Amazon Updates 2026 Promotional Event Fee Rules
Amazon is adjusting the promotional fee structure for 2026 events including Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.
What are the key facts?
- 1$100 fixed fee per 2026 peak-season promotional event
- 21.5% variable fee on promotional sales, capped at $5,000
- 3Black Friday and Cyber Monday submission and scheduling due by September 5, 2026
- 4On-time Black Friday and Cyber Monday submission may save $50 on the fixed fee
- 5Rules apply to professional sellers and brand sellers participating in Amazon’s official Deal events
What happened?
Amazon has updated the fee rules for its 2026 major promotional events, including Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Under the new rules, promotional fees consist of a fixed fee of $100 per event and a variable fee of 1.5% of promotional sales, with the variable fee capped at $5,000. The rules apply to both professional sellers and brand sellers participating in Amazon’s official Deal events. Sellers that fail to submit events by the specified deadlines may not qualify for early-registration discounts. For Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, sellers must complete submission and scheduling by September 5, 2026, to have an opportunity to save $50 on the fixed fee. For sellers with high sales during major promotions, both the fixed registration fee and the sales-based variable fee will affect event costs. The original notice also states that sellers calculating promotional profitability should not focus only on the post-discount transaction price, but should include the fixed registration fee, sales-percentage fee, peak-season FBA fees, advertising bids, and return costs in the event gross-margin calculation. For low-average-order-value products, promotions may generate orders but still result in an overall loss if conversion is insufficient.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Amazon’s official Deal events, including Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, will incur both a $100 fixed fee per event and a variable fee equal to 1.5% of promotional sales, directly changing sellers’ registration thresholds and event margins. Low-average-order-value or low-conversion products may gain orders but still lose money overall; Black Friday and Cyber Monday sellers should also track the September 5, 2026 submission and scheduling deadline for the discount opportunity.
What should sellers do now?
- 1This week, use a profit calculator to assess each Listing for events such as Prime Day. Include the $100 fixed fee, 1.5% variable fee, peak-season FBA fees, advertising bids, and return costs, and produce an event gross-margin table for each Listing.Profit calculator
- 2This week, screen low-average-order-value products and review post-promotion transaction prices and all event costs under insufficient-conversion scenarios. Pause Listings expected to lose money and retain a reviewable profit-and-loss assessment table.Breakeven calculator
- 3This week, create a registration schedule checklist for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Check the event submission status for all professional seller and brand seller accounts, complete submission and scheduling by September 5, 2026, and retain screenshots.