Amazon’s new Amazon coupon fee cap introduces a €100 limit designed to give brands more predictable promo costs heading into Q4.
A timely change for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this update could strengthen your peak-season promotional planning…
What are the new fees?
Already in effect (from 5 November 2025), Amazon is:
- Capping its variable coupon fees at €100 per coupon
- Halving the variable rate from 1.0% to 0.5%, while keeping the €2 upfront fee unchanged
Amazon says the change follows feedback from brands struggling to predict costs under its previous structure – their goal is to make promotional spend more predictable, transparent and performance-focused during the busiest retail months of the year.
What’s the opportunity?
It might seem like just a small cost tweak, but it’s more than that – it’s an opportunity to better manage your margins.
With fees now capped and rates lower, it means that coupons can play a bigger strategic role within your pricing and promotional mix, with a more controlled way for your brand to stimulate demand without eroding your profitability.
Amazon’s own quotes around this move also signal an intent to help brands plan smarter as competition intensifies across the platform, saying:
“In March 2025, we announced new promotion structures to help you test different promotional strategies.
We heard that the updated coupon structures made it hard to predict costs so we made this update to provide you with more predictability and transparency.”
How to use this to your advantage
Coupons can be really powerful levers for visibility and conversion (where used strategically), but their economics have often deterred large-scale use. T
This update has the potential to change that equation – particularly through peak retail times, when deal traffic surges and basket sensitivity spikes.
Used intelligently, coupons can:
- Boost search and category visibility – that green “Save” badge still drives higher click-through rates, especially on mobile.
- Support product launches or slow-moving SKUs, where incremental visibility outweighs the modest fee.
- Enhance Sponsored Ads performance – by combining coupons with Sponsored Products or Sponsored Display, you can lift CTR and conversion together.
- Feed a full-funnel strategy because, when paired with DSP or off-Amazon campaigns, coupons can create compelling re-entry points for shoppers already exposed to your brand.
- Improve forecasting and control – with capped fees, brands can now model promotional ROI with far greater confidence.
But, as ever, the key is intent – you should never discount for the sake of it.
Coupons only deliver lasting value when they’re applied with purpose; aligned to your brand, margin and performance objectives.
And beyond peak?
While the timing is clearly aimed at easing Q4 planning, the benefits extend for future planning too.
Lower coupon costs offer the chance for brands to maintain promotional momentum year-round – not just during major events – and can help to support sustained visibility and price perception without compromising margin discipline.
The Bottom Line
Amazon’s decision to lower and cap coupon fees brings a welcome dose of predictability to a key promotional tool, but the brands that gain most will be the ones who treat coupons as a strategic lever, not a last-minute discount.
The key to using these discounts well?
Our experts always advise integrating them as part of a measured, strategic and data-led approach to your conversions and profitability.
Get in touch today to discover how our team can help you refine your promotional strategy – from modelling the new coupon economics and balancing discounts with ROI to planning peak campaigns that drive performance without draining margin.