What Amazon’s new pricing rules mean for discount visibility, credibility and performance…
From 23 April 2026, Amazon is updating its reference pricing requirements to tighten the rules around how “Was Price” and Recommended Retail Price (RRP) can be used across the platform.
So what does this mean for brands relying on visible discounts to drive conversion?
It’s a change with the potential to have a direct impact both on how offers are displayed and how frequently promotions can be run.
What’s changing
Under the new rules, for RRP to be accepted, it now needs to reflect a price the product has actually sold at on Amazon as the Featured Offer, or match a price recently offered by another retailer.
At the same time, changes to “Was Price” calculations mean:
- Amazon will increasingly rely on real transaction data over the last 90 days.
- Promotional and non-promotional sales may be combined in certain cases.
- Discounts will only be displayed where they are genuinely supported by price history.
Why it matters
Reference pricing has long been a key conversion driver on Amazon, with clear savings messaging helping customers quickly understand value; especially in competitive categories.
But under these new rules, discounts that aren’t supported by real pricing history may not be shown at all – plus the frequency of promotions could be limited by 90-day pricing data and pricing strategies that rely on “resetting” reference prices might become less effective.
The bigger picture: Pricing transparency is increasing
This change aligns closely with Amazon’s broader push toward transparency across the board.
With tools like the price history graph already showing customers how prices have moved over time, the platform is making it harder to inflate reference prices, create an artificial perception of a discount and to rely on short-term pricing tactics.
Instead, the focus is shifting toward genuine, trackable value.
And so for brands, this is a moment to reassess how pricing and promotions are structured.
Our experts’ take is that you now need to be:
- Reviewing whether your RRP is both defensible and consistent across channels.
- Understanding how your 90-day pricing history might influence your discount visibility.
- Planning promotions more strategically, rather than relying on frequent resets.
- And aligning your pricing decisions across marketplaces to avoid any conflicts.
The Bottom Line
Amazon’s updated reference pricing rules are another step toward a more transparent and data-driven marketplace.
For brands, that means less room for artificial discounting and more emphasis on credible, consistent pricing strategies – and frankly?
In an environment where customer trust is a key driver of conversion, we don’t see that as a bad thing at all.
Need expert help? Our team is on hand to help you review your pricing strategy and make sure your promotions remain compliant, effective and sustainably successful.