Amazon FBA Fees Explained (2026): Every Fee and a Worked Example

Amazon FBA fees are where many sellers' profits quietly disappear. In 2026 the fee picture changed three times: new rates on January 15, a 3.5 percent fuel and logistics surcharge from April 17, and holiday peak fees from October 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027. This guide lists every major US fee, shows sample rates from Amazon's published rate card, and works through a full per-unit profit example. Amazon can change fees at any time, so confirm current figures in Seller Central and the FBA Revenue Calculator.

1. Selling plan fee

Professional becomes cheaper at about 41 sales a month and is required for most serious FBA businesses (advertising, Brand Registry tools, bulk listing).

2. Referral fee

A percentage of the total sales price (item price plus any shipping or gift wrap charged), set by category. Most categories fall between 8 and 15 percent, with 15 percent common, and a minimum of about $0.30 per item in most categories. Some categories use tiered rates by price. Media categories also pay a $1.80 closing fee per item.

3. FBA fulfillment fee

A per-unit charge for picking, packing and shipping, based on three things:

1. Size tier (small standard, large standard, bulky and extra-large tiers).
2. Shipping weight (for large standard and above, the greater of actual weight and dimensional weight, calculated as length × width × height ÷ 139 in inches).
3. Price band (under $10, $10 to $50, over $50).

Sample 2026 non-peak rates (non-apparel, before the 3.5 percent surcharge), from Amazon's published rate card:

Apparel and dangerous goods have separate rate cards. During the peak period, fees are higher; for example, a large standard item of 12 to 16 oz in the $10 to $50 band rises by roughly $0.30.

4. Fuel and logistics surcharge

From April 17, 2026, Amazon applies a 3.5 percent surcharge to FBA fulfillment fees. On a $4.60 fee, that adds about $0.16, for $4.76.

5. Monthly storage

Oversize items have lower per-cubic-foot rates but take up more space. A storage utilization surcharge applies when your inventory covers many weeks of sales (about 22 weeks or more as of 2026).

6. Aged inventory surcharge

Inventory stored longer than about 180 days incurs an extra surcharge that increases with age. Remove, liquidate or discount slow stock before it reaches those thresholds.

7. Low-inventory-level fee

Charged per unit shipped when your historical days of supply are under 28 days in both the last 30 and last 90 days, measured at the FNSKU level. Some products and new listings are exempt. Keeping roughly four or more weeks of stock avoids it.

8. Inbound placement service fee

When you create a shipment you choose:

• Amazon-optimized splits: ship to several locations; no placement fee.
• Minimal splits: ship to fewer locations for a per-unit fee (for standard-size items, roughly $0.14 to $1.90 per unit on the 2026 schedule, depending on weight and region).
• Partial splits: a middle option, not available for all size tiers.

9. Other fees to know

• Returns processing fees in categories where your return rate exceeds a threshold.
• Removal and disposal fees per unit.
• Prep and labeling services if Amazon prepares your items.
• Advertising, which is optional but usually essential.

Worked example: a $29.99 product

Large standard, 12 to 16 oz, 15 percent referral fee, non-peak.

Total Amazon fees here (referral, fulfillment, surcharge, placement, storage) come to about $9.71, or roughly 32 percent of the price.

Break-even ACoS = profit before ads ÷ price = $10.98 ÷ $29.99 = about 37 percent. If your advertising cost of sale is above that, each ad sale loses money.

Peak season version

In November, the same product pays a higher fulfillment fee (about $4.89 + surcharge ≈ $5.06) and storage roughly triples. Profit before ads falls to roughly $10.30 to $10.40 per unit, even before the higher ad costs common in the holidays. Plan pricing and inventory with peak fees in mind.

Packaging can change your fee tier

Small packaging changes can move a product into a cheaper size tier or weight band. Consider a product whose box measures 15.5 × 12 × 1 inches and weighs 14 oz. Because it exceeds 15 × 12 × 0.75 inches, it is large standard rather than small standard. In the $10 to $50 band, that is roughly $4.60 rather than $3.96 before the surcharge, about $0.66 more per unit. If redesigned packaging fits within small standard dimensions, the saving on 5,000 units a year is about $3,300. Ask your supplier for packaging dimension options before you place the first order, and enter each option in the FBA Revenue Calculator.

Fees that come from mistakes

Some charges are avoidable:

• Unplanned prep and labeling fees when shipments arrive without required poly bags, suffocation warnings or FNSKU labels.
• Inbound defect fees for shipment problems such as missing labels or incorrect box contents.
• Removal fees for unsellable returns you could have prevented with better packaging.
• Long storage because a reorder was sized for hope rather than sales history.

Fee-saving checklist

• ☐ Measure packaged product dimensions precisely; shave packaging to drop a tier or weight band
• ☐ Price deliberately around the $10 and $50 price-band boundaries
• ☐ Keep about 28 or more days of supply to avoid low-inventory fees
• ☐ Avoid sending excess stock before October
• ☐ Compare minimal-split placement fees with the freight cost of optimized splits
• ☐ Remove or liquidate slow inventory before 180 days
• ☐ Check new seller incentives (such as the FBA New Selection program) on sell.amazon.com
• ☐ Rerun your numbers every January and October

Keep a fee log

Every time Amazon announces changes (usually in the autumn for the following January, plus occasional mid-year changes like the April 2026 surcharge), note the effective date and recalculate profit for each product. A simple spreadsheet with your products in rows and fee lines in columns makes this a ten-minute job.

Your next step

Enter your product's packaged dimensions, weight and price into the FBA Revenue Calculator, add your landed cost and an advertising estimate, and confirm you clear at least 15 to 25 percent net margin in both non-peak and peak months.

The full guide, Starting an Amazon FBA Business, covers product research, sourcing and importing, compliance and insurance, Brand Registry, PPC campaign structure, inventory planning, account health and a 30/60/90-day launch plan, for $0.99.