Amazon's marketplace looks different than it did a few years ago. There are fewer active sellers than there used to be, but the ones still standing are sharper and better-optimized competitors.
There's less noise, but more pressure to actually compete. Winning shelf space now takes more than a decent product page.
Lightning Deals (LDs) are one of the most reliable tools brands have for cutting through that competition - driving concentrated sales velocity, clearing inventory, and putting products in front of bargain-hunting shoppers right when they're ready to buy.
Here's what's changed with Lightning Deals recently, and how to run them well.
What are Amazon Lightning Deals?
Lightning Deals are limited-time flash sales that usually run for 4 to 12 hours, and are featured on the Amazon Deals page, one of the most highly trafficked parts of the marketplace.
Lightning Deals are one of the many ways Amazon keeps bargain-focused shoppers engaged and loyal to the channel. They're promotions that pop up on products across the entire Amazon store, and tend to be especially enticing during the holiday season or major shopping events like Prime Day.
Because the discounts only last for a few hours and end the moment the allotted units sell out, they create a strong sense of urgency for shoppers looking to grab a deal.
Who can use Amazon Lightning Deals?
Originally, Lightning Deals were an invite-only feature. Amazon would handpick sellers to participate. Now, sellers and vendors alike can run LDs.
- On Seller Central, Lightning Deals remain recommendation-based - Amazon surfaces eligible ASINs in the Deals Dashboard, and sellers select a deal from that list
- To participate on Seller Central, sellers need a Professional selling account and an overall seller rating of 3.5 stars or higher
- If you miss the window on an eligible ASIN, the opportunity is lost - eligible ASINs refresh weekly, so what's available this week may not be there next week
- On Vendor Central, vendors can set up a deal on their own accord, and are responsible for funding the per-unit discount; vendors can also set a maximum unit quantity for each style, size, and color variation included in the promotion
⭐ On both platforms, products generally need a minimum rating of 4 stars to qualify.
On Seller Central, both FBA and seller-fulfilled offers can qualify for Lightning Deals, as long as seller-fulfilled offers meet Amazon's performance and free shipping requirements.
Eligible products are automatically displayed in the Eligible ASINs section of the Deals Dashboard when they meet a variety of criteria related to category, fulfillment method, condition, seller feedback rating, return rate, and more (subject to change based on country and time of year).
You can choose to Create a Deal from the list of eligible ASINs in the Select Products tab of the Deals Dashboard. Eligible ASINs are refreshed every week, so an eligible ASIN you see this week may not necessarily be there next week.
It's also worth noting that Amazon reviews Lightning Deals at three points: at submission, before the deal goes live, and while it's running. Because of this, the Deals Dashboard should be treated as the single source of truth for current eligibility, maximum deal price, discount requirements, and any suppression or Needs Attention alerts.
How do Amazon Lightning Deals work?
Duration: As stated above, LDs offer customers a discount for a limited time. There is a select quantity of discounted units available for each deal, and every LD on the deal page usually runs for 4 to 12 hours, or until the product completely sells out, whichever comes first.
Fees: For sellers and vendors, Lightning Deals remain a paid promotion. Fees are shown as part of the deal creation workflow and can vary by deal type, marketplace, and event timing.
For example, Amazon's fees for Prime Day 2025 were $500 for Lightning Deals and $1,000 for Best Deals, and for Prime Day 2026 Amazon offered a $50 discount on the upfront fee for deals submitted by the early deadline. Since fees change over time, always confirm the final cost in the Deals Dashboard before submitting.
Pricing Rules: Amazon evaluates deals against a Maximum Deal Price (Max price). The deal price must meet or stay below this threshold to avoid suppression. Note that temporary price drops or coupons in the 30-45 days before the deal can lower your Max Price threshold unexpectedly.
The deals are laid out in a way that demands action. Shoppers can see how big their savings are - the sale price is listed above a crossed-out regular price with the percentage saving highlighted. They can also see what percentage of the product's stock has already been claimed by other shoppers, and how much time is left on the deal.
Importantly, LDs are limited to one per customer. When a customer adds an LD to their cart, they have 15 minutes to process the transaction, or they miss out on the deal. Even if a customer comes across an LD outside of the deal page (e.g., through an ad or via the search tool), Amazon still notes that the product has a limited-time offer currently running.
A significant benefit of LDs is increased brand exposure. There is also the 'halo effect', which is an increase in organic discovery and sales both during and after the deal has run. This is attributed to the fact that on the day that LDs run, the Best Seller Rank (BSR) for impacted SKUs tends to skyrocket.
How do I create an Amazon Lightning Deal?
Creating a deal is easy.
- Select an Eligible ASIN: Simply select an eligible ASIN from the Deals Dashboard (also referred to as Promotion Central), since eligible ASINs are surfaced by Amazon and refreshed weekly.
