MAP Pricing Enforcement: What Amazon Sellers Need to Know

Getting flagged for violating MAP pricing on Amazon isn’t just annoying – it can get your listings pulled, your supplier relationship cut, or worse, your account suspended.

The tricky part? Amazon doesn’t enforce MAP – brands do. And they’re watching. One automated price drop or sloppy supplier feed is all it takes to trigger enforcement. Whether you're selling wholesale, doing online arbitrage, or running dropshipping, understanding MAP rules is no longer optional.

This post breaks down how MAP works, how to avoid violations, and what to do if you get hit – so you can protect your account and your margins.

What Is MAP Pricing and Why It Matters

MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price – the lowest price a brand allows you to publicly show for their product. It doesn’t control what you actually sell the product for behind the scenes – only what the customer sees on the product detail page.

For example: if the MAP for a Bluetooth speaker is $39.99, both your standard price and sale price must be above that number – even if Amazon lets you set a lower price. Selling it for $36.99 using a coupon or direct offer may be fine, but publicly advertising that price would still violate MAP.

Why this matters to sellers

You might list without knowing MAP exists

Many resellers unknowingly list MAP-restricted products from wholesale or OA sources without being told there are pricing restrictions – until they get hit with a violation.

Your repricer could break the rules for you

Most repricers don’t automatically account for MAP unless configured to – which means your listing could dip below MAP without you realizing it.

Your supplier might not disclose MAP policy

Some distributors or dropshippers leave out MAP requirements entirely – putting the legal risk and penalties on you, not them.

You can get penalized even without brand approval

Even if you aren’t an authorized seller, brands often track all listings for MAP enforcement and can report violations to Amazon or send legal notices.

MAP Pricing ≠ Amazon’s Minimum Pricing Rules

Many Amazon resellers confuse brand-set MAP policies with Amazon’s internal pricing rules – but they’re completely different systems. MAP is enforced by brands. Amazon’s rules are enforced by Amazon. And they don’t always align.

MAP is set by brands, not Amazon

MAP is a manufacturer’s policy that dictates the lowest price you’re allowed to display publicly. If you go lower, the brand can flag you, issue a cease-and-desist, or even get your listing removed – but Amazon itself won’t stop you from listing below MAP.

Amazon’s minimum price rules are about fees – not MAP

Amazon enforces minimum price validation to protect itself from losing money on referral fees. For example, your listing price must be higher than the category’s minimum referral fee (often $0.50–$1.00), especially if you use Automate Pricing. If you go too low, Amazon may suppress the listing – but not because of MAP.

Sale price ≠ advertised price

You can sell below MAP using non-public discounts like coupons or promo codes. MAP only governs the visible list price – not private offers. But if your standard price or sale price fields in Seller Central are lower than MAP, the brand can take action.

MAP isn’t supported in some Amazon categories

Even if a brand sets MAP, Amazon disables MAP functionality (like hidden pricing) in entire categories, including:

• Baby
• Kitchen
• Health & Personal Care
• Sports & Outdoors
• Clothing & Accessories
• Shoes, Jewelry & Luggage

Amazon doesn’t always honor MAP on the frontend

Just because you enter a MAP value in your flat file or feed doesn’t mean Amazon will enforce it visually. In some categories like Electronics, Amazon may hide the price behind an “Add to Cart” button if it falls below MAP.

But in the categories where MAP isn’t supported Amazon ignores the MAP field entirely. That means even if your price violates MAP, it will still appear on the product page for everyone to see, and you won’t get a warning from Amazon.

However, brands can and will still monitor you, and may take action if your advertised price goes below their threshold – regardless of whether Amazon hides it or not.

What Happens If You Violate MAP

MAP violations aren’t always immediate account-killers – but the consequences stack up fast. Whether it’s your first offense or your fifth, brands have no tolerance for sellers who ignore pricing rules, and Amazon won't protect you if a violation reaches their radar.

Here's what you’re risking.

Cease-and-desist notices from brands

The first warning usually comes as a formal email from the brand or their legal team. It may demand that you raise your price, remove the listing, or stop selling the product entirely. Ignoring it increases the risk of escalated action.

Listing suppression or price errors

If the brand reports your violation to Amazon, or if Amazon detects pricing inconsistencies in your feed (like a sale price below MAP), your listing could be suppressed automatically. In some cases, it’ll show as a stranded inventory issue with Error 13007 or related feed rejection.

Permanent delisting from distributors

Some brands track repeat offenders and report MAP violations back to distributors, who may then block you from buying the product again – or terminate your account altogether. This happens even in wholesale relationships with no direct brand access.

Buy Box instability or complete loss

Even if you don’t get suppressed, violating MAP can trigger brand-controlled Buy Box strategies that push your offer out of rotation. In some cases, Amazon Retail may take over the listing and block third-party sellers entirely.

Legal risk if the brand decides to escalate

While rare, persistent MAP violations – especially when paired with unauthorized selling – can lead to real legal action. Brands may pursue injunctions, demand profit disgorgement, or take you to arbitration under the First Sale Doctrine challenge.

How to Stay Compliant Without Killing Your Margins

Staying MAP-compliant doesn’t mean giving up on profitability. It means adjusting your tools, your sourcing strategy, and your expectations – especially if you’re reselling branded products in categories where MAP enforcement is common. With a few smart systems in place, you can avoid violations without losing your edge.

