MAP Pricing and MSRP: How Do You Protect Your US Price?

Part 3: Keeping your US price intact through discounts and promotions

In part 2, we worked out what a $24.99 product leaves you on each channel: about $5.90 per unit on Amazon, down to about $1.65 in retail through a distributor. So your US price has to work on the channel that leaves you the least. Part 1 covered how to build that price up from landed cost.

Holding a price is harder than setting it. Promotions run from Prime Day to Black Friday, and once a product sells, resellers you have never met start listing it.

Brands we work with ask us this all the time:

"Our MSRP is $24.99. If a reseller sells at $19.99, can we stop them?"

"If we take 30% off on Black Friday, can we go back to full price afterwards?"

The short answer: you cannot force resellers to charge your suggested price. What you can control is a MAP policy and your own discount plan. Below: MSRP vs MAP, the legal limits of a MAP policy in the US, and what Amazon and TikTok Shop discounts do to your price.

1. MSRP is a suggestion, not a floor

MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) is the price a brand recommends to its resellers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) puts it plainly: "The key word is 'suggested.' A dealer is free to set the retail price of the products it sells."

A reseller can sell below your suggested price.
An agreement with a reseller to hold that price is resale price maintenance (RPM), a separate and legally more sensitive issue.
The suggested price still anchors your Amazon list price, your talks with retail buyers, and every discount you calculate.

Your MSRP cannot bind a reseller, but it is the reference point for every discount and margin.

2. What is MAP pricing? A limit on the advertised price, not the sale price

MAP (minimum advertised price) is the lowest price a brand lets its authorized resellers advertise. Law firm Foley & Lardner sums it up in a 2025 guide: "MAP policies do not set or control the final sale price."

For example, with a suggested price of $24.99 and a MAP of $21.99:

Resellers may not show a price below $21.99 in ads or promotional emails.
If a reseller ignores it, you can stop supplying them, as the policy states in advance.
What the reseller finally charges is outside the MAP policy.

In a 2000 FTC action against music distributors, the MAP rules covered even ads the retailer paid for and signs in its stores. One MAP violation on one title cut off all co-op advertising funds (money a supplier gives retailers toward ads), typically for 60 to 90 days. A MAP policy that reaches too far can draw a regulator's attention.

MAP pricing does not set what resellers charge. It controls the price shoppers see.

MSRP vs MAP vs sale price: who sets it, and what does it control?

The three prices differ in who sets them, whether they bind anyone, and what they control.

Price	Who sets it	Is it binding?	What it controls
MSRP	The brand	No. Resellers set their own price (FTC)	List price display; base for discounts and margins
MAP	The brand, as its own policy	Not an agreement, but the brand can cut off resellers that ignore it (FTC)	The advertised price, not the final sale price
Sale price	The seller (brand or reseller)	Must follow each platform's deal and coupon rules (Amazon)	The checkout price and later reference prices

A brand really controls two levers: its MAP policy and its own discounts.

3. Is a MAP policy legal in the US? Federal and state law differ

Under US federal law, a MAP policy that a brand sets on its own is generally allowed, but some states treat price agreements more strictly. This section is general information, not legal advice.

Federal law rests on three points:

United States v. Colgate (1919): the Supreme Court held that a manufacturer may choose whom it deals with, and "may announce in advance the circumstances under which he will refuse to sell."
The FTC: a manufacturer with its own price policy may deal only with retailers that follow it and stop dealing with those that do not.
Leegin (2007): minimum resale price agreements are judged under the "rule of reason." Courts weigh its effects on competition.

State law is different when a brand and a reseller agree on a minimum price. The FTC notes that some states treat minimum price rules as illegal per se, meaning illegal without weighing the effects.

Maryland: a 2009 law calls an agreement that sets a minimum resale price an unreasonable restraint of trade (FTC hearing paper).
New York: such pricing arrangements are unenforceable (Cornell LII).
California: disputed. The 2009 FTC hearing paper and Cornell LII (2020) call resale price maintenance per se unlawful there, while Bona Law (2020) calls it an open question after Leegin.

Foley & Lardner also warns that asking retailers what MAP level they want, or going after one reseller because another asked you to, can raise antitrust concerns.

Using the same policy at home? Check local law too. A Korean software vendor says MAP enforcement may count as resale price maintenance under Korea's Fair Trade Act, but no official guidance we have seen confirms it.

A MAP policy is not a document you copy from a template. Design it with US counsel, for the states and channels where you sell.

4. Amazon promotions: a discount stays in your price history

On Amazon, a discount shapes both your list price display and your next deal.

List Price: Amazon shows a strikethrough List Price only if customers bought the product, or other retailers offered it, at or above that price in the past 90 days (180 days for seasonal products) (Amazon). Long stretches below that price can remove the strikethrough.
Typical Price: the median price customers paid over the past 90 days. From May 18, 2026, price cuts that are not advertised as promotions count toward it (Amazon reference pricing FAQ). Deals, peak-event discounts and coupons all need a minimum discount off the reference price.
Max Price: the highest price that still qualifies for a deal, based on inputs such as the lowest price in the past 30 days (with a minimum discount applied), the lowest in the past 60 days, and other retailers' prices (Amazon deals for events).

Quiet price cuts lower your Typical Price and your deal ceiling, so your next Prime Day or Black Friday deal has to start lower.

