# How does KDP list price work?

Source: https://kdpbook.io/glossary/list-price · Updated 2026-09-28

**List price**: The price you set for each marketplace. Print list prices exclude VAT; KDP enforces a minimum that covers the printing cost.

Checked against KDP Help on 2026-09-28.

The list price is the price you set for your book in each Amazon marketplace. For print books it excludes VAT, and KDP enforces a minimum at which your royalty covers the printing cost: printing cost ÷ 50%, or ÷ 60% (never under $9.99) above the threshold. The maximum is $250 on Amazon.com. Kindle prices must fit the 35% or 70% band.

Also called: minimum list price, book price.

## The numbers

Minimum list price on Amazon.com:

| Book | Printing cost | Minimum list price |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 × 9 in, 200 pages, black-and-white paperback | $3.40 | $6.80 |
| 5.5 × 8.5 in, 300 pages, cream paperback | $4.60 | $9.20 |
| 8.5 × 8.5 in, 32 pages, premium color paperback | $4.20 | $8.40 |
| 8.5 × 11 in, 120 pages, premium color paperback | $10.60 | $17.67 |
| 6 × 9 in, 300 pages, black-and-white hardcover | $9.25 | $15.42 |

Maximum print list price by currency:

| Currency | Maximum |
| --- | --- |
| USD | $250 |
| EUR | €250 |
| GBP | £250 |
| CAD | 350 CAD |
| AUD | 350 AUD |
| JPY | ¥30,000 |
| PLN | 1,200 PLN |
| SEK | 2,500 SEK |

Kindle list price on Amazon.com:

| Option | Price range |
| --- | --- |
| 35%, file under 3 MB | $0.99–$200 |
| 35%, file of 3 to 10 MB | $1.99–$200 |
| 35%, file of 10 MB or more | $2.99–$200 |
| 70% | $2.99–$12.99 |

The top of the 70% band rose to $12.99 on July 7, 2026.

## How the minimum is set

KDP says it calculates the minimum from the printing cost and the royalty rate, so that the royalty always covers printing. Worked through (our calculation): divide the printing cost by 50%. If the result is $9.98 or less, that is the minimum. If it is higher, the 60% rate applies: the minimum is printing cost ÷ 60%, and never less than the $9.99 threshold.

A 120-page, 8.5 × 11 in premium color paperback costs $10.60; ÷ 50% would be $21.20, above the threshold, so its minimum is $10.60 ÷ 60% = $17.67. The same book in standard color costs $5.82: ÷ 50% gives $11.64, above the threshold, but ÷ 60% gives $9.70, under it, so its minimum is $9.99.

## Kindle prices

Kindle list prices include VAT where it applies; royalties are calculated on the price without VAT. To earn 70%, the price must sit inside the band and be at least 20% below the list price of any print edition on Amazon.

## Example: pricing a paperback and its eBook

A paperback listed at $12.99 on Amazon.com allows an eBook of at most $10.39 on the 70% option (20% below the print price). A price of $9.98 on the paperback would earn 50%; one cent more, $9.99, earns 60%.

## Common mistakes

- Stopping at $9.98, one cent under the 60% threshold.
- Adding pages after setting the price: the printing cost, and so the minimum, goes up.
- Forgetting that print list prices exclude VAT, so European shoppers pay more than the number you enter.
- Pricing the eBook too close to the paperback while choosing the 70% option.