Are you unsure if you should offer discounts on Amazon Prime Day 2025? Prime Day is just around the corner, so now’s the time to get serious about prepping your deals or risk missing one of the biggest sales spikes of the year.
On Amazon, there are major events that sellers should always circle on their calendar, such as Prime Day. During this event, the flood of shopper traffic explodes, and smart sellers cash in by offering strategic discounts that move serious volume.
Still, some sellers hesitate to offer deals on Prime Day, thinking it’s just a race to the bottom or not worth the effort. But is that really true, or are they leaving money on the table?
In this guide, we’ll break down why Prime Day discounts matter, how to set them up properly, and how to avoid costly mistakes. Whether you’re new to promotions or looking to fine-tune your strategy, this article will walk you through everything you need to know to crush it this Prime Day.
Table of Contents
Why Discounts Matter on Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day drives huge shopper traffic and sales spikes. To tap into this, sellers need smart discount strategies that increase visibility and boost conversions during the event.
Prime Day is one of Amazon’s biggest events, pulling in millions of buyers with deep discounts and exclusive deals. In 2024, Amazon reported over 300 million items sold during the two-day sale, generating $14.2 billion in sales.
With Prime Day’s proven ability to drive high-volume sales, strategically planned discounts can lead to massive growth for sellers. That’s why many brands take full advantage of this traffic spike since offering discounts helps get products featured in high-visibility placements like Lightning Deals and Best Deals.
These placements give your listings better exposure to ready-to-buy customers, which can dramatically increase conversions. For sellers aiming to move inventory, attract new customers, or build brand momentum, Prime Day is the time to go all in on deals that drive results.
How to Set Up Prime Day Discounts in Seller Central
Setting up Prime Day discounts, deals, and coupons in Seller Central is easy when you follow the right process. Knowing how to navigate these tools ensures your promotions get noticed and help boost sales during the event.
Guide to Set Up Prime Day Discounts in Seller Central
Setting up discounts for Prime Day is pretty simple to do in Seller Central. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: From the Seller Central dashboard, hover over the Advertising tab and click on Price Discounts.
Step 2: On the Price Discounts dashboard, click on the Create a Price Discount button.
Step 3: Fill in the discount details. Give your discount a clear title (e.g., “Prime Day 2025 – 20% Off Discount”), set the start and end dates, choose a discount type, and pick an audience type.
Step 4: Click Add Products to select the product(s) you want to include in the discount.
Step 5: For each product, set a discount amount or percentage based on your chosen discount type.
Step 6: Review all the details carefully, then click Submit.
Guide to Set Up Prime Day Deals in Seller Central
If you want to offer Lightning Deals, 7-Day Deals, or Best Deals for Prime Day, you’ll need to use the Deals dashboard in Seller Central. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Go to Seller Central, hover over the Advertising tab, and click on Deals.
Step 2: Click the Create a New Deal button.
Step 3: Select the product(s) you want to include in the deal. Make sure they meet the eligibility requirements, like ratings, sales history, and inventory availability.
Step 4: Set your preferred deal schedule. For Prime Day, select the Amazon-suggested timeframes that fall during the event window.
Step 5: Enter your deal price or discount. Amazon will show you the minimum required discount, so make sure your price meets or beats that.
Step 6: Review the summary of your deal and click Submit Deal.
Guide to Set Up Prime Day Coupons in Seller Central
Coupons are a great way to stand out in search results and increase conversion, especially during Prime Day. If you want to run a coupon campaign, here’s how you can set it up:
Step 1: In Seller Central, go to the Advertising tab and click on Coupons.
Step 2: Click on the Create a New Coupon button.
Step 3: Choose the ASINs you want to include. You can search by SKU, ASIN, or product name.
Step 4: Set the start and end dates for your coupon.
Step 5: Configure your coupon settings by setting the discount type (money off or percentage), discount amount, budget, and redemption limits. Make sure your coupon is at least 5% off to qualify.
Step 6: Review everything one last time, then hit Submit.
8 Tips on How to Prepare Your Discounts for Amazon Prime Day 2025
Simply cutting prices on Prime Day won’t guarantee sales; discounts must be strategic to protect margins and maximize results. These 8 tips cover optimizing listings, choosing the right discount types, meeting Amazon’s discount rules, researching competitors, managing margins and inventory, selecting the right products, and planning beyond Prime Day.
