Price Maintenance A supplier's attempt to control the prices charged by its channel members for the supplier's products is typically referred as price maintenance or fair trade. The supplier, in effect, dictates the prices charged by channel members to their customers. Thus, prices at which products are sold by channel members are not based on the discretion of the channel members in response to market forces, but rather on the requirements of the supplier. Such price maintenance arrangements can help manufacturers gain greater control over the distribution of their products.