How to Address MAP Violations: A Step-by-Step Guide for Brands

Price erosion and unauthorized sellers can quickly damage your brand. When one seller lists your product below the minimum, others follow. Margins drop, trust with authorized partners weakens, and your pricing loses consistency across marketplaces.

A clear Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policy helps stop that. It sets the lowest price your products can be shown for in public and gives you a way to respond when sellers break the rules.

This guide shows how to build a MAP policy, monitor for violations, and protect your pricing on Amazon, Walmart, and other sales channels.

What Is MAP Pricing?

MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price. It sets the lowest price a seller can show publicly in listings, ads, and promotional materials. It does not control the final checkout price. Sellers are still allowed to offer lower prices through direct conversations, cart-only pricing, or other private methods that are not visible to the public.

MAP helps you:

• Keep pricing consistent across sellers
• Prevent race-to-the-bottom discounting
• Protect margins and brand value
• Maintain trust with authorized resellers

MAP is different from MSRP. MSRP is a suggested price. MAP is a pricing rule that you can enforce.

1. Write a Clear MAP Policy

You need a real policy before you can enforce it. Your MAP policy should include:

• Which products are covered
• What the minimum price is
• What counts as a violation
• Where the rule applies
• What happens when someone breaks the rule

It’s important to use clear language and avoid vague terms so that sellers understand exactly what is expected. Include a last updated date to keep track of policy changes, and have your legal team review the final version to ensure it complies with local laws.

2. Share It With Every Seller

Once your MAP policy is finalized, distribute it to all relevant partners involved in selling or promoting your products. This includes:

• Distributors
• Authorized resellers
• Sales reps or agencies
• Third-party marketplace sellers

Require written confirmation that they’ve read and agreed to the policy. Include the terms in all reseller agreements, onboarding documents, and pricing sheets. If you sell through distributors, make sure they also share the policy with any downstream sellers in their network.

3. Monitor for Violations

Do not rely on complaints or manual spot checks. You need a system to monitor advertised prices across all major channels on a daily basis. This includes marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart, search engines like Google Shopping, and direct-to-consumer sites.

Make sure your monitoring process captures key details like the seller name, product listing, price shown, and the time and date of the violation. Keep records, such as screenshots, so you can act quickly and support your enforcement if challenged.

4. Check Before You Act

Not every price drop is a MAP violation. A lower price may still fall within your policy, depending on how and where it appears. Before taking action, confirm whether the listing actually breaks the rules.

Ask:

• Is the advertised price below your established MAP for that product?
• Is the price visible to the public, such as on a product page or in a search ad? MAP only applies to publicly visible pricing—not to prices shown in the cart or after login.
• Who is the seller? Are they on your list of authorized resellers?
• Is the seller using discounts, bundles, or coupons to bypass MAP?

Document everything. Take a screenshot, note the platform and URL, record the seller name, and write down the time and date. Keeping a clear record makes enforcement more consistent and defensible.

5. Enforce the Policy

Enforcement only works if it’s consistent. If one seller is allowed to break the rules, others will follow. You need a clear process and you need to apply it every time.

Many brands use a tiered system for enforcement:

• First violation: Send a formal warning along with a copy of the MAP policy. Give the seller a short deadline to correct the issue.
• Second violation: Limit future orders, pause shipments, or temporarily suspend their ability to sell the product.
• Third violation: Remove the seller from your authorized list and cut off access permanently.

Document each step. Apply the same process to every reseller, no matter the size or sales volume. The moment you make exceptions, your policy loses credibility.

6. Protect Your Amazon Listings

Amazon does not enforce your MAP policy for you. However, there are steps you can take to reduce violations and protect your brand’s pricing.

Start by enrolling in Brand Registry, which gives you more control over your listings and access to tools for reporting trademark, copyright, or counterfeit abuse. While Brand Registry doesn’t stop unauthorized sellers by itself, it does help you act on IP violations and protect how your brand is presented on Amazon.

To minimize problems, keep your authorized seller list short and monitor where your inventory goes so you can spot leaks early. If you encounter counterfeit product or IP misuse, Amazon provides reporting tools to request removal.

7. Clean Up Your Distribution

Many MAP violations start with weak distribution controls. Products end up in the hands of sellers you never approved—making enforcement nearly impossible.

To reduce this risk, tighten your supply chain. Work only with trusted distributors who follow your policies. Track where your inventory goes, and use unique identifiers or batch codes to trace products back to their source.

Run regular audits to spot patterns or unauthorized resale. If a seller repeatedly violates your MAP policy, remove them from your network and cut off supply. Clean distribution makes it much easier to enforce pricing and protect your brand.

Final Thoughts

MAP pricing is only effective if it is enforced. A well-written policy means nothing without consistent action behind it.

Define your terms clearly, share them with every seller, and monitor your listings regularly. When violations happen, respond quickly and apply the same standards to everyone.

Strong enforcement builds trust with your best partners and helps protect your pricing across every channel.