Amazon Lightning Deals vs Prime Exclusive Deals | All Your Questions Answered

There are two ways to boost sales on Amazon: Lightning Deals, and Prime Exclusive Deals. You’ve certainly heard about these tools. If not, here’s a quick rundown:

• Amazon Lightning Deals - Promotions that are only active for a limited time
• Prime Exclusive - Unique discounts for Amazon Prime subscribers

Both are great marketing features for Amazon sellers. Running Prime Exclusives or Lightning Deals will improve conversions and drive revenue. Yet, some brands may wonder which fits better with their stores. Don’t fret, we’re here to put your mind at ease. Today, we’ll review the ins and outs of Amazon Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Deals. Read on, if you want to know how to entice your customers!

What are Amazon Lightning Deals?

Amazon Lighting Deals are unique, but time-limited product discounts. They usually run for 4-6 hours in the marketplace. You can find Amazon Lighting Deals on the ‘Today’s deals’ page. This is where users can find unique discounts on almost every product category. Amazon offers Lighting Deals on a daily basis, and by the thousands. But they are limited to one deal per customer (and per seller), until every item gets claimed.

Watch this video to learn more.

Who is Eligible to Create Lightning Deals?

As with many Amazon features, brands must earn the use of Lightning Deals. First off, only Professional Sellers with a 3.5 rating are eligible to use Lightning Deals. Plus, Amazon also expects great ASIN offers from Lightning Deals. Here are the product requirements you must follow: 

• 3-star product rating. You should also have Prime shipment for all regions in your selling territory.
• Non-restricted products. Go to the ‘Advertising’ tab in Seller Central to review all eligible items.

• Available stock. Make sure you have more than 20 units in storage. Amazon could cancel the deal if they determine that you can’t meet customer demand.
• Product choices. Include several item variants so customers get a range of choices.

• At least a 15% discount. The offer should undercut the previous month’s lowest discount.

How to Set Up Lightning Deals on Amazon

If you meet all the requirements, now it’s time to create your first Lightning Deal. And don’t worry, the process is quite simple. Let’s take a look:

• Sign in to Seller Central. Go to ‘Advertising’ and click on ‘Create a new deal’.
• Create the deal. Choose an eligible product. Then, submit the timeframe, discount, product variations and quantities for the deal
• Wait for approval. Amazon has the final word on Lightning Deals.

Regarding costs, Amazon does request a fee to run lightning deals. They calculate the rate based on item demand, seasonality or holiday sales.

What Are Prime Exclusive Deals? 

Amazon Prime is the retail giant’s flagship program. The concept is simple: customers pay an annual fee. This gives them free two-day delivery on their purchases for a whole year. This perk alone encourages Prime subscribers to search for the best offers on Amazon.

This is what makes Prime Exclusive Deals so appealing to sellers. Prime Exclusive Deals are unique offers for Amazon Prime Subscribers. Eligible sellers can set a minimum discount for their product. This cut-off is then displayed in Amazon search, and also in the Buy Box. Plus, Prime Exclusive Deals also get a special badge during Prime Day.

Who is Eligible to Create Prime Exclusive Deals?

Only FBA sellers are eligible for Prime Exclusive Discounts. Plus, items should also meet the following criteria:

• US Shipping. Sellers should have Prime Shipping enabled for all US regions.
• 3-Star Product Rating. Products with no rating are also eligible for Prime Exclusive Deals.
• Brand New Products Only. Used products will not be eligible. Also, make sure the item complies with Amazon’s customer product reviews policies.
• Non-restricted Products. Amazon will ban any deal featuring dangerous or inappropriate goods. 
• 10%-80% Discount. The pricing should be lower than any discount offered over the past 30 days. 

How to Set Up Prime Exclusive Deals

The process to create Prime Exclusive Deals is a bit manual, but easy to complete. Here are the steps that sellers must complete:

• Go to Seller Central. Open the ‘Advertising’ tab and select Prime Exclusive Discounts.
• Download the product template. Write down the item and pricing details in the Discount Upload template. 

Include the following:

• SKU
• Percentage off vs. amount off
• Price discount
• Minimum discounted price
• Set up the discount. 
• Click on “Create Discount”. Then, name the offer, and submit a start and end date for the deal.
• Finally, upload the spreadsheet.

Now, you’ll go to the “Review” page. Here, take the time to validate each deal carefully. Amazon will flag any product deemed invalid for a Prime Exclusive Discount. In such cases, you can edit Discount Type, Minimum Price, and Discount Amount to solve the issue. Once all set up, you can submit the discount. Amazon will then approve and schedule the deal to go live.

Amazon Prime Day Lightning Deals

Amazon Lighting Deals can become Prime Exclusive Deals during Prime Day. But merchants should meet the following requisites to offer Prime Day lightning deals:

• 3.5-Star Product Rating. You must also follow Amazon’s rules for product presentation.
• At Least a 20% Discount. Prime Day expects sellers to undercut their lowest price (of the previous month) by 10%.
• Lowest Pricing. The offer should boast the lowest discount of the running year.

Are Amazon Deals Worth It?

In a word, yes. Both Prime Exclusive Deals and Amazon Lightning Deals are great tools to convert new buyers. You get the opportunity to drive sales and boost visibility. But those are only two of the benefits sellers can reap from such offers. Let’s look at some of the great perks around Amazon Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Deals:

Dedicated Landing Page

Lightning Deals only appear on Amazon’s “Today’s Deals” page. It’s an exclusive section where customers can find the best offers in the marketplace. Users are always on the lookout for special deals. That’s why Amazon created a unique place to find the best discounts at hand. That means more potential buyers will see your products. Besides, some may want to go deeper into your product catalog.

Product Launches

Sellers can use Amazon deals to plan for a new product launch. It’s a cost-effective way to boost visibility and generate feedback. For example, you can take advantage of Prime Day to launch a new item. Then, flag it as a Prime Exclusive Discount. This way, more customers will see the offer in a short time frame. If the product is appealing to users, some will return with positive reviews. This strategy will boost the product’s rank in the long-term.

Remove Excess Inventory

Excess stock translates to profit losses and long-term storage fees. Why not use Lightning Deals to ease the load? This is a good strategy to remove unsold stock from the warehouse. At the same time, you can still make a profit from the discounted sales.

Exclusivity

At its heart, Amazon Prime is a loyalty program. And Prime Exclusive Deals are a great example of loyalty to customers. During Prime Day, subscribes can enjoy Prime Early Access Deals. This means Prime users get to review Prime Exclusive Deals half an hour before they go live. Plus, many Prime members only buy products featuring the Prime badge. So, sellers get a unique opportunity to stay ahead of the competition and to secure more sales.

Final Thoughts

Customers expect great product offers from Amazon. Prime Exclusive and Lighting Deals rank amongst the best bargains in the marketplace. So, the more you can do to appeal to Amazon users, the better. Each tool in its own right could be the turning point you need to jumpstart conversions on Amazon. The trick is to include such Deals in your marketing strategy; 74% of item searches start off on Amazon US, after all. (source) In the end, it doesn't matter which one you choose, or if you go with both options. When used properly, Prime Exclusive Deals and Lightning Deals can be a seller’s best allies.