Amazon tightens List Price verification on April 23 and recalculates Typical Price on May 18. Sellers running inflated reference prices or persistent coupons risk losing strike-through pricing, which can drop conversions 15-20%.
Reference pricing is the "List Price" or "Typical Price" Amazon displays alongside your current selling price. When your selling price is lower, Amazon shows a strike-through (crossed-out) reference price, creating a visual "savings" cue. This drives 15-20% higher conversion rates compared to listings without strike-through pricing.
Amazon will only display your List Price if it meets one of two conditions: the product was sold at that price by another retailer within the last 90 days, or at least one unit was purchased on Amazon at that price as a Featured Offer within the last 90 days. If neither condition is met, the List Price and strike-through disappear.
If your product has been priced below the non-promotional median for more than 50% of the last 90 days, Amazon stops excluding promotional sales from the Typical Price calculation. All sales get factored in, pulling the Typical Price down to match your actual selling pattern, which eliminates the strike-through.
Recovery takes a minimum of 90 days. Amazon needs 90 days of sales data at a higher price to establish a new reference point. During that period, your listing shows only the current price with no visual discount cue, which can significantly impact conversion rates and PPC performance.
If you have been running persistent coupons or promotions on the same ASINs for more than 45 days, you should pause them before May 18 to protect your reference price. The new rules specifically target products that are perpetually discounted, treating them as having a lower true price rather than being genuinely on sale.
Antoine founded Nova Analytics to empower Amazon sellers with enterprise-grade analytics. He specializes in data architecture and building scalable solutions for e-commerce businesses.
Amazon is tightening how it calculates and displays reference prices (the "List Price" and "Typical Price" that create strike-through pricing on product detail pages). Two deadlines are approaching. On April 23, 2026, new verification rules kick in for List Price. On May 18, 2026, Amazon changes how it calculates Typical Price for products running persistent promotions.
If your listings currently show a strike-through price (the crossed-out "was $X.XX" next to your current price), these changes could remove it. And once it disappears, you're looking at a 90-day recovery window before Amazon recalculates your reference price.
The PPC community is already sounding the alarm. Listings without strike-through pricing historically convert 15 to 20% lower on average, according to analysis shared by PPC Land. That's not just a cosmetic change. It's a direct hit to your advertising ROI.
The Numbers You Need to Know
Conversion Drop Risk
15-20%
Average conversion decrease without strike-through pricing
Recovery Window
90 days
Minimum time to reset Typical Price after stopping discounts
First Deadline
April 23
List Price verification rules take effect
Two Deadlines, Two Different Changes
Key Dates & Deadlines
April 23
List Price verification starts
List Price must be verifiable: sold at that price by another retailer recently, OR purchased as Featured Offer at that price on Amazon.
May 18
Typical Price recalculation
If your product sells below non-promotional median for 50%+ of the last 90 days, ALL sales (including promo) count toward the new median.
Why This Matters
Amazon is cracking down on inflated List Prices and persistent discounting strategies that make products appear permanently "on sale." If you've been setting a high List Price that doesn't match actual retail pricing, or running coupons and promotions continuously, your strike-through pricing is at risk.
How List Price Verification Works (April 23)
Starting April 23, Amazon will only display your List Price as a reference price if it meets one of two conditions:
1.Cross-retailer verification: the product was sold at the List Price by another retailer (Target, Walmart, brand DTC site) within the last 90 days
2.Amazon purchase history: at least one unit was purchased on Amazon at the List Price as a Featured Offer within the last 90 days
If neither condition is met, Amazon removes the List Price from the product detail page entirely. No more strike-through. Your listing shows only the current price with no visual discount cue.
Amazon's Own Example
Amazon's documentation uses a sneaker priced at $120 List Price. If the sneaker hasn't been sold by any retailer at $120 in the last 90 days, and no Amazon customer bought it at $120 as a Featured Offer, the $120 strike-through disappears. The listing just shows the current selling price.
How Typical Price Changes Work (May 18)
This one is more subtle but potentially more damaging. Amazon calculates a "Typical Price" based on the median selling price over a rolling 90-day window, excluding promotional sales. This Typical Price is what creates the "Was $X.XX" strike-through when your current price is lower.
Starting May 18, if your product has been priced below the non-promotional median for more than 50% of the 90-day window, Amazon stops excluding promotional sales from the median calculation. All sales, promotional or not, get factored in. This pulls the Typical Price down to match your actual selling pattern, and the strike-through disappears.
