Overview

Amazon has rolled out new reference-price requirements for sellers using Prime Exclusive Discounts. Going forward, every product enrolled in the program must display a valid reference price — such as a "was" price or list price — before the discount badge can go live. The update also sets minimum discount thresholds that differ between regular shopping days and major sales events.

What's Changing

• Mandatory reference price — Products submitted for a Prime Exclusive Discount must now show a qualifying reference price or the deal will not be approved.
• 5% minimum on regular days — On ordinary shopping days, the discounted price must be at least 5% below the reference price.
• 10% minimum during sales events — For tentpole events like Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, the minimum discount rises to 10%.
• Tighter price validation — Amazon will actively verify that reference prices reflect genuine, recent pricing history and may suppress inflated figures automatically.

How Reference Prices Work

A reference price is the benchmark figure displayed alongside your discounted price so shoppers can see exactly how much they save. The most common forms are the "was" price, drawn from your recent selling history, and the list price, which is the manufacturer's suggested retail price entered in your product listing. Amazon may also calculate a reference price from recent marketplace transaction data.

If your product lacks a qualifying reference price, Amazon will block it from carrying the Prime Exclusive Discount badge regardless of how competitive the actual selling price may be. Importantly, Amazon's systems continuously monitor reference prices for accuracy. If the algorithm determines a listed reference price is artificially inflated or inconsistent with genuine pricing history, it may be suppressed — and any linked Prime Exclusive Discount will be deactivated until a valid reference price is restored.

Regular-Day Threshold Details

On standard shopping days, sellers must price their Prime Exclusive Discount at least 5% below the displayed reference price. For a product with a $50 reference price, that means the discounted price cannot exceed $47.50. This floor is intended to ensure Prime members see a genuinely meaningful saving rather than a token markdown.