seller
- What changed
- Short, unit-capped Amazon deals shown on Today's Deals
- When
- Non-peak fee model since June 2, 2025; Q4 2026 peak fees apply
- Who it affects
- Professional sellers with ASINs Amazon marks eligible
- What to do
- Check the Deals dashboard for eligible ASINs and price caps
Key takeaways
- Non-peak Lightning Deals cost $70 per day plus 1% of sales, capped at $2,000.
- 2026 holiday event deals cost $100 upfront plus 1.5% of sales, capped at $5,000.
- Check eligibility and maximum deal price in the Deals dashboard, then model margin first.
Lightning Deal fees by period
| Before June 2025 | Non-peak now | 2026 holiday events | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront | $150 flat | $70 per day | $100 per promotion |
| Variable | None | 1% of deal sales | 1.5% of sales |
| Cap | None | $2,000 variable | $5,000 |
| Peak flat fee | $500 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
What are Amazon Lightning Deals?
A Lightning Deal offers one product, or a set of variations, at a discount for a short window with a capped number of units. Shoppers see the discount, the time left and the share of units claimed. When units sell out, a waitlist button replaces the buy button, which creates urgency and a burst of sales velocity.
Amazon, not the seller, chooses the exact time slot. Deals typically run 4 to 12 hours, and Amazon told sellers in August 2025 that Lightning Deals would run 12 hours on main event days.
How much do Lightning Deals cost in 2026?
Amazon moved deals to a performance based fee on June 2, 2025. Before that, a Lightning Deal cost a flat $150 on ordinary days and $500 at peak events. Now the fee depends on when the deal runs and how much it sells. Remember the discount itself is also funded by you.
- Non-peak: $70 per day plus 1% of deal sales, variable part capped at $2,000
- Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday Week 2026: $100 upfront plus 1.5% of promotional sales, capped at $5,000
- Early submission for 2026 holiday events saved $50 on the upfront fee
- The daily fee applies even if the deal sells little
Lightning Deals vs Best Deals vs coupons
Lightning Deals are one of several promotion types. Best Deals run longer, from 1 to 14 days, and suit steady discounting. Coupons are clipped on the detail page and are cheaper for small, ongoing discounts. Prime exclusive deals show a strikethrough price only to Prime members. Our guide to Amazon promotions for sellers compares every option.
Who is eligible for Lightning Deals?
Amazon decides which ASINs can run a deal, and it does not publish category rules. The reliable check is the Deals dashboard in Seller Central, under Advertising, then Deals, which lists eligible products for each event and suggests a maximum deal price.
- Professional selling plan
- ASIN shown as eligible in the Deals dashboard
- Good star rating and sales history on the product
- Healthy account metrics and no open policy issues
- Enough inventory to cover the committed deal quantity
How deal pricing works
Amazon sets a maximum deal price from the product's recent selling history, and your deal price must be at or below it. Since April 23, 2026, Amazon applies stricter List Price validation, so a reference price must be backed by real sales or prices elsewhere. Raising your price before a deal to make the discount look bigger does not work and can make the ASIN ineligible.
How to create a Lightning Deal, step by step
The process takes minutes once you know which ASINs qualify.
- Open Advertising, then Deals, in Seller Central
- Click Create a new deal and choose the event or schedule
- Select an eligible ASIN and the variations to include
- Enter the deal price at or below the suggested maximum
- Set the deal quantity and confirm stock
- Review the fee and submit before the event deadline
- Monitor status and fix any suppressed or at-risk deal health issues
- 1Deals dashboard
Advertising, then Deals
- 2Pick ASIN
Only eligible products show
- 3Price and units
At or below max deal price
- 4Submit
Before the event deadline
- 5Boost
Raise bids in the deal window
How to make a Lightning Deal profitable
A deal that sells out at a loss is not a win unless it buys lasting rank. Calculate profit per unit at the deal price after referral fees, FBA fees and the deal fee before you commit.
- Model margin at the deal price, including peak fulfillment fees in Q4
- Raise Sponsored Products bids on the deal ASIN during the window
- Use Sponsored Brands to send traffic to the deal
- Keep enough stock so the deal does not cause a stockout
- Avoid stacking a coupon on top unless the margin allows it
- Compare sales and rank for two weeks after the deal, not just during it
Lightning Deals at Black Friday 2026
Submissions for Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday deals closed on October 20, 2026, so new holiday Lightning Deals can no longer be added for that event. Sellers with approved deals should focus on stock, ads and deal health. Our Amazon Black Friday 2026 update covers the dates Amazon has confirmed.
How PPC Spider helps
PPC Spider plans deals with Amazon PPC management: margin checks at the deal price, bid and budget increases timed to the deal window, and stock monitoring in SpiderOS so a deal never starts on low inventory. Target ACoS is set from product margin after fees. Request a free Amazon audit before your next event.
Sources
- PPC Land: Lightning deal (ppc.land/lightning-deal/)
- PPC Land: Amazon shuts Black Friday deal submissions for sellers on October 20 (ppc.land/amazon-shuts-black-friday-deal-submissions-for-sellers-on-october-20/)
- EcomCrew: Amazon publishes Q4 2026 deadlines, same fees, earlier inventory cutoffs (ecomcrew.com/amazon-publishes-q4-2026-deadlines-same-fees-earlier-inventory-cutoffs/)
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