Overview

Amazon has tightened the quality rules that govern seller‑run promotions, coupons, and Lightning Deals. Effective immediately, the new standards focus on a 30‑day pricing benchmark, product return rates, and minimum review thresholds. Sellers who ignore these changes risk having their deals rejected or removed, especially during high‑traffic events like Prime Day.

Key Points

• 30‑day low‑price rule — The promotional price must be equal to or lower than the lowest price the item sold for in the previous 30 days, including any coupons or discounts.
• Pricing floor reset — Every discount you apply creates a new baseline, making future promotions harder to qualify without deeper cuts.
• Return‑rate filter — Items with return rates above Amazon’s internal limit are automatically blocked from all deal programs.
• Review minimum — A product needs at least a 2.5‑star average and five customer reviews to be eligible, with stricter limits for high‑visibility deals.
• Content safety check — Listings flagged for unsafe, offensive, or otherwise inappropriate content cannot participate in any promotion.

What's Changing

1. 30‑Day Pricing Benchmark — Amazon scans the last 30 days of pricing data for each ASIN, counting regular price, active coupons, and any temporary discounts. If the deal price you submit does not meet or beat that historic low, the system rejects the promotion outright.
2. Cumulative Pricing Impact — Each time you run a coupon, Lightning Deal, or price cut, the platform records that price as the new floor for the next 30‑day window. For example, a 15 % discount today will become the reference point for any deal you propose next month, potentially forcing a 20 % cut to stay compliant.
3. Return‑Rate Screening — Amazon now cross‑references its return‑rate analytics before approving a deal. An ASIN with a 12 % return rate, when the threshold is 8 %, will be denied any discount or deal placement until the rate improves.
4. Review Threshold Enforcement — Products must maintain a minimum 2.5‑star rating and at least five verified reviews. Lightning Deals often require a 4‑star average and 20 reviews, so a newly launched gadget with three reviews at 3 stars would be ineligible.