The Trap: 90-Day Recovery
Once the Typical Price resets, you can't just raise your price and get the strike-through back immediately. Amazon needs 90 days of sales data at the higher price to establish a new reference point. That's three months without strike-through pricing on your listing.
Before vs. After: What Changes for Sellers
Aspect
Before April 23/May 18
After New Rules
List Price display
Seller sets any List Price, Amazon usually displays it
Must be verified at a real retailer or purchased on Amazon
Persistent coupons
Promotional sales excluded from Typical Price calc
If below median 50%+ of 90 days, all sales count
Strike-through recovery
Could adjust pricing and see changes within days
90-day minimum to re-establish reference price
Price perception
Many listings show "savings" even during permanent sales
Strike-through only appears for genuine discounts
PPC conversion
Strike-through boosts click-through by 15-20%
Listings losing strike-through will see conversion drops
How Does This Affect Your PPC Performance?
Strike-through pricing is one of the strongest conversion signals on Amazon. When a shopper sees "Was $39.99, Now $29.99," they're significantly more likely to click and buy. Remove that visual cue, and your entire advertising funnel takes a hit.
Without Strike-Through
15-20% lower conversion rate
Higher ACoS on Sponsored Products
Lower organic rank over time
Reduced click-through from search results
With Valid Strike-Through
Strong price-value perception
Better ACoS and ROAS
Higher organic velocity
Competitive advantage vs. Listings without it
Monitor your conversion rates before and after the April 23 deadline using Nova's Brand History Inspector. If you see a drop on specific ASINs, that's your signal that the strike-through was removed and you need to adjust your pricing strategy.
What You Should Do Now
1
Audit your List Prices immediately
Check every ASIN where you've set a List Price. Can you verify that price at another retailer? Has anyone purchased at that price on Amazon in the last 90 days? If not, your strike-through will disappear on April 23. Use Nova's Product Feed to identify at-risk listings.
2
Review your coupon and promotion history
If you've been running persistent coupons or Lightning Deals on the same ASINs for more than 45 days, you're likely triggering the Typical Price recalculation on May 18. Pause promotions now to protect your reference price before the new rules take effect.
3
Set up conversion tracking by ASIN
Track conversion rates at the ASIN level using Nova's Daily Performance dashboard. When the rules change, you'll see exactly which products lost their strike-through based on conversion drops.
4
Adjust PPC bids for affected listings
If you lose strike-through on key ASINs, your conversion rate will drop. That means your current bid levels will produce worse ROAS. Use PPC Analytics to adjust bids proactively rather than waiting for wasted spend to accumulate.
5
Consider strategic price increases
For products where you want to maintain strike-through long-term, consider temporarily selling at a higher "regular" price for 90 days to establish a legitimate reference point. Then discount from there. Use P&L tracking to ensure the temporary price still supports healthy margins.
Pro Tip: The DTC Strategy
If you sell on your own website at a higher price, that sale counts as cross-retailer verification for your Amazon List Price. Sellers with DTC channels have a built-in advantage under the new rules. Make sure your DTC pricing is higher than your Amazon price and documented.
Who Benefits From These Changes?
Not everyone loses. These changes actually create opportunities for sellers who play by the rules:
Winners Under the New Rules
Brand-registered sellers with DTC sites can verify List Prices through their own retail channels
Sellers with genuine seasonal sales keep strike-through because their discounts are real and temporary
Private label brands that maintain stable pricing get a visual advantage over competitors who lose their strike-through
Agencies running multiple brands can systematically audit pricing across portfolios using multi-client dashboards
How to Monitor the Impact With Nova
The key to navigating these changes is visibility. You need to know which products are affected, when the strike-through disappears, and how it impacts your bottom line.
→Brand History Inspector tracks conversion rate changes at the ASIN level. When a listing loses its strike-through, the conversion drop shows up immediately
→P&L Dashboard shows margin changes from pricing adjustments and helps you model different pricing strategies
→Winners & Losers identifies which products are declining in performance after the rule changes
→Custom Analytics lets you build reports that correlate pricing changes with conversion and revenue impact
For agencies managing multiple brands, Nova's dashboard gives you portfolio-wide visibility into which clients are most exposed to these changes. Prioritize your audit based on data, not guesswork.
Key Takeaway
Amazon's reference pricing crackdown hits in two waves: List Price verification on April 23, and Typical Price recalculation on May 18. Sellers running inflated List Prices or persistent promotions risk losing strike-through pricing, which can drop conversion rates 15-20%. The 90-day recovery window means you can't fix it quickly once it's gone. Audit your pricing now, pause persistent coupons on vulnerable ASINs, and use Nova's analytics to track the impact at the SKU level.
