Overview

Starting 1 January 2026, Amazon will lower the maximum fees charged to sellers for Lightning Deals, Best Deals and similar promotions on its major European marketplaces (DE, FR, IT, ES and NL). The new caps aim to make deal‑driven campaigns financially viable for mid‑size sellers and to encourage experimentation in smaller EU markets. Sellers should adjust pricing and promotional calendars to reflect the reduced exposure.

Key Points

• Cap reduced to €300 on flagship marketplaces — Germany, France, Italy and Spain will now limit any deal‑related fee to €300 per promotion, down from the previous, higher thresholds.
• €100 ceiling on the Netherlands — Dutch sellers benefit from a lower maximum fee, cutting the cost of testing deals in that market by two‑thirds compared with the former limit.
• All deal formats included — Lightning Deals, Best Deals, Deal of the Day and other time‑limited offers are subject to the new caps, ensuring uniformity across promotional types.
• Effective from the first day of 2026 — The revised structure applies to every qualifying deal launched on or after 1 January 2026; legacy deals completed in 2025 remain under the old rules.
• Predictable cost ceiling during peak events — Even during high‑traffic periods such as Prime Day or Black Friday, sellers will never pay more than the stated maximum, regardless of sales volume.

How Deal Fees Work (What’s Changing)

1. Fee calculation before the cap — Amazon first computes a variable fee based on the total sales generated during the promotional window (e.g., 10 % of deal revenue). Example: A seller in Germany earns €5,000 from a Lightning Deal; the preliminary fee would be €500.
2. Application of the new ceiling — The platform then compares the calculated fee with the marketplace‑specific cap. If the fee exceeds the cap, Amazon charges only the capped amount. Example: With the €300 cap in Germany, the seller from the previous step pays €300 instead of €500.
3. Final invoicing and visibility — The capped fee is added to the seller’s regular referral and fulfillment charges, appearing on the monthly invoice as a single line item. : The German seller’s invoice shows €300 “Deal Fee” alongside standard FBA and referral fees, providing a clear, predictable total cost.