Introduction
Have you ever noticed your Amazon product displays various prices including strike-throughs and sales prices and “was price” labels and hidden price thresholds that you did not establish?
The pricing system on Amazon operates beyond your Seller Central entry since it collects data from various sources to validate it before using this information to determine your promotional and deal eligibility and Buy Box access.
This article explains all essential price types on Amazon while explaining their significance and providing guidance on using them for maximum sales potential.
1. The Amazon Price Landscape at a Glance
Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
| Price Term | Meaning | Where It Shows | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| List Price (MSRP / Strike-through) | Suggested retail price you enter in backend; Amazon validates via sales history or external references. | Crossed-out price above “Your Price.” | Creates perceived discount if validated. Useful for new launches. |
| VRP (Validate Reference Price) | The reference Amazon uses to validate discount claims. Usually = List Price. If not found, Amazon falls back to Was Price. | Behind-the-scenes. | Determines if Amazon will display a strike-through or discount badge. |
| Your Price | Your normal selling price. | Main price on product page. | Baseline for all discounts, deals, and Buy Box eligibility. |
| Sales Price | A time-limited promotion price set in backend. | Shows as discounted vs. “Your Price.” | Creates urgency; requires correct scheduling. |
| Was Price | Average non-promotional selling price in last 90 days. (If >63 days on promo, uses deal price.) | Basis for discount % display. | Deal programs (LD, BD, Coupons) often require being lower than Was Price. |
| HAMP T30D (30-Day Historical Price) | Lowest or average price in past 30 days. | Internal validation metric. | Controls eligibility for Prime Discount, Lightning Deal, 7-Day Deal. |
| T30 Non-Promotional Price | Average non-promo price in last 30 days. | Internal validation metric. | Prime Exclusive Discounts must be ≥5% lower than this price. |
| Min Seller Allowed Price | Floor price you set in backend (Automate Pricing safeguard). | Not visible to shoppers. | Prevents auto-pricing dropping below your margin. |
| Max Seller Allowed Price | Ceiling price you set in backend. | Not visible to shoppers. | Protects against excessive price hikes / compliance issues. |
2. Deep Dive into Each Price
List Price (MSRP / Strike-through)
- Seller enters manually in Seller Central.
- Amazon verifies with historical transactions or external data.
- Best used when launching new products—if your first sales happen at List Price, Amazon often locks it as your “reference” for future discounts.
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t set an inflated MSRP. If Amazon can’t validate, they’ll ignore it. Keep it realistic.
VRP (Validate Reference Price)
- Amazon’s behind-the-scenes “truth check.”
- Normally = List Price. If no valid List Price history, it defaults to Was Price.
- Determines whether your strike-through price and savings % will display.
Example:
Your Price
- The main price customers see.
- Feeds into Buy Box logic (along with shipping, seller rating, etc.).
- Becomes the “anchor” for Sales Price and deals.
Sales Price
- A temporary promotion price you set.
- When active, it will replace “Your Price” for a limited of time.
- Must have start & end date.
Was Price
- Definition: 90-day non-promo average.
- If more than 63 days in 90 days were on promotion, Amazon include promo price.
- Deal programs require related to Was Price.
- Example: Lightning Deal/Best Deal for Events(Prime Day, Black Friday & Cyber Monday) → must be 5% lower than Was Price.
HAMP T30D (Historical 30-Day Price)
- Amazon tracks the lowest/average sale price in last 30 days, including promotional price.
- Controls eligibility for Prime Exclusive Discounts, Coupons, and Deal events.
- Your deal price must beat the HAMP T30D
T30 Non-Promotional Price
- Similar to HAMP T30D, but excludes deals (LD, BD, Prime Exclusive Discount, Coupon).
- Used especially for Prime Exclusive Discount validation.
- Rule: must be ≥5% lower than this baseline.
Min & Max Seller Allowed Price
- Internal guardrails.
- Protects you when using Automate Pricing or 3P repricers.
- If price goes outside range → Buy Box/Offer suppressed.
✅ Best practice:
- Set Min = your break-even + small buffer.
- Set Max = no more than 2–3x Your Price to avoid “High Price Error.”
3. Action Plan for Sellers
- Set a Realistic List Price early → gives Amazon a reference for strike-through.
- We suggest every seller set a 10~20% higer List Price compared to your normal price.
- Track Your Was Price before submitting deals → ensure eligibility.
- Make sure you don’t have to lower your price again before Big Events like Prime Day and BFCM
- Monitor HAMP T30D & T30 Non-Promo
- Don’t lower your non-promotional price eaisly, cause this will impact your Prime Exclusive Discount price.
- Always configure Min/Max Prices → safeguard against Buy Box suppression.
Conclusion
Amazon pricing operates as a complex system which uses rules and validation processes and historical checks to determine discount attractiveness and deal approval and Buy Box safety.
Master these price types, and you’ll:
- Create stronger deal eligibility
- Avoid “High Price Error” or deal rejections
- Boost conversions with authentic-looking discounts