There are sellers who think that slashing prices during Prime Day is enough to drive traffic and sales, but that’s not the case at all. Offering discounts should be strategic, so your margins don’t take a hit and your efforts don’t go to waste.
Here are some tips to help you set up Prime Day discounts that work:
1. Optimize Your Product Listings
When it comes to Prime Day discounts, some might assume they don’t need to touch their listings anymore, thinking the discount alone will grab all the attention. But even if you’re offering the steepest deal out there, if your listing looks sloppy or untrustworthy, customers won’t bite.
That’s why it’s important to optimize your listings before Prime Day hits. Here’s how you can do that:
- Update Your Main Image
Make sure your hero image is clean, high-resolution, and zoom-friendly. This is what stops the scroll, so don’t overlook it.
- Add All 6-7 Images (and a Video if Possible)
Use secondary images to show different angles, use cases, or features. If you’ve got a product video, use it to help boost conversions.
- Refresh Your Title and Bullet Points
Your title should be keyword-rich but easy to read. Your bullets need to sell benefits, not just features.
- Tighten Up Your A+ Content
If you have Brand Registry, make sure your A+ content isn’t only pretty; it should also explain the product, answer FAQs, and handle objections.
- Check for Review Red Flags
Scan your reviews for repeated complaints and fix those issues in your listing or your product, if possible.
2. Choose the Right Discount Type
There are plenty of discount types that sellers can run when Prime Day rolls around, each with its own perks. Depending on your goals, you’ll want to pick the kind of deal that fits your product, audience, and strategy.
- Coupons
These show up with a green badge in search results and product pages, making them eye-catching for deal hunters. They’re best for competitive products and work well when set at 10% or higher, especially if targeted to Prime members only.
- Lightning Deals
These are limited-time offers that appear on Amazon’s Deals page and create a strong sense of urgency. Ideal for fast-selling items like tech, beauty, or seasonal products.
- Best Deals
Best Deals give you week-long visibility and are perfect for high-performing products with strong reviews. Use them to build momentum before Prime Day and pair with retargeting ads for maximum reach.
- Prime Exclusive Discounts
Only visible to Prime members, these deals come with a “Prime” badge that builds trust and signals exclusivity. They work great on your core ASINs and can improve your Buy Box win rate during peak traffic.
- Virtual Product Bundles
Bundles let you group complementary items together to raise average order value. They shine in categories like home, baby, fitness, or consumables, especially when supported by PPC campaigns.
- 7-Day Deals
These offer extended visibility and are great for mid-tier ASINs that get consistent sales. Schedule them to span the lead-in weekend and Prime Day itself to maximize exposure.
3. Know the Best Offer and Meet the Discount Requirements
Amazon has specific discount requirements for each deal type, and if you don’t meet them, your deal won’t get the visibility it needs, or worse, won’t be approved at all. Here’s a quick breakdown of the minimum and recommended discount rates for Prime Day deals:
| Deal Type | Minimum Discount Required | Recommended Discount |
|---|---|---|
|
Best Deal |
15% |
20-40% for more visibility |
|
Lightning Deals |
20% |
20-40% for top placements |
|
Prime Exclusive Discount |
20% off the lowest price in the last 30 days |
20-25% |
|
Coupons |
5% |
10% or more (especially for Prime members) |
|
7-Day Deal |
15% |
20% or more |
If you’re aiming for the big spotlight, offering 40% or more on Lightning or Best Deals can boost your visibility even further. But it doesn’t always have to be a massive cut, sometimes 10–15% “limited-time” discounts can also drive results when supported by strong listings and ads.
Reminder: Deal submission deadlines for Best and Lightning Deals were due May 23, 2025. If you missed those, Prime Exclusive Discounts or Coupons are your best bet now.
4. Research Competitors
As a customer, when you go on Amazon and see two very similar products with the same look, features, and reviews, you’re naturally going to pick the one that’s cheaper. That’s exactly why researching your competitors’ pricing is a smart move when planning your Prime Day discounts.
Go a step further and dig into historical data from last year’s Prime Day. Look at what kind of discounts they offered, how long they ran them, and how customers responded, since this gives you a solid benchmark so you’re not blindly picking a discount rate that either eats your margin or gets ignored.
