Amazon Coupons Just Changed for Peak Season: How the Nov 5 Cap (and 2025 Fees) Rewrite Your BFCM Math

What changed today (Nov 5, 2025) — and why it matters

• Coupon fees: $5 per coupon created + 2.5% of coupon-attributed sales, now capped at $2,000 per coupon. The cap applies to new coupons created on/after Nov 5. ^[1]
• Deals fees (since June 2, 2025): Best Deals & Lightning Deals charge $70/day + 1% of deal sales, variable fee capped at $2,000 per deal (Prime Day/Peak fees differ). ^[2]
• Operational tip: If you want existing coupons to benefit from today’s cap, disable and recreate them after Nov 5 (Amazon commonly ties new fee logic to “newly created” coupons). ^[3]

Show me the math: where coupons win (and where they don’t)

Key thresholds

• Per‑unit break‑even vs. the pre‑June 2025 model ($0.60/redemption) occurs when 2.5% × price = $0.60 ⇒ price ≈ $24. Below this, coupons are cheaper per unit than the old model. Above this, they’re more expensive until you hit the $2,000 cap. (Creator math based on Amazon’s current fee formula.) ^[5]
• Cap trigger: 2.5% × coupon sales = $2,000 ⇒ coupon‑attributed sales ≈ $80,000 per coupon. After this, your effective variable fee rate keeps dropping with every additional sale (the $5 setup fee becomes negligible at scale). ^[6]

Notes: Calculations exclude the customer‑funded discount budget and assume enough inventory/merchandising to support the volume. Deals require eligibility and specific discount minimums; Prime/Peak fees differ. ^[7]

How the Nov 5 cap changes your holiday playbook

1) Match promo type to price band and expected velocity

• Under ~$24 AOV products (merch, small accessories): coupons are cost‑efficient and simple to scale. ^[8]
• $25–$80 products: coupons can work if you push enough volume to approach the $2,000 cap; otherwise, test a short, high‑visibility Deal window (1% + $70/day) for better unit economics. ^[9]
• $80+ products: Deals typically out‑perform coupons on fees unless your coupon drives $80k+ sales per coupon (cap territory). ^[10]

2) Rebuild coupons today to inherit the cap

3) Budget promo fees alongside ad spend and creator payouts

• For creator‑led brands running Amazon Live/Influencer storefront pushes, layer your coupon/Deal fee math under the affiliate budget and expected paid traffic (PPC, off‑Amazon). For Prime Day 2025, Amazon temporarily doubled certain influencer/affiliate rates across 13 categories; watch for similar limited incentives around holiday events. ^[12]
• Operational bonus: Amazon recently allowed percentage‑off coupons to apply to up to five items per order — helpful for raising AOV when creators bundle picks. ^[13]

Creator‑focused plays you can ship this week

Global signals: expect similar caps beyond the U.S.

Amazon has been tweaking “vouchers” (the non‑U.S. cousin to coupons) with caps and lower variable rates in other regions. While structures differ by marketplace, today’s U.S. cap aligns with that broader trend. Always check your specific locale’s help pages. ^[16]

What others in the ecosystem are saying

• Amazon partner agencies and seller attorneys flagged the Nov 5 cap as a pre‑BFCM predictability win for high‑velocity campaigns — with the caveat that per‑unit costs remain higher on mid/high‑priced items unless you hit the cap. ^[17]
• Logistics and marketplace ops sources emphasize the “recreate after Nov 5” detail and cap mechanics ahead of Black Friday/Cyber Monday. ^[18]
• Seller news roundups echo the $2,000 coupon cap and note parallel fee tweaks (storage/MCF) that affect your holiday margin stack. ^[19]

Reality check: The cap doesn’t magically make coupons cheaper for all items. It rewards scale. For many creator brands, Deals will remain the primary lever for high‑ticket SKUs; coupons shine for low‑AOV, high‑velocity items and for filling gaps between Deal windows.

Action plan for creator‑led brands (48‑hour sprint)

Summary: The smart money move

As of Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the $2,000 coupon cap gives creator‑founders a clearer ceiling on promo fees — but it pays off only if you architect campaigns to hit it. Treat coupons as your low‑AOV scale play and Deals as your high‑AOV velocity play. Rebuild coupons today so they qualify, stack them with creator content that concentrates demand, and keep your model handy: 2.5% until $80k sales, then you’re riding the cap.