Use repricers with MAP logic

Choose a repricer that supports MAP thresholds (e.g. Aura, BQool, or Seller Snap), and configure your minimum price settings accordingly. Some tools let you upload MAP values per SKU or block undercutting below MAP entirely.

Know where MAP fits into your sourcing strategy

If you're buying in bulk through brand distributors, they should be able to provide an official MAP policy from the brand. In MAP-heavy categories, having clear documentation protects you if something goes wrong. For online arbitrage and dropshipping, the best protection is avoiding brands known for aggressive MAP enforcement – and watching for red flags like sudden Buy Box suppression or brand-locked listings.

Create a MAP tag in your catalog

Track MAP-restricted products by tagging them inside your inventory management system or spreadsheet. This helps prevent accidental inclusion in blanket repricing rules or seasonal sales pushes.

Focus on non-MAP ASINs or multipacks

If compliance gets too risky, focus on brands that don’t enforce MAP – or create compliant multipacks that fall outside the brand’s pricing guidelines. This can give you pricing flexibility without direct violations, and you can always check your non-MAP ASINs.

What to Do If You Get a Violation (or Error 13007)

Whether you receive a brand’s cease-and-desist email or run into Amazon’s Error 13007 in your feed upload, MAP violations can be cleaned up – but only if you act fast. Here's how to handle both scenarios without making things worse.

If you get a cease-and-desist letter from a brand

• Don’t ignore it. Respond professionally, even if you think the claim is wrong.
• Remove the listing immediately if you're not 100% sure you're MAP-compliant.
• Check your source. If you bought from a distributor, ask them for proof of authorization or a current MAP policy.
• Respond with a neutral tone. Don’t admit fault – simply acknowledge receipt, confirm the listing has been removed (if applicable), and request clarification if needed.

Tip. Brands keep records. A respectful first response can make the difference between a one-time warning and a future legal threat.

If your listing is suppressed with Error 13007

• Error 13007 typically means your feed includes a MAP value that’s invalid or conflicts with your price. Here’s what to check:

• Make sure MAP is a positive number (e.g., 29.99, not 0 or blank).
• Verify that StandardPrice and SalePrice are both above the MAP value.
• Double-check that you’re not trying to submit MAP pricing in a restricted category (e.g., Baby, Health & Personal Care).

• Once corrected, resubmit your flat file, or reprice the ASIN manually through Seller Central to bring it above MAP.

If you're authorized but flagged anyway

• Keep documentation: invoices, supplier agreements, and MAP policy files
• Politely reach out to the brand with proof
• If needed, escalate through Amazon Brand Registry support (if you’re part of the brand’s authorized network).

Avoid MAP-Trouble ASINs – When to Walk Away

Sometimes the best way to stay MAP-compliant is to simply avoid products that aren’t worth the risk. Not every ASIN is a smart play – especially if it comes with aggressive brand monitoring, tight margins, or policy landmines.

Here’s when it’s better to walk away.

The brand is known for strict MAP enforcement

If a brand is infamous for issuing takedowns or aggressively tracking pricing, it’s not worth gambling your account. Look for ASINs with more flexible pricing behavior or multiple third-party sellers holding the Buy Box without suppression.

The margins don’t survive MAP restrictions

MAP-protected products often leave you with razor-thin profits after fees. If you can't price competitively and stay above MAP, you're better off reallocating capital to ASINs where you can win without breaking rules.

You can’t repackage or add value

If you’re not allowed to modify the offer (e.g., with a multipack), you’re stuck fighting on MAP terms. Without room to differentiate, you lose pricing control – and brand attention increases.

The distributor or supplier won’t give policy info

If you’re sourcing through wholesale and the supplier won’t provide MAP documentation, that’s a liability. If you're doing online arbitrage or dropshipping and you see aggressive pricing swings or listing lockouts, it’s a signal to move on.

Final Thoughts

MAP pricing enforcement isn’t something Amazon sellers can afford to ignore. Whether you’re in wholesale, online arbitrage, or dropshipping, one slip below MAP can mean listing suppression, strained supplier relationships, or even account suspension. Protecting your business starts with knowing the rules, setting up safeguards in your workflows, and choosing products that won’t put your margins or account health at risk.

That’s where Seller Assistant comes in. As an all-in-one Amazon wholesale workflow platform, it doesn’t just help you analyze price lists or check restrictions — it gives you end-to-end visibility and control over your sourcing and compliance pipeline. With tools like the Price List Analyzer and Bulk Restriction Checker, you can spot risky ASINs before they hit your catalog, while the IP-Alert Extension and Suppliers Database help you avoid policy landmines.

Seller Assistant automates and connects every stage of your Amazon wholesale and arbitrage workflow. It brings together in one platform: workflow management tools – Purchase Orders Module, Suppliers Database, Warehouses Database, bulk research & sourcing tools – Price List Analyzer, Bulk Restriction Checker, Sourcing AI, Brand Analyzer, Seller Spy, Chrome extensions – Seller Assistant Browser Extension, IP-Alert Extension, and built-in VPN by Seller Assistant, and integrations & team access features – seamless API connectivity, integrations with Zapier, Airtable, and Make, and Virtual Assistant Accounts.