Why Public Pricing Is Required for AWS Marketplace Listings

When listing a product publicly on AWS Marketplace, AWS requires that every listing include public-facing pricing. This requirement often raises questions for SaaS providers—especially those whose sales motion relies heavily on custom pricing and Private Offers.

This article explains why public pricing is required, how it fits alongside Private Offers, and practical strategies to meet the requirement without compromising your commercial flexibility.

Why AWS Requires Public Pricing

AWS Marketplace is designed as a self-service discovery and procurement platform. To ensure a consistent buyer experience, AWS requires that:

• Every public listing clearly communicates how the product is priced
• Buyers can understand the commercial structure before engaging
• Marketplace transactions meet AWS’s compliance and procurement standards

Even if a customer ultimately purchases through a Private Offer, AWS still requires a baseline public price to exist on the listing.

Think of public pricing as a reference point, not a commitment to sell at that price.

Public Pricing vs. Private Offers

Most SaaS providers selling through AWS Marketplace rely on Private Offers, where pricing can be customized to reflect:

• Customer-specific discounts
• Custom pricing dimensions
• Contract length and billing schedules
• Bundled services or enterprise agreements

This is fully supported—and expected—by AWS.

However: Private Offers do not replace the requirement for public pricing.

Public pricing must exist even if 100% of your deals are transacted via Private Offers.

Common Concerns from SaaS Providers

We often hear concerns such as:

• "We don’t have a single set price"
• "Our pricing is entirely negotiated"
• "We don’t want to give competitors or customers leverage"
• "We’re worried someone will purchase without talking to us first"

These concerns are valid—and shared by many AWS Marketplace sellers.

Strategies Customers Use for Public Pricing

Over time, we’ve seen customers successfully meet AWS’s requirement using one of the following approaches:

📈  Set a High Reference Price

Some partners intentionally set a high annual price to ensure:

• No purchases happen “by accident”
• All buyers are funneled into a sales conversation
• Final pricing is always delivered via Private Offer

This approach treats public pricing as a guardrail, not a sales motion.

🏷️ Set a Minimal Entry Price

In rare cases, customers list a very low price (e.g., $1.00) to:

• Enable Marketplace engagement
• Capture buyer intent
• Transition immediately into a Private Offer discussion

This approach is uncommon and should be evaluated carefully, as it may impact perceived value.

🔍  Mirror Competitor Pricing

Some partners research how similar products are priced on AWS Marketplace and align their public pricing accordingly.

This can:

• Anchor expectations within the market
• Reduce friction during buyer evaluation
• Avoid standing out unintentionally

📊  Establish a Market-Based Baseline

Another common approach is to:

• Research the market value of comparable solutions
• Define a baseline or tiered pricing model
• Use Private Offers to tailor final pricing per customer

This is often the most balanced option for partners with mature pricing strategies.

ACE Eligibility and the “Request Private Offer” Button

Once an AWS Partner reaches ACE Eligibility, additional flexibility becomes available.

Eligible partners can:

• Add a “Request Private Offer” button directly on their AWS Marketplace listing
• Define a Point of Contact who will receive Private Offer requests

This significantly streamlines the buyer journey.

The button enhances the sales motion—but does not replace AWS’s pricing requirement.

Key Takeaways

• Public pricing is a mandatory AWS Marketplace prerequisite for public listings
• It acts as a reference point, not a final selling price
• Private Offers remain the primary mechanism for custom SaaS pricing
• Multiple strategies exist to meet the requirement without revealing sensitive pricing
• ACE-eligible partners gain additional tools—but still need public pricing

If you’re unsure which approach best fits your product or go-to-market strategy, our team can help you evaluate options and align with AWS requirements.