Today's tip · Pricing
Your Black Friday discount is measured against your October
Amazon decides how big your deal looks by comparing it to a 90-day Typical Price. Run too many markdowns before the holidays and that yardstick shrinks.
Every deal you run is a percentage off something, and on Amazon that something is a reference price: either a List Price you supplied and Amazon validated, or the Typical Price, which is the median price customers paid over the last 90 days. Deals, peak event discounts and coupons all require a minimum percentage off that number. So the reference price decides whether your Black Friday deal qualifies at all.
Here's the part that bites in November. Normally promotional sales are left out of the Typical Price. But since May 18, 2026, if your Featured Offer price sat below its prevailing non-promotional price for more than half of the 90-day window, Amazon counts every sale, promos included. Amazon's own example is a pair of sneakers at $89.99. Sixty days at full price and thirty on sale keeps the Typical Price at $89.99. Flip it to seventy days on sale and the Typical Price becomes $74.99.
That second pair of sneakers now needs a deeper cut just to hit the minimum discount. The fix isn't clever, it's arithmetic. Count how many of your last 90 days were spent below your normal price before you plan one more weekend promo, and keep the big markdown for the week that actually matters.
From Amazon's Reference pricing and promotions FAQ. Example 1 keeps a Typical Price of $89.99. Example 2 drops to $74.99 because the sale price ran for more than half the window.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceThe weekend plan
- 01Pick your Black Friday ASINs
Start with the products you plan to put in deals, coupons or peak event price discounts.
- 02Count your discounted days
Open Price history on each product page and count how many of the last 90 days sat below your usual price.
- 03Check the half-way mark
Above 45 days and Amazon includes promotional sales in your Typical Price, which pulls it down.
- 04Check the maximum deal price
Your Manage Deals page shows the highest price you can set while still meeting the minimum discount.
- 05Hold the markdowns
Pause small, frequent discounts on those ASINs so the Typical Price stays where you want it for the main event.
Section 02
This week's checklist
6 jobs pulled from this issue, in the order the deadlines bite. Tick them off as you go. Your browser remembers the ticks, nobody else sees them, and a fresh list comes with each issue.
0 of 6 done
Section 03
The seller calendar
Every date Amazon has put in writing for the season, plus the two everyone knows. October is zoomed in on the chart because that's where the trouble is.
Peak fulfillment fees run Oct 15 to Jan 14. Plus $0.32 per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge on top.
| Date | What happens | Type | Countdown | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 6 to 7) | Shopping event | Done | About Amazon | |
| AWD arrival deadline for Black Friday Week | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees begin | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Original Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal deadline (Amazon has since extended it to Nov 13) | Deals | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, minimal shipment splits | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| FBA arrival deadline, Amazon-optimized splits (most sellers) | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Business Hour Delivery Rate review: seller-fulfilled offers under 90% may be deactivated for Amazon Business customers | Offer | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Last day of off-peak storage for AWD with auto-replenishment | Inventory | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Confirm New Selection Program (2026) enrollment to keep launch fee credits | Fees | Done | Seller Central News | |
| Extended holiday returns begin: items bought Nov 1 to Dec 31 can come back until Jan 31 | Returns | Done | Seller Central News | |
| New commercial liability insurance requirements take effect: a $1 million policy for products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements, with no sales threshold | Policy | Today | Seller Central News | |
| Virtual multipacks from the latest pilot wave become available to customers | Offer | In 9 days | Seller Central Help | |
| Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal sourcing closes (extended from Oct 20) | Deals | In 11 days | Seller Central News | |
| Ask Amazon: Seller Assistant live Q&A with Amazon's product teams | Shopping event | In 16 days | Seller Central News | |
| Black Friday | Shopping event | In 25 days | Calendar | |
| Cyber Monday | Shopping event | In 28 days | Calendar | |
| Last day to sign up for the free 12-month Amazon Quick Plus subscription | Offer | In 59 days | About Amazon | |
| Last purchase date covered by the extended holiday return window | Returns | In 59 days | Seller Central News | |
| Updated product bundling policy takes effect: most single-ASIN bundles must be packaged by the original manufacturer or brand | Policy | In 70 days | Seller Central News | |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees end | Fees | In 73 days | Seller Central News | |
| Last day to return holiday purchases under the extended window | Returns | In 90 days | Seller Central News |
Add every date to your calendar (.ics)Works with Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. Re-download after big announcements.
Sources: Seller Central News, Holiday 2026, About Amazon, Seller Assistant, Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy, Seller Central News, New AI tools for the holidays, Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extended, Seller Central News, Business hour delivery requirement for seller-fulfilled shipments, Seller Central Help, Virtual multipacks, Seller Central News, New commercial liability insurance requirements, Seller Central News, New requirements for product bundles starting January 11
Fee watch
The changes that cost money this year, newest last. If Amazon hasn't announced it, it isn't here.
