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Amazon Lightning Deal & Best Deal Complete Guide
Lightning Deal (LD) and Best Deal (BD, a seven-day promotion) are the two most important on-Amazon promotions. Understanding the eligibility rules is the first step to a successful application.
Lightning Deal (LD) eligibility:
• The product must have at least one review, whatever the star rating
• The product rating must be 3.0 stars or above
• It must be fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)
• The listing must be at least 30 days old
• The condition must be New - used products cannot run deals
• You must accept the discount Amazon recommends, usually 15%-40% off
• An LD fee applies, $150-$500 per run depending on category and timing
• For 30 days after the promotion the price cannot drop below the deal price
Best Deal / 7-Day Deal (BD) eligibility:
• Broadly the same conditions as an LD
• Duration: seven consecutive days
• Fee: $300 per run, different in some categories
• Suggested discount: 15%-30% off
• BD is not open to every seller - it comes by account manager invitation, or through a recommendation in Seller Central
• Some established sellers can create a BD themselves in Seller Central
How deal recommendations work:
Amazon recommends products for deals on these signals:
• Sales performance and BSR over the past 30 days
• Historical sales trend - products on a steady uptrend come first
• Inventory stock is sufficient (150+ units)
• Review count and star rating
• A competitive price
• Brand Registry status - registered brands get recommended first
Tips for winning more deal recommendations:
• Keep sales and BSR steady
• Hold a rating above 4.0 stars
• Keep enough inventory: more than 200 units in FBA
• coupons and advertising run continuously
• Check your deal recommendations in Seller Central regularly
Choosing the right deal type and timing is what maximises a promotion's effect.
Choosing between LD and BD :
| Dimension | LD (Lightning Deal) | BD (7-Day Deal) | |------|-----------|--------------| | Duration | 4-6 hours | 7 days | | Fee | $150-$500 | $300 | | Traffic peak | Very high, but brief | Steady across 7 days | | Ranking lift | Fast but short-lived | Steady and longer lasting | | Best suited to | Products with strong reviews and conversion | New products, or ones needing sustained exposure | | Inventory needed | 150-500 units | 300-1,000 units |
Choosing the deal timing:
• Best time of day for an LD: start between 1pm and 3pm Eastern Time, which covers the US shopping peak
• Best weekdays for an LD: Tuesday to Thursday (traffic is lighter on Monday and Friday)
• Best week for a BD: a full week at or just after mid-month
• Avoid competitor deal days: check whether similar products are also running a deal that day
• Seasonal timing: run a deal 1-2 weeks before peak season to grab ranking
Designing the discount depth:
• The discount price the system recommends is usually the best choice, because it is optimised from historical data
• Suggested discount depth:
- High AOV ($50+): 20%-30% off
- Mid AOV ($20-$50): 25%-35% off
- Low AOV (under $20): 30%-40% OFF
• Too shallow a discount hurts the deal's exposure and results
• Too deep a discount can trigger price protection, i.e. a new lowest-price record
Suggested deal cadence:
• Launch phase: start trying BD in month two, once you have enough reviews and sales behind you
• Growth phase: alternate one LD and one BD each month
• Mature phase: a quarterly LD + BD combination, used heavily during major sale events
• Clearance phase: back-to-back BDs, or Amazon Outlet
Thorough preparation is what makes a deal succeed. Deals thrown together at the last minute rarely perform.
