Overview

Amazon has implemented a significant change to its deals program that requires all deal ASINs to have a valid reference price before they can be featured on the platform. This validation rule, which took effect on January 31, 2024, applies to every deal type — including Lightning Deals, Best Deals, and Prime Exclusive Discounts. Sellers who run deals without a proper reference price will find their promotions ineligible for featuring, potentially impacting visibility and sales during key promotional periods.

What's Changing

• Reference price requirement — Every deal ASIN must now have a valid reference price, such as a recommended retail price or "was" price, to qualify for featuring on Amazon's deals pages.
• All deal types affected — The validation applies universally across Lightning Deals, Best Deals, Prime Exclusive Discounts, Coupons, and other promotional formats.
• Retroactive enforcement — Any deals running on or after the effective date are subject to the new rule, including deals that were scheduled before the announcement.
• Notification system — Amazon will notify sellers if their deals are not eligible to be featured due to missing or invalid reference prices.

Understanding Reference Prices

A reference price is the benchmark Amazon uses to calculate and display the discount a customer receives during a deal. This is typically the "List Price" or "Was Price" that appears alongside the deal price, allowing shoppers to see how much they are saving. Without a valid reference price, Amazon cannot display a meaningful discount to customers, which undermines the purpose of the deals program and the overall shopping experience.

For sellers, this means that simply setting a deal price is no longer sufficient. The product listing must also carry a credible reference price that Amazon's systems can validate. If the reference price is missing, outdated, or deemed inaccurate, the deal will not be featured on Amazon's deals pages, even if the seller has already paid the deal fee and scheduled the promotion.

How This Affects Deal Eligibility

Sellers should be aware that Amazon's reference price validation is automated and runs against existing pricing data. If a product has never had a list price set, or if the list price has been suppressed due to pricing concerns, the deal will fail validation. This is particularly relevant for sellers who have historically relied on sale prices alone without maintaining a consistent list price in their catalog.