.

A printed flag has the design printed on the fabric. A sewn flag, with the green and red in separate panels and the emblem appliquéd, takes more work. A flag flown every day wears faster at the fly, so many have reinforced seams at that end.

The official pattern

Decreto-Lei n.º 150/87 provides for the national flag to be displayed according to the official pattern and in good condition. The pattern has been fixed since 1911: proportions of 2 to 3, two fifths green at the hoist, three fifths red and the central emblem half the height. A flag with different proportions or colours does not match the pattern, and the price does not change that. The rules are in the guide to flag types.

Custom flags

A flag with a company logo, a municipal coat of arms or the name of an association is made to order. The price depends on the number of colours, the size and the quantity. For local authority flags, Lei n.º 53/91 sets the shape: the flag for flying is rectangular, with a length one and a half times the hoist. Advertising flags are covered in the guide to flagpoles for businesses.

VAT in the price

VAT is part of the price of a flag. Under article 18 of the VAT Code, the standard rate is 23 % on the mainland, and the Legislative Assemblies of the Azores and Madeira can set lower rates for supplies of goods made in the autonomous regions. A flag bought on the islands may therefore carry a different rate of VAT.

Consumer rights

• Online purchases: Under Decreto-Lei n.º 24/2014, the consumer has 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract without giving a reason, counting from the day the goods are received. The law excludes goods made to the consumer’s specifications or clearly personalised, such as a flag with a logo.
• Guarantee: Under Decreto-Lei n.º 84/2021, the seller is liable for any lack of conformity that becomes apparent within three years of delivery. During the first two years, a lack of conformity is presumed to have existed at the time of delivery.
• Right of rejection: If the lack of conformity becomes apparent within 30 days of delivery, the consumer can ask for immediate replacement or for the contract to be terminated.

The wear of a flag exposed to sun, wind and rain is normal and depends on use. Durability is covered in the guide to flagpole maintenance.

Comparing offers

Since the price of a flag is made up of several factors, offers are easier to compare when it is clear what they include: dimensions, fabric, method of making, hoist finish, rings or snap hooks and delivery time. The price of a flagpole is covered in the guide to buying a flagpole.