Pre-deal checklist for the 30 days before:
T-30 days:
□ Check your deal recommendations (Seller Central → Advertising → Deals)
□ Assess whether the product and inventory suit a deal
□ Set the deal strategy and KPI targets
T-21 days:
□ Submit the deal application
□ Arrange enough FBA inventory to be checked in
□ Optimise the listing: title, images and A+ content
T-14 days:
□ Confirm the deal time and price are approved
□ Check whether competitors have deal plans too
□ Prepare the ad adjustment plan
T-7 days:
□ Check that the inventory has finished checking in
□ Set the ad budget for the deal window
□ Prepare the off-Amazon promotion plan, such as a social media push
T-1 day:
□ Confirm the final deal status
□ Check that the product page is working
□ Make sure the customer service team is ready
Calculating deal inventory:
Recommended inventory for a deal = average daily sales × deal days × a 2-3x uplift factor + safety stock
Example: 20 orders a day, a 6-hour LD counted as one day, uplift factor of 3
= 20 × 1 × 3 + 50 = 110 units (stock 150 or more)
What to focus on during the deal:
• Watch sales and ranking closely in the first hour
• Adjust PPC bids - conversion rates run higher during a deal, so a modest increase is fine
• Monitor how fast inventory is draining so you do not sell out mid-deal
• Watch buyer questions and reviews; traffic is heavy during a deal and so is the question volume
• Review the results once the deal ends and adjust the strategy
Analysing the results after a deal is the key to making the next one work better.
Deal performance metrics:
• Sales attainment: actual sales ÷ target sales × 100%
• Ranking improvement: the change in BSR before and after the deal
• Review growth: new reviews and the rating change during the deal
• Ad performance: ACoS and ad conversion rate during the deal
• ROI: (incremental profit from the deal - costs) ÷ total costs
Tracking the 30 days after the deal:
• Days 1-7: watch whether BSR slips back
• Days 7-14: check that organic ranking holds at the improved position
• Days 14-30: assess the deal's effect on long-term sales and brand recognition
• After day 30: compare average daily sales and profit before and after the deal
Why deals commonly fail:
• The discount is too shallow for shoppers to notice
• Not enough inventory, so the deal is pulled midway
• The listing converts poorly - title, images and reviews were never optimised
• A competitor ran a deeper discount on the same day
• The ad strategy was not adjusted in time to make the most of the traffic
• The deal slot was badly chosen and missed the traffic peak
Deal retrospective template:
After every deal, record the following:
• Product details and the deal type
• Discount depth and fee
• Units sold and revenue
• Ranking change, before, during and after the deal
• Profit impact: net profit after every cost
• Lessons learned and what to change
The questions and misconceptions that come up most often with deals. Knowing them in advance keeps you out of trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: Can an LD be ended early?
A: Yes, but it is better not to. If you cancel or end an LD once it has started, Amazon records it as an incomplete deal, which hurts your future deal recommendations.
Q: What happens if inventory sells out during an LD?
A: The LD ends automatically and shows as claimed. You cannot top up inventory mid-deal, so prepare more than enough.
Q: Can a BD or LD discount stack with a coupon?
A: No. LD and BD are special promotions and coupons are paused automatically for the duration. Prime Exclusive Discounts can stack with coupons.
Q: How long must the deal price be held after the deal ends?
A: The deal price is a promotional price, so you can return to the normal price once the deal ends. But the lowest price during the deal counts toward the 90-day low, which becomes the reference for future deal discounts.
Q: Why am I not getting deal recommendations?
A: Recommendations weigh sales, reviews, inventory and price. Improving BSR, holding a rating above 4.0 stars and keeping sufficient FBA inventory all raise your chances.
Deal pitfall checklist:
• Do not cancel approved deals repeatedly - it can restrict your ability to apply
• Do not change the listing title or main image during a deal, which can hurt how the deal displays
• Pause coupons and promo codes three days before the deal so shopper price expectations stay clean
• Do not raise PPC bids sharply during a deal; the deal already brings in enough traffic
• Do not run an LD and a BD on the same product in the same week; the two dilute each other
• Before the deal, check the product page has A+ content and video, because a fuller page converts better
© 2026 Ylishi Tools - the in-depth Amazon seller guide series
Data sources: The official Amazon US fee schedule (Amazon Seller Central) and the Amazon Logistics (FBA) fee rate pages.
Calculation logic: Calculated from Amazon's published FBA fee rules for storage, fulfillment and return processing. Actual fees vary with product dimensions, weight and season.
Reference links:
• Amazon FBA fee schedule
• Amazon FBA fulfillment fee rates
Disclaimer: These results are for reference only; the actual fees charged in Amazon Seller Central govern.
See our fee cards & rate comparison boards on Pinterest.