Discounts and special promotions are some of the most powerful levers on Amazon—for visibility, conversion, and sales. But not every deal type works the same way: Coupons, price discounts, Lightning Deals, Best Deals, and Top Deals each follow their own rules, cost structures, and effectiveness patterns.
This article provides you with a structured overview of all formats so you can use Amazon Deals strategically and effectively.
Coupons
Note: This article is based on the status as of November 2025. Amazon regularly changes the requirements, fee structures, and visibility mechanisms for offers. Therefore, it is recommended to check the current conditions to ensure you are always up to date.
Amazon Deals are much more than temporary discounts—they are a key tool for strategically managing visibility, conversion, and sales. Those who know the differences between formats can use them strategically.
The most important points at a glance
- Minimum discount: 5%
- Discounted prices must be lower than the current price, the reference price (if available), and the lowest price of the last 30 days
- Duration: unlimited, must be reset after 30 days
- Cost: One-time fee of €4.00 + 0.75% of the total coupon sales
How coupons work on Amazon
Coupons are displayed on the search results page with a green badge, specifically attracting the attention of customers and increasing the click-through rate. It’s important that customers must actively click the coupon on the detail page to activate it and benefit from the discount. Since customers must “take action” to activate it, only a portion of buyers actually use the coupon before purchasing, but it is still visible to all buyers. This creates additional attention without every sale actually being discounted.
When setting up in Seller Central (Advertising → Coupons), you can choose whether the discount is given as a percentage or a fixed amount. This allows differentiated control depending on the product’s price point and margin situation.
Since the fees are calculated as a percentage of sales, coupons are especially worthwhile for products whose margins can cover the additional fee, and where a higher conversion will compensate for the percentage deduction.
Coupons can be active in addition to other deal formats like Lightning Deals or price discounts. If another deal is starting and an additional coupon is not desired, the coupon should be ended in time to avoid unwanted combination of discounts.
Display of the coupon on the search results page
Display of the coupon on the product detail page
Subscribe to our newsletter and receive fresh updates every two weeks.
Price Discounts
The most important points at a glance
- Minimum price discount: 5%
- Duration: up to 30 days
- Costs: no fees
How price discounts work on Amazon
Price discounts are the simplest form of discount communication. The customer is shown a strikethrough price directly. This means the original price is displayed with a strike-through, a brief discount is shown beside it, and the new, reduced price is clearly visible. Strategically, price discounts are particularly well suited for products whose purchasing decision is strongly influenced by the perceived price-performance ratio.
Setup is done in Seller Central (→ Advertising → Price Discounts). There, you can set the discount as a percentage or as an absolute reduced price.
The advantage of price discounts: There are no participation fees—only the granted discount itself affects the margin. Thus, price discounts are a sensible option for positioning a product on price without having to invest additional fees for offers.
Note: For Amazon to accept price discounts, the validity of the price is checked during the submission process. It is important that the reference price was stable over a reasonable period beforehand. The background is compliance with European transparency requirements (see also Directive 98/6/EC on price indications and Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161), which stipulate that discounts may only be communicated on a transparent and consistent price basis. This ensures that Amazon customers see a realistic reference price and artificial discounts are avoided.
Display of the discount on the search results page
Display of the discount on the product detail page
Prime Exclusive Deals
Key facts at a glance
- Minimum discount: 15%
- Duration: up to 30 days
- Cost: no fees
How Prime Exclusive Deals work on Amazon
Prime Exclusive Deals are a special type of discount available exclusively to Prime members. Technically, they function like a regular price discount but receive additional emphasis due to their Prime exclusivity. They are ideal when products have not yet been enabled for Top or Best Deals. A key advantage is that Prime Exclusive Deals can be launched at any time and also ended early, offering high flexibility. During Prime Days, Prime Exclusive Deals are displayed similarly to Top Deals, with no visible differentiation in layout.
Display of the Prime Exclusive discount on the search results page
Display of the Prime Exclusive discount on the product detail page
Lightning Deals
Key facts at a glance
- Minimum discount: 15%
- Duration: Amazon selects a day in a week you specify. On that day, the deal usually runs for 4 to 6 hours.
- Cost outside of events: One-time €4.00 + 0.75% of sales
- Cost during event periods: One-time €70
How Lightning Deals work
Lightning Deals, also known as Blitzangebote, have a strictly limited time frame and limited quantities, creating a strong buying impulse. They are especially suitable for rapid inventory rotation or targeted sales peaks, such as for seasonal events. Requirements include a strong review base, sufficient stock, and general activation by Amazon, as not every product is automatically eligible for Lightning Deals. Amazon selects which items are eligible for this offer type based on internal criteria.