5. Know Your Margins
Of course, every seller wants to throw out the biggest discount during Prime Day because it can spike visibility and drive serious traffic. But if you’re not careful, you could end up sacrificing way too much of your profits just to stay competitive.
Before setting any discount, sit down and run the numbers. Factor in Amazon fees, cost of goods, shipping, and ad spend so you don’t end up selling hundreds of units only to realize you’re still in the red.
6. Have Proper Inventory Planning
Before deciding which products to put on discount, double-check your inventory levels to make sure you’ll actually have stock when Prime Day hits. Going out of stock, even for a few hours, can kill your momentum and cost you sales that should’ve been yours.
Plan ahead by checking your restock limits, analyzing sell-through rates, and coordinating with your supplier or fulfillment partner. The last thing you want is to run a killer discount campaign only to have nothing left to sell.
7. Strategize Product Selection
When planning your Prime Day discounts, it’s tempting to throw everything into the sale, but strategy matters. If you’ve got overstocked or aging inventory, this is a good chance to clear it out while still attracting buyers.
At the same time, don’t ignore your bestsellers. Prime Day brings a ton of traffic, and putting your top-performing products front and center can drive more reviews, build brand trust, and boost your ranking long after the event ends.
8. Have A Post-Prime Day Plan
Just because Prime Day ends doesn’t mean the momentum stops right there. If you play your cards right, you can ride that post-sale traffic wave and turn it into long-term sales growth.
That’s why it’s smart to have a pricing plan ready after Prime Day. Don’t just snap back to your original price overnight; ease into it gradually to avoid losing potential buyers who came in late or are still shopping around.
To get more tips on how to plan for Prime Day here are video guides from our Amazon agency:
Common Mistakes Sellers Make with Prime Day Discounts
Prime Day discounts can drive sales, but rushing in without a clear plan often backfires. Avoid these common mistakes to protect your profits and make your promotions count.
When sellers rush into Prime Day discounts without a real plan, it can cost them more. That’s why it’s crucial to understand the most common mistakes sellers make, so you can avoid them or fix them fast if they happen.
1. Discounting Without Data
Slapping on a discount without looking at past Prime Day performance is like flying blind. Use historical trends and sales data to guide what you should discount and how deep the cuts should go.
2. Promoting Low-Stock Items
Running a deal on a product you can’t keep in stock will frustrate customers and wreck your listing’s ranking. If you’re low on inventory, either skip the promo or shift attention to fully stocked SKUs.
3. Going All-In Without a Clear Goal
Discounts should serve a purpose, whether it’s clearing inventory, gaining reviews, or driving visibility. Without a clear strategy, you’ll burn margin with no long-term benefit.
4. Ignoring Break-Even Numbers
Many sellers underestimate how fast fees eat into discounted prices. Always calculate your break-even point before running any promotion to avoid selling at a loss.
5. Expecting Every Prime Day to Be the Same
Buyer behavior changes year to year, so what worked in 2022 might flop in 2025. Keep expectations realistic, monitor performance daily, and be ready to pivot your strategy if needed.
6. Neglecting Post-Promotion Follow-Up
If you don’t follow up with customers after Prime Day, you’re missing out on review opportunities and repeat business. Always have a post-sale plan in place to maximize the traffic you worked hard to get.
7. Forgetting to Monitor Performance in Real Time
Some sellers “set and forget” their promos without tracking sales, ad spend, or inventory movement. Prime Day is too short for that, so watch your metrics closely and make fast changes when necessary.
8. Refusing Help When You Actually Need It
Prime Day is a high-pressure sales event that requires sellers to juggle pricing, inventory, ads, and fulfillment all at once. Some sellers hesitate to get help, but working with an Amazon agency can improve your pricing strategy and free up your time.
FAQs About Amazon Prime Day Discounts
Make the Most of Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day isn’t just about a couple of days of high sales; it’s a pivotal moment for strategic marketplace growth. This event gives you a rare chance to acquire new customers, boost visibility, and drive long-term value if approached with the right prep.
To win on Prime Day, you need to offer discounts that are competitive, meet Amazon’s requirements, and still protect your margins. With this guide, we’re confident you’re better equipped to turn Prime Day into a significant win for your business.
Need expert help? Contact our full-service Amazon agency to audit your Prime Day strategy and create a winning Prime Day planner that drives sales.
