Recently, many cross-border sellers have been hotly discussing Amazon's new policy in online communities, and this time, the Coupon tool is "affected".

Starting from January 16, 2025, Amazon's Coupon policy will undergo a major adjustment—the price of Deal promotions cannot be higher than 85% of the lowest Coupon transaction price in the past 30 days. This regulation has caused a stir, directly disrupting the operating rhythm of many sellers and increasing the pressure on those who rely on coupons to boost rankings.

Amazon adjusts Coupon usage rules. Image source: amz123

Impact of the new Coupon policy: Minimum price tracking becomes a "tightening curse"

Since its launch at the end of 2017, the Coupon feature has always been a "traffic magic tool" for sellers. Unlike traditional price reduction promotions, Coupon vouchers attract attention with eye-catching discount labels on product pages, which can increase click-through and conversion rates without affecting the price of Lightning Deals. For sellers who want to quickly boost sales or test new products, Coupons are almost an "essential tool".

However, the new policy makes this gameplay more complicated. According to the new policy, when setting Deal prices, sellers must refer to the lowest Coupon price in the past 30 days and ensure that the Deal price is lower than 85% of that number. This means that if a seller sets a large discount for a Coupon, the price space for future Lightning Deals or other promotions will be severely compressed, and profits may be "bottomed out".

For example: If a product is discounted by 20% through a Coupon, then in future Deal promotions, the price of this product must be lower than 85% of the Coupon price. In other words, a strong Coupon discount may put the product's subsequent pricing in a passive position.

Product using Coupon discount. Image source: Amazon

Two major pain points for sellers: Pricing strategy and ranking competition

The new policy brings at least two major challenges for sellers.

1. Pricing strategy is hard to control

Sellers need to manage prices more precisely. If the Coupon discount is too large, subsequent promotion prices will face difficulties in lowering prices; if the discount is too small, it may fail to attract consumers. How to find a balance between attractiveness and profit has become a challenge.

2. Traditional ranking-boosting tactics are restricted

Many sellers use Coupons to boost rankings before Lightning Deals, aiming to improve the click-through and conversion rates of subsequent promotions. However, once the Coupon price is tracked, this "volume-boosting magic tool" may become ineffective. For sellers who rely on Lightning Deals, competitiveness may be weakened.

Some sellers bluntly say: "Coupons were originally used for fishing, not affecting product prices. Now it's so complicated, it's better to just cut prices directly." This slightly joking complaint actually reflects the psychological impact of the new policy on sellers.

Exclusive Coupon promotion interface. Image source: Amazon Global Selling

Frequent rule changes—how should sellers respond?

In fact, Amazon has frequently adjusted the Coupon feature in recent years. This is not the first time sellers have faced rule changes, but every policy change brings a certain impact on pricing strategies and operating methods.

Review of Coupon changes in 2024:

March: Coupon submission requires historical price

Amazon requires products to have a median price in the past 90 days to apply for Coupon discounts. This directly caused many new products to lose the opportunity to be promoted through Coupons.

November: Relaxation of new product restrictions

After receiving a lot of feedback, Amazon announced a rule adjustment, allowing new products with ratings above 4 stars and more than 5 cumulative reviews to directly submit Coupons. This change provides some flexibility for new product sellers.

Although these frequent adjustments increase the cost of adaptation for sellers, they also reflect Amazon's increasingly refined management of platform promotions. Whether it's Coupons or Deals, there may be stricter pricing rules in the future to ensure the stability of the platform's pricing system.

Amazon adjusts Coupon submission policy. Image source: Amazon Global Selling

Conclusion: Adaptability determines success or failure

The adjustment of Coupon rules shows that Amazon's control over pricing systems and promotional activities is becoming increasingly strict. For sellers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity to improve operational capabilities. How to find a balance under the new rules and develop more forward-looking pricing strategies will be key to future competition.

In this "ever-changing" cross-border e-commerce market, nothing stays the same.

Survival of the fittest is always the truest rule.