California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a preliminary injunction on February 24, 2026 seeking to stop what he calls Amazon's "price-fixing scheme." New evidence from discovery alleges Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy punished sellers who offered lower prices on other platforms, artificially inflating prices across the entire economy. The full trial is set for 2027.
Injunction filed
California AG seeks immediate halt to Fair Pricing Policy enforcement
Full trial date
Antitrust case goes to trial in California
Policy still active
Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy remains in effect pending court decision
What's Happening
The California Attorney General's office has filed for a preliminary injunction ahead of a 2027 trial, arguing that Amazon can't be allowed to continue its alleged price-fixing practices while the case plays out. The filing includes new evidence obtained through discovery that wasn't available when the original lawsuit was filed.
According to the California AG's official press release, Amazon's "Fair Pricing Policy" penalizes sellers who list products at lower prices on competing platforms like Walmart, Target, or their own websites. Sellers who violate this policy lose Buy Box eligibility, get suppressed in search results, or face account warnings.
The Core Allegation
The AG argues this isn't just about Amazon's marketplace. By preventing sellers from offering lower prices anywhere else, Amazon effectively sets a price floor across the entire retail economy. Consumers pay more everywhere because sellers can't undercut Amazon's prices without being penalized on the platform where they make most of their sales.
How Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy Works
Here's the mechanism the AG is challenging:
| Seller Action | Amazon's Response | Economic Effect |
|---|
| List product at $25 on own website | Buy Box removed on Amazon | Seller raises price back to $30 everywhere |
| Offer $5 coupon on Walmart | Listing suppressed in search | Seller removes Walmart discount |
| Run a sale on Shopify store | Account warning issued | Seller matches Amazon price on all channels |
Amazon's US Market Share
~40%
Of all US e-commerce sales
Sellers Affected
2M+
Active US third-party sellers
Consumer Impact
Billions
In alleged inflated prices annually
How This Differs from Germany's Ruling
Germany's Bundeskartellamt fined Amazon for suppressing listings with prices it deemed "too high" on Amazon.de. California's case is the opposite angle: it alleges Amazon punishes sellers for pricing "too low" on other platforms. Germany was about on-platform price control. California is about cross-platform price-fixing with economy-wide effects.
What This Means for Sellers
Right now, nothing changes operationally. Amazon's Fair Pricing Policy remains active. But if the injunction is granted, sellers could gain freedom to price independently on other channels without fear of Amazon penalties. That would be a shift for multi-channel sellers.
What You Should Do Now
Action Items
- Don't change pricing strategy yet: the Fair Pricing Policy is still enforced. Lowering prices on other channels could still trigger penalties
- Document pricing constraints: keep records of any instances where you've had to raise prices on other platforms to avoid Amazon penalties
- Monitor the case: If the injunction is granted, you'll want to move quickly on multi-channel pricing optimization
- Prepare multi-channel analytics: Set up tracking across all your sales channels so you're ready to optimize when restrictions lift
Pro Tip: Prepare for Multi-Channel Freedom
If this injunction succeeds, the sellers who benefit most will be those already set up for multi-channel selling with clean data across platforms. Start building your off-Amazon presence now. When pricing restrictions lift, you'll have distribution channels ready to capture margin.
How Nova Helps
Nova's P&L Dashboard tracks your Amazon margins in real time. When you're evaluating pricing strategies across channels, having precise cost data is essential. You need to know your true Amazon margins before you can determine optimal pricing elsewhere.
Use Custom Analytics to model different pricing scenarios and understand how channel-specific pricing could impact your overall profitability. Day-to-Day Performance tracking helps you spot any Buy Box or search ranking changes that might signal Fair Pricing Policy enforcement.
Bottom Line
This case could fundamentally change how sellers price products across channels. If California wins, the era of Amazon dictating pricing across the entire retail ecosystem could end. For now, keep your pricing compliant but start preparing your multi-channel strategy. The sellers who are ready when restrictions lift will capture the most value.
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