Promotions also cost fees on top of the discount. Amazon's 2026 deal fees and coupon fees:

Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals: $100 per promotion plus 1.5% of sales, capped at $5,000
Deals at other times: $70 per day plus 1.0% of sales, capped at $2,000
Coupons: $5 per coupon plus 2.5% of redeemed coupon sales, capped at $2,000

The $50 early-bird saving for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals closed on September 5, 2026.

In part 2, $24.99 left about $5.90 per unit on Amazon. For example, say you sell 500 units at 20% off ($19.99) in a Black Friday deal:

Price cut: $5 per unit
Lower referral fee: at the 15% rate used in part 2, $0.75 back per unit
Deal fee: $100 plus 1.5% of $9,995 in deal sales (about $150) = about $250, or about $0.50 per unit

Profit before the deal $5.90 - price cut $5 + referral fee saving $0.75 - deal fee $0.50 = about $1.15 per unit

This leaves ad spend and the FBA fee unchanged; the holiday peak FBA fee lowers it further. One 20% deal takes your Amazon profit per unit below the retail example in part 2 ($1.65). Our BFCM 2026 checklist covers the timeline.

On Amazon, every discount lowers the baseline for the next one.

5. TikTok Shop flash sales have a price floor too

On TikTok Shop, a deep discount also lowers the bar for your next one. TikTok's LIVE Flash Sale guide says a flash sale price must be below your lowest recent discount price. TikTok's pages state the look-back period differently, so check it in Seller Center first.

Creator content has a rule too. TikTok's Misleading Discount Content Guide says the discounted price shown in a video must match the product page exactly, and expired discount prices must not be shown. A video that keeps promoting an old sale price can be limited or removed.

On TikTok Shop, a deep discount lowers the starting line for the next one.

6. Do frequent discounts train shoppers to wait?

Some studies find that frequent promotions make shoppers more price-sensitive, and others find the long-run effect close to zero.

Mela, Gupta and Lehmann (1997), 8.25 years of data on a packaged good: as promotions rose and advertising fell, shoppers grew more price and promotion sensitive.
Papatla and Krishnamurthi (1996), liquid detergent: more coupon purchases eroded brand loyalty and raised price sensitivity.
Anderson and Simester (2004), three field studies: deeper discounts raised later purchases by first-time customers but cut them for established customers.
Pauwels, Hanssens and Siddarth (2002), scanner data: permanent promotion effects were "virtually absent."

These studies use grocery and direct-mail data, not beauty brands on Amazon or TikTok Shop. Still, discounts work differently by customer type, so plan discounts that win first-time buyers separately from ones your regulars will learn to wait for.

Discounts are not something to avoid. They are a cost to aim at the right customers.

How do you protect your MSRP through discounts? Five checks

Protecting your price starts with your own rules, not with chasing resellers. Before your next promotion, check:

1. Do you use one suggested price on every channel?

2. Is your MAP policy written with US counsel, issued on your own, and sent to resellers in advance?

3. Is your brand enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry?

Brand Registry lets you report trademark infringement through the Report a Violation tool (Amazon CCU FAQ). Since July 31, 2026, any Brand Registry user linked to an enrolled brand can also report store policy violations (Amazon).

4. Have you decided how often, and how deep, you will discount over the year?

5. Have you planned your return to full price after a sale (Amazon's List Price looks back 90 days)?

Wrap-up

MSRP is a suggested price, and MAP pricing limits only the advertised price. Neither sets what a reseller finally charges. Your strongest tool is the discount plan you set yourself.

LinkONE works with brands entering the US to design price structures and promotion plans channel by channel.

In the end, protecting your US price is less about stopping resellers and more about setting your own discount rules first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MAP pricing?

MAP pricing means a minimum advertised price: the lowest price a brand lets its authorized resellers advertise. It does not set the final sale price (Foley & Lardner, 2025). For example, with a MAP of $21.99, resellers may not advertise the product below $21.99.

What is the difference between MSRP and MAP?

MSRP is the retail price a brand suggests, and resellers are free to set a different price (FTC). MAP is the lowest price a brand lets resellers advertise, enforced as the brand's own policy. MSRP is the reference for list prices and discounts, while MAP controls the price shoppers see in ads.

Can you sell below MAP pricing?

A reseller can sell below MAP, but advertising below MAP is a MAP violation. Under US federal law, a brand may stop dealing with a reseller that does not follow its own price policy (FTC). Make that call yourself, not at another reseller's request (Foley & Lardner).

Is a MAP policy legal in the US?

Under federal law, a MAP policy a brand adopts on its own is generally allowed: Colgate (1919) lets a manufacturer choose whom it sells to, and since 2007 minimum resale price agreements are judged under the rule of reason (FTC). Maryland and New York treat price agreements differently, and California's position is disputed. Set up your policy with US counsel.

How much does an Amazon deal cost in 2026?

In 2026, a deal during Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days, Black Friday or Cyber Monday costs $100 per promotion plus 1.5% of sales, capped at $5,000 (Amazon deal fees). Deals at other times cost $70 per day plus 1.0% of sales, capped at $2,000. Coupons cost $5 each plus 2.5% of redeemed coupon sales, capped at $2,000 (Amazon coupon fees).

Sources

Fees and rules in this post are as of October 2026.

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