Since Jan 15, 2026
2026 US fee update
FBA fees rose by an average of $0.08 per unit. Amazon added no new fee types for 2026.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee updateSince Apr 17, 2026
Fuel and logistics surcharge
3.5% on FBA fulfillment fees, about $0.17 per unit on average in the US. Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime followed on May 2.
Seller Central News, Fuel and logistics surchargeSince Sep 2026
MCF Preferred Pricing Program
Discounted Multi-Channel Fulfillment fees plus FBA credits per unit shipped. Amazon says sellers save 15% to 25% on fulfillment fees for the first six months, with no contract and one-click enrollment in Seller Central.
About Amazon, Prime delivery for MCF merchants' websitesOct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027
Holiday peak fulfillment fees
About $0.32 more per unit on average, with the 3.5% surcharge calculated on top.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Holiday deal events
Deal fees
$100 upfront per promotion plus 1.5% of promotional sales, capped at $5,000, for Best Deals, Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Price Discounts.
Seller Central News, Holiday 2026Nov 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Extended holiday returns
Orders placed Nov 1 to Dec 31 can be returned until Jan 31, 2027, for FBA and seller-fulfilled orders alike. Budget for a slower, larger return wave.
Seller Central News, 2026 holiday return policy2027
Next annual fee update
Not announced as of Oct 24, 2026. Amazon says it gives at least 90 days' notice, and the 2026 changes were announced in October 2025.
Amazon, 2026 US referral and FBA fee update
Section 04
By the numbers
Four figures worth knowing this week. Each one is Amazon's own, linked to where they said it.
window Amazon uses to calculate Typical Price
Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQof price history shoppers can view on a product page
About Amazon, When is Black Friday 2026?of Q3 units sold were fresh groceries and everyday essentials
About Amazon, Q3 earnings: Andy Jassy on faster delivery, lowering cost to serve, groceries, pharmacy, and AI shoppingbefore a deal starts, when Amazon suggests checking for Needs Attention alerts
Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQSection 05
The playbook
4 moves for this week, then a few quick ones for the train.
Pricing
A List Price you made up is a List Price Amazon won't show
Since April 23, 2026, the List Price you enter has to pass one of two tests before Amazon validates it. Either the product was recently offered at that price at another retailer, or customers on Amazon actually bought it as the Featured Offer at that price.
Amazon also says List Price and Typical Price update regularly without advance notice. A List Price that passed in the spring can quietly stop counting in the fall, and then your deal is measured against the Typical Price instead. That is fine if you planned for it and awkward if you find out on Thanksgiving.
Do this: For each holiday deal ASIN, write down where your List Price is offered today. If you cannot name a place, plan your discount against the Typical Price.
Sources: Seller Central News, Upcoming improvements to reference pricing, Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
- The product was recently offered at this List Price at another retailer
- Customers bought it as the Featured Offer on Amazon at this List Price
- Either one is enough. Neither is a guarantee it stays validated
From Amazon's Seller Central announcement on reference pricing and the Reference pricing and promotions FAQ.
Source: Seller Central News, Upcoming improvements to reference pricing
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceCustomers
Your shoppers can see a year of your prices
Amazon's Black Friday guide tells customers to tap Price History on any product page, or ask Alexa for Shopping, to see up to 365 days of pricing data. The same assistant will watch an item for price drops and can even auto-buy it when the price hits a target the shopper chose.
That changes the math on the old trick of nudging a price up in October so November looks generous. The graph shows the lowest Featured Offer price each day, so a year of your pricing is one tap away. A shopper waiting on a target price is also a sale that lands the moment your deal goes live, which is a good reason to make the deal real.
Do this: Open the Price History graph on your top holiday ASIN and look at it the way a skeptical shopper would.
Sources: About Amazon, When is Black Friday 2026?, Seller Central News, Upcoming improvements to reference pricing
- Day 0Today
- Day 90Typical Price window ends
- Day 365Oldest price a shopper can see
Typical Price window from Amazon's Reference pricing and promotions FAQ. Price history length from Amazon's Black Friday 2026 guide.
Source: About Amazon, When is Black Friday 2026?
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePromotions
Not every promotion drags your Typical Price down
If you need to keep moving units before the holidays, the type of promotion matters. Amazon excludes Buy X, Get Y promotions, Subscribe and Save promotions and tailored coupons from the Typical Price calculation, and sales during peak events, Prime Day included, are always left out.