- Set the Deal Price: Then specify your deal price for each SKU. Amazon will show the highest price at which the ASIN can be set to qualify for the deal - the Max price - and the deal may be suppressed if your deal price is set above that threshold.
- Choose Schedule: In terms of timing, brands can choose the week that the deal is run, but not the exact date or time that the LD will go live on Amazon.
You will be charged for each Lightning Deal or Best Deal that is submitted and has successfully run. The fee is displayed as part of the Deal creation workflow when you select the schedule for the Deal.
Deciding whether or not to take advantage of an LD requires an acceptance of risk. This is predominantly because Amazon can run the deal whenever they choose within the date range selected.
For example, if your deal runs from 2 am - 8 am, you aren't going to get optimal exposure due to the low amount of traffic on Amazon at that time of day.
Where do Lightning Deals appear on Amazon?
LDs are featured prominently on the Amazon Today’s Deals page. Selected promotions display active expiration countdowns in an hh:mm:ss format.
Why are Amazon Lightning Deals useful?
Featuring a product as an LD may help increase sales and can also be an effective way to reduce excess inventory.
Based on historical agency benchmarks, products generally experience an average 200% bump in daily sales across the two-week post-deal window:
- On average, a product sees an approximate 65% boost in sales the day of the Lightning Deal.
- The day after the sale, the boost is still there, but it drops to close to 39%.
- On day three, it's down to 22%, and 19% on day four.
- By day six, the boost is below 10%, continuing the normalization trend back to its original sales numbers over the next eight days.
Overall, if a product typically sells 10 units per day, the two weeks post-Lightning Deal should average an additional 20 units per day (reaching 30 total units daily).
Pros and Cons of Amazon Lightning Deals
LDs come with several pros and cons.
Pros
- Great exposure and increased visibility for new products
- 'Halo effect' bump - expect sales to increase for up to a month after the LD has run
- Helps liquidate excess inventory or discontinued SKUs quickly and efficiently
- Gain an edge over other sellers and vendors and win new customers - really helpful for brands in ultra-competitive categories with minimal differentiation between products
- Amazon specifically calls out product discovery as a potential benefit, in addition to increased conversion and inventory sell-through
Cons
- The fee can be cost-prohibitive to some brands
- The 'halo-effect' is relatively short-lived
- You do not have control over the exact timing of when the LD will run
- To qualify, Amazon requires you to provide steep discounts, hurting your channel profitability
- To qualify, Amazon requires you to provide a minimum quantity of units for the LD, hurting your inventory levels
- Appropriate inventory must be available in FCs at least a week prior to the LD running
- Lightning Deals can be suppressed before or during the deal if eligibility or pricing requirements are no longer met
What are some Lightning Deal best practices for brands?
- Optimize Listing Content: Before running an LD, ensure that your product display page is optimized with content that will increase your chances of converting the increased traffic.
-
- Ensure clear titles, key feature bullets, and search-optimized descriptions
- Use 7+ high-resolution images and upload product videos
- Publish A+ Content
- Resolve Alerts Early: Address any Needs Action / Needs Attention alerts in the Deals Dashboard as early as possible before the scheduled start time. Amazon can cancel deals over unresolved alerts - check your Dashboard for the specific cutoff on your deal, since Amazon doesn’t publish a universal deadline.
- Freeze Parent/Child Structure: Avoid making major ASIN or parent ASIN changes after submitting the deal.
- Protect Your Max Price Threshold: Avoid running steep coupons or lowering your standard price in the 30–45 days prior to the deal, as this lowers your required deal price.
- Inventory Forecasting: Stock sufficient units to support both the deal window and the multi-week halo effect.
- Seasonal Alignment: Ensure that the product being promoted via an LD is relevant, seasonally speaking. This will translate to better LD and halo effect results
- Competitive Edge: Consider if the deal is competitive, both to other brands and similar products in your space, but also to other deals possibly available off-Amazon
- Amplify with Advertising: Support deal velocity with aggressive PPC campaigns before, during, and after the promotion.
Are Lightning Deals right for your brand?
Lightning Deals are not a universal fix - in some instances, the promotional fees and profit margin hit may fail to outweigh the temporary sales spike and ongoing halo effect.
However, when supported by adequate inventory, seasonal relevance, and strategic PPC, testing Lightning Deals remains one of the best mechanisms to build market presence, improve Best Seller Rank (BSR), and clear inventory on Amazon.
If LDs are not cost-prohibitive for your margins, you should test their effectiveness to increase your competitiveness in the marketplace.
Develop a Lightning Deals strategy that works.
Book a FREE consultation with one of our experts today!
Read more from this author: