The month of June 2025 has seen Amazon roll out a series of significant platform rule and policy updates. These changes span five key areas: tax compliance, promotional policies, inventory management, account security, and consumer experience. Several of these new rules have already taken effect, and failure to adapt could substantially impact your operations.
This guide consolidates the core changes into five critical points to help sellers quickly understand and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Comprehensive Tightening of Tax and Compliance Oversight
In response to evolving tax compliance requirements across the European Union, Amazon's Italian marketplace has implemented a new guarantee deposit system effective June 2025. Non-EU sellers are now required to provide a deposit starting from €50,000, which remains valid for 36 months. Furthermore, tax representatives must post guarantees ranging from €30,000 to €2 million, depending on their client volume, and submit bank guarantees. While Amazon does not advise on whether to pay, it cautions that a seller's VAT status could be revoked if their service provider fails to meet these new financial obligations.
Concurrently, starting July 13th, Amazon will only accept product test reports issued by accredited compliance laboratories. Laboratories found to be non-compliant will be blacklisted, and sellers using their services will be unable to pass necessary compliance checks. To strengthen platform integrity, Amazon has also begun implementing a video identity verification process to combat fake registrations, suspicious IP logins, and illegal operating practices.
Major Changes to Promotion Tools and Fee Structures
June 2025 brought a restructuring of how Amazon charges for its promotional tools. Since June 2nd, coupon fees are calculated using a dual-structure model:
- US Marketplace: A $5 fixed fee per coupon, plus a variable fee of 2.5% of the sales value generated by the coupon.
- European Marketplaces: A €2.5 fixed fee per coupon, plus a variable fee of 0.5% of the sales value.
For Best Deals (BD) lightning deals, sellers can now only schedule activities for one day per week. Although the platform technically allows a promotion period of up to 14 days, the system dynamically limits the actual duration based on category popularity. In some high-demand categories, deals may be restricted to just one day or become completely unavailable for application.
Additionally, Prime Day 2025 is scheduled for July 8th to 11th, marking its first extension to a four-day event across major marketplaces like the US, Japan, Germany, and the UK. Sellers are advised to prepare their activity inventory, promotional cadence, and listing optimizations well in advance to capitalize on this significant traffic surge.
Adjustments to Inventory and Listing Strategies
To optimize logistics costs and platform efficiency, Amazon updated its Pan-European (Pan-EU) FBA program requirements effective June 25th. For new ASINs to be included in the program, sellers must now list them not only in the core countries of Germany, France, Italy, and Spain but also simultaneously list them on the Dutch marketplace and maintain a sellable status. Existing ASINs already in the program will lose their Pan-EU status if this synchronization is not completed.
Simultaneously, the platform is internally advancing a listing cleanup initiative codenamed "Bend the Curve." This effort, led by CEO Andy Jassy, aims to reduce the number of active product listings from 74 billion to 50 billion, potentially resulting in the removal of up to 24 billion underperforming ASINs. The goal is to lessen system burden and improve search efficiency. Sellers should proactively optimize their product pages and clear out stagnant SKUs to improve their listings' chances of survival.
Changes to Buyer Experience Mechanisms
To enhance purchase decision quality and control return costs, Amazon's German and Italian marketplaces began adjusting return policies for certain product categories starting June 23rd:
- The previous 30-day voluntary return guarantee has been canceled.
- It has been replaced with a 14-day return request period, followed by a 14-day period to physically return the item.
This change initially applies to electronics, cameras, and computer products but is set to expand to include books, toys, software, and more categories starting July 23rd.
Furthermore, some Amazon-owned product pages have started displaying a "Final Sale – No Returns" label, indicating these items are sold as-is with no return or exchange options. This policy currently applies to products sold by Amazon and Vendor Central (VC) accounts. It remains to be seen if it will be extended to third-party sellers. All sellers should monitor these policy developments and ensure their product detail pages contain clear and accurate return instructions.
Operational Tool Adjustments for Sellers
Amazon is continuously optimizing its backend tools. The "Amazon Posts" brand content tool will be permanently discontinued on July 31, 2025. This service previously allowed brands to push social-style content via images and videos but is being retired due to declining usage and interface changes, rendering it no longer viable for promotion.
Conversely, the platform has launched a valuable ASIN-level Demographics feature within Seller Central. This allows brand-registered sellers to view consumer data such as age, income, education level, and marital status. A new "Place of Purchase" analysis feature has also been added, breaking down sales by zip code, city, and state, empowering sellers to make more informed decisions regarding inventory allocation and pricing strategies.
The "Buyer Comments" feature, which was previously used to contact buyers who left negative reviews, will also officially be retired on September 30th. It will be replaced by the "Voice of the Customer" dashboard, which provides satisfaction rating analytics but does not support direct communication. This shift emphasizes the need for sellers to proactively minimize negative feedback through superior customer service and product quality from the outset.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum deposit required for non-EU sellers on Amazon Italy?
Non-EU sellers on Amazon Italy are now subject to a guarantee deposit starting from €50,000. This deposit is valid for a period of 36 months and is a mandatory requirement for VAT compliance under the new rules.
How has the coupon fee structure changed?
The new structure combines a fixed fee with a variable fee. In the US, it's a $5 fixed fee plus 2.5% of the sales value. In Europe, it's a €2.5 fixed fee plus 0.5% of the sales value generated by the coupon.
What are the new Pan-EU FBA requirements?
To qualify for the Pan-EU program, new ASINs must be listed and kept in stock not only in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain but also now in the Netherlands. Existing ASINs risk removal from the program if they do not meet this new requirement.
What is the "Bend the Curve" initiative?
It is an internal Amazon project aimed significantly reducing the total number of active product listings on the platform to improve system performance and search relevance for customers by removing underperforming ASINs.
What is replacing the "Buyer Comments" feature?
The "Buyer Comments" feature is being phased out and replaced by the "Voice of the Customer" dashboard. This new tool provides insights into customer satisfaction levels but does not allow for direct contact with individual buyers.
How can I prepare for these changes?
Staying informed is key. Regularly review official Amazon announcements, audit your listings for compliance and performance, adjust your promotional budgeting for new fee structures, and ensure your tax documentation and business information are up-to-date. 👉 Get advanced methods for staying compliant
Conclusion: Navigating the Dual Upgrade of Compliance and Operations
From financial guarantee policies and promotional mechanics to identity verification and listing governance, Amazon's June 2025 updates represent a comprehensive upgrade focused on compliance, security, and efficiency. This signifies a strategic pivot in platform governance from rapid expansion to sustainable quality improvement. Sellers must keep pace with these changes by preparing necessary documentation, synchronizing product information across required marketplaces, and refining their operational tactics to mitigate account risks and prevent potential sales losses.