Lightning Deals are set up independently in Seller Central under the menu Advertising → Deals. Lightning Deals are most effective if the product already has sufficient visibility, as they specifically boost the click-through rate and conversion rate by triggering the crucial buying impulse. Lightning Deals can be used one day per week.
Display of a Lightning Deal on the search results page
Display of a Lightning Deal on the product detail page
Best Deals
The Most Important Points at a Glance
- Minimum discount: 15%
- Duration: 7 days
- Cost: €4.00 per day + 0.75% of sales outside events, €190 during event periods
How Best Deals Work
Best Deals run for 7 days, generating consistent attention for your products over a longer period. They are especially suitable for items with stable demand, good review ratings, and adequate stock levels. You can set them up independently in Seller Central under Advertising → Deals, where you can also check if your products are eligible for Best Deals. Compared to Lightning Deals, Best Deals are less impulsive but offer more sustainable visibility. This makes them ideal for integrating into seasonal demand peaks or accompanying special sales phases. Best Deals can be used every two weeks.
Display of the Best Deal badge on the search results page
Display of the Best Deal badge on the product detail page
Top Deals
The Most Important Points at a Glance
- Minimum discount: 15%
- Duration: up to two weeks
- Cost: none
How Top Deals Work
Top Deals offer the highest visibility outside of and during event periods, and are especially suitable for bestsellers or products with high brand value. These deals cannot be submitted via Seller Central, but only through a personal contact at Amazon. There are no participation fees, making them a cost-efficient way to maximize product presence.
Top Deals are particularly well-suited to drive significantly increased reach due to their prominent placement on the homepage and search results page. This not only delivers short-term sales boosts but also supports long-term ranking. Due to Amazon’s high requirements and the generally relatively long lead time, this format should be specifically planned for products that already have demonstrably high relevance.
Display of the Top Deal on the search results page
Display of the Top Deal on the product detail page
Deal Events on Amazon
Event periods such as Prime Day, Black Friday, or Cyber Week significantly amplify the impact of all deal formats. During these times, not only does visitor traffic increase, but purchase intent rises as well. At the same time, Amazon tightens the conditions, especially regarding the discount level and the associated price validation checks.
Many brands use a preparatory phase with coupons or discounts to generate conversion signals even before the actual event. During the event itself, Lightning Deals, Best Deals & Top Deals are the most effective formats. After the event, pricing should be consciously stabilized to avoid a lasting drop in price.
Waiting period for resubmitting deals
Products for which a deal was active may not be immediately offered again at a deal price once the deal has ended. Instead, there is a pause that consists of the previous deal’s duration plus a mandatory waiting period. The length of this waiting period depends on how long the previous deal lasted:
If a deal lasted less than 7 days, the ASIN may only be used for a new deal at least 7 days after the previous deal has ended.
Examples
- If a deal ran for 4 days, the ASIN must then remain without a deal for 7 days before it can be promoted again.
- If a deal ran for 14 days, the waiting period is likewise 14 days.
In addition, there is an official rule from the EU Omnibus Directive: If a deal is relaunched within 30 days, the discount granted must be higher in order to meet the minimum requirements for price reductions.
Conclusion: Deals as a strategic lever for visibility, conversion, and growth
Amazon deals are much more than temporary discounts – they are a key tool for specifically boosting visibility, conversion rates, and sales. Whether coupons, price reductions, or deal formats like Lightning Deals, Best Deals, and Top Deals: Each format has its own rules, cost structures, and effects. Those who understand these differences can leverage deals strategically, from driving conversions for individual products to structured event planning for Prime Day, Black Friday, or seasonal peaks.
Clear preparation is essential: a stable price basis, accurate price validity, sufficient stock, realistic margins, and careful consideration of the mandatory waiting period between deals. In combination with a consistent pricing strategy, offers unfold their strongest effect and contribute to healthy sales development and better ranking opportunities at the same time.
Used correctly, Amazon deals become a powerful building block in any growth strategy – both for brands and for sellers who want to position their products sustainably in the market.
Do you want to optimize your deal strategy? We are here to support you.
Are you unsure which deal formats best suit your products and goals? Or are you facing challenges in practical implementation – such as price validity, deal activations, or the optimal combination of coupons, price reductions, and deals? Our Amazon agency, headquartered in Munich, will support you in developing the right strategy and leveraging your deals to achieve maximum success on Amazon.
Feel free to get in touch – we’re here to help.