The one to watch is the quiet price cut. Since May 18, 2026, price discounts that are not advertised to customers as promotions count as non-promotional sales and go straight into the Typical Price. A month of unannounced markdowns can reset your baseline without a single shopper noticing a sale.
Do this: If you want to clear stock this month, use a Buy X, Get Y offer or a tailored coupon instead of quietly lowering the price.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
Strategy
The cart is getting fuller, and faster
Amazon's Q3 recap has a number every consumables brand should tape to the monitor. Fresh groceries and everyday essentials grew about three times faster than the rest of the store and made up about half of all units sold. Customers who shop perishables with Same-Day Delivery buy nearly seven times more everyday essential units than those who don't.
Andy Jassy also said nearly 80 percent of retail still happens in physical stores, which he expects to flip toward ecommerce over time. If you sell something people buy every week, the holiday season is a good time to earn the repeat order, not just the gift.
Do this: Check that your most-replenished essential ASIN has Subscribe and Save turned on before holiday traffic peaks.
From Amazon's Q3 2026 earnings recap. Both figures are approximate, as Amazon described them.
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceQuick hits
05Deals
Set a calendar reminder for two weeks before every deal
Amazon's advice for keeping a deal alive when the reference price moves is plain: check for Needs Attention alerts in your Deals dashboard two weeks before your deal starts and again while it runs, and verify that your price is still below the maximum deal price. For anything running on Black Friday, November 27, two weeks out is November 13, which is also the day deal sourcing closes.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ, Seller Central News, Black Friday Cyber Monday deals deadline extended
Section 06
The wire
What changed lately, straight from Amazon. We read the announcement so you can read the summary.
- Policy
Insurance requirement takes effect today
Products in categories with enhanced safety listing requirements now need a $1 million commercial liability policy, with no sales threshold.
via Seller Central News, New commercial liability insurance requirements - Shoppers
Amazon publishes its Black Friday 2026 guide
Early deals are live in the Holiday Shop. Shoppers can view up to 365 days of price history and set Alexa for Shopping auto-buy at a target price.
via About Amazon, When is Black Friday 2026? - Earnings
Amazon details Q3 store growth
Fresh groceries and everyday essentials were about half of units sold, and Amazon Now is in more than 450 towns and cities.
via About Amazon, Q3 earnings: Andy Jassy on faster delivery, lowering cost to serve, groceries, pharmacy, and AI shopping
Follow for more
Tomorrow's tip, in your inbox before your coffee cools
One short email when a new issue lands. Amazon's news without the press-release voice, and one move worth making that week. No upsells, no "ultimate guides."
Section 07
Straight answers
The questions sellers are typing into search bars and chatbots this week, answered in under a minute each. Every answer is grounded in Amazon's own announcement, linked below it.
How does Amazon calculate Typical Price?
Typical Price is the median price customers paid for a product over the last 90 days. Promotional sales are usually excluded. Since May 18, 2026, if the Featured Offer price sat below its prevailing non-promotional price for more than half of those 90 days, Amazon includes all sales, promotional ones too.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
Why is my Amazon maximum deal price lower than expected?
The maximum deal price on your Manage Deals page reflects reference prices, recent promotions, recent sales history and the lowest new-condition price from any seller on the product. Deals, coupons and price discounts all need a minimum discount from the reference price, so a lower Typical Price lowers the maximum you can set.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
How does Amazon validate a List Price?
Since April 23, 2026, a List Price you provide must meet one of two criteria: the product was recently offered at that price at another retailer, or customers bought it as the Featured Offer on Amazon at that price. Amazon says List Price and Typical Price both update regularly without advance notice.
Source: Seller Central News, Upcoming improvements to reference pricing
Which promotions are excluded from Typical Price on Amazon?
Amazon excludes Buy X, Get Y promotions, Subscribe and Save promotions and tailored coupons from the Typical Price calculation. Sales during peak events, including Prime Day, are always excluded. Price discounts that are not advertised to customers as promotions count as non-promotional sales and are included.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ
Can Amazon shoppers see a product’s price history?
Yes. Amazon's Black Friday 2026 guide says customers can tap Price History on any product page, or ask Alexa for Shopping, to see up to 365 days of pricing data. Alexa for Shopping can also watch items for price drops and auto-buy when the price reaches a target the customer sets.
When should I check my Amazon deals before Black Friday?
Amazon recommends checking for Needs Attention alerts in your Deals dashboard two weeks before a deal starts and while it runs, and confirming your price is below the maximum deal price. For Black Friday on November 27, 2026, that means November 13, the same day deal sourcing closes.
Source: Seller Central Help, Reference pricing and promotions FAQ