Amazon will introduce a new fee model for “Best Deals,” Lightning Deals, and Coupons starting June 2, 2025. The duration of deals can now be freely selected between 1 and 14 days. At the same time, the previous fixed fees will be significantly reduced, supplemented by a sales-based component. The model reduces financial risk and makes it easier to quickly test different pricing and duration strategies.
What do sellers need to consider?
Accurately calculate cost thresholds: The break-even point compared to the old model is around €4,100 gross sales for Lightning Deals, and about €5,600 for “Best Deals.” Therefore, before activating a deal, you should check at what sales level the variable fee exceeds the previous flat rate and the margin tips over.
Use coupons specifically for low-priced items: For items priced under about €33, the new starting fee of €4 often pays off after just 10 to 20 sales. For higher-priced items, coupons should only be used after a contribution margin calculation and compared with other deal formats.
Fully calculate the margin before campaigns start: In addition to the deal fee, advertising costs, shipping costs, and possible discounts must also be factored in. Especially with high sales volumes, the variable revenue component quickly adds up and should be compared against your target ACOS and net margin before going live.
