Amazon FBA fees are less confusing when you know what triggers each one and where Amazon records it. Most sellers know about referral and fulfillment fees. The surprises usually come from storage, inventory, returns, inbound placement, and other charges that appear only under specific conditions.
This guide covers 12 major fees and charges in the FBA cost picture, what triggers each one, how often it is charged, and where to find it in Seller Central.
For many standard products, the core FBA cost is an 8% to 15% referral fee plus a per-unit fulfillment fee, with storage and situation-specific charges added depending on the product and inventory. Exact costs vary by category, selling price, size, weight, inventory age, and fulfillment activity. Check Amazon’s selling fees.
| Fee | What triggers it | How often it’s charged | Where it appears in reports |
| Referral fee | A sale | Per sale | Settlement/payment reports |
| Fulfillment fee | Amazon ships an FBA unit | Per unit | Fee Preview |
| Fuel and logistics surcharge | FBA fulfillment | Per unit | Fee Preview |
| Peak fulfillment fee | Peak fulfillment period | Per unit | Fee Preview |
| Monthly storage fee | Inventory stored at Amazon | Monthly | Monthly Storage Fees |
| Aged inventory surcharge | Inventory reaches an age threshold | Monthly | Inventory Age |
| Inbound placement fee | Certain inbound placement options | Per shipment | Transaction View/shipment details |
| Low inventory level fee | Historical days of supply falls below threshold | Per unit sold | Fee Preview/Transaction View |
| Returns processing fee | Customer returns for apparel and shoes; returns above category thresholds for other products | Per qualifying returned unit | FBA Returns/Transaction View |
| Removal and disposal fees | Inventory is removed, disposed of, or liquidated | Per unit/order | Transaction View |
| Unplanned prep fee | Inbound inventory requires corrective prep | As incurred | Transaction View |
| Closing fee | Certain media sales | Per sale | Settlement/payment reports |
Yes. According to Amazon’s 2026 FBA fee update, average FBA fees increased by $0.08 per unit sold in 2026.
Beginning April 17, Amazon added a 3.5% fuel and logistics-related surcharge to FBA fulfillment fees in the US and Canada. The surcharge is calculated on the fulfillment fee, not the product’s sale price.
Amazon’s aged inventory guidance also lists higher charges for stock stored more than a year, with separate rates for inventory aged 366–455 days and 456 days or more.
Amazon also stopped offering its standard FBA prep and item-labeling services in the US beginning January 1, 2026.
For sellers, the important number is the total cost per unit. Update your calculations for the new fulfillment rates, fuel surcharge, seasonal charges, and any product-specific fees.
The referral fee is a percentage of the total sale price. The rate depends on the product category, and Amazon can calculate it using the item price plus shipping and applicable gift-wrap charges. A minimum referral fee may also apply.
| Category example | Current referral fee |
| Computers | 8% |
| Automotive and Powersports | 12% |
| Home and Kitchen | 15% |
| Pet Supplies | 15% |
| Sports and Outdoors | 15% |
Some categories use different or tiered rates, so check the current Amazon fee table for the exact category and product.
Yes. Referral fees are selling fees, not FBA-only fees. An FBM seller can still pay a referral fee on each qualifying sale.
Yes. Amazon’s total price calculation can include shipping and applicable gift-wrap charges, so the referral fee is not necessarily based on the item price alone.
FBA fulfillment fees are charged per unit and cover picking, packing, shipping, and customer service. Amazon calculates them using the product’s size tier and shipping weight, with additional price-based granularity in the 2026 structure.
| Size tier | General description |
| Small standard | Smaller standard-size products |
| Large standard | Larger standard-size products |
| Small bulky | Smaller bulky products |
| Large bulky | Larger bulky products |
| Extra-large | Larger or heavier products |
Amazon uses your packaged product’s dimensions and weight to determine its size tier. For many tiers, fulfillment fees use whichever is greater: the actual weight or dimensional weight. A lightweight product in a large box can therefore cost more to fulfill than its weight alone suggests.
That makes packaging important. A larger box can change the measurements Amazon uses for the fee calculation.
Low-Price FBA is Amazon’s reduced-cost fulfillment program for eligible lower-priced products, designed to make FBA more economical for sellers of affordable items.
Eligible products priced below $10 receive Low-Price FBA rates that are $0.86 less than standard FBA rates on average. Amazon applies the lower rates automatically to qualifying products.
Amazon’s 2026 fuel and logistics surcharge is an additional charge applied to FBA fulfillment fees to help cover higher transportation and logistics costs.
It is calculated as a percentage of the fulfillment fee, not as a percentage of the product’s selling price.
It is a 3.5% surcharge on the FBA fulfillment fee, effective April 17, 2026. Amazon estimates the average US impact at about $0.17 per FBA unit.
For example, a $5 fulfillment fee would produce a surcharge of about $0.18.
Peak season fulfillment fees are temporary higher FBA fulfillment charges that apply during Amazon’s busiest shopping period.
They account for the additional fulfillment costs associated with handling higher order volumes during the holiday season.
Peak fulfillment fees apply from October 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027. The average increase is about $0.32 per unit, and the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge applies on top.
Amazon charges monthly storage fees based on the average daily cubic volume of inventory stored in its fulfillment centers.
| Period | Standard-size base storage rate (non-dangerous goods) |
| January–September | $0.78/cu. ft. |
| October–December | $2.40/cu. ft. |
Amazon raises FBA storage rates in Q4 because fulfillment centers typically hold more inventory ahead of the holiday shopping season.
Standard-size storage rises from $0.78 to $2.40 per cubic foot in Q4, making the seasonal rate more than three times higher. Oversize inventory also has seasonal rates.
Yes. Unsold inventory continues taking up space and generating monthly storage charges. If it remains in FBA long enough, it can also trigger an aged inventory surcharge.
Aged inventory surcharges can start at 181 days and increase as stock gets older. For inventory aged 366–455 days, the 2026 charge is $6.90 per cubic foot or $0.30 per unit, whichever is greater. At 456 days or more, it rises to $7.90 per cubic foot or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater. Certain categories are exempt from the 181-to-270-day bands.
The FBA fees that surprise sellers most are usually not the standard referral or fulfillment fees. Instead, they appear when inventory, shipping, returns, or compliance issues create additional work inside Amazon’s fulfillment network. Because these fees are tied to specific operational conditions, many sellers do not notice them until they start affecting margins.
The inbound placement fee is a charge for having Amazon distribute your inventory across its fulfillment network after you send inventory into fewer locations.
Amazon can charge an inbound placement service fee depending on the shipment option selected, product size tier, shipping weight, and inbound locations.
Amazon’s optimized shipment option can have no inbound placement service fee when the shipment meets the requirements, including at least five identical cartons or pallets per item with matching quantities and item mix. Simply sending five unrelated boxes does not automatically qualify.
Amazon charges this low inventory level fee when both the 30-day and 90-day historical days of supply are below 28 days. The calculation looks at historical demand, not just your current inventory count. In other words, keeping too little inventory can add a fee to each unit sold.
For products outside apparel and shoes, Amazon charges a returns processing fee when the return rate exceeds the category threshold. Apparel and shoes follow separate rules, with fees charged on customer returns.
Outside apparel and shoes, products that ship fewer than 25 units in a month are exempt from the high-return-rate fee for that month.
Removal fees cover returning inventory to you, disposal fees cover destroying it, and liquidation fees cover selling it through liquidation channels.
These are the costs of getting inventory out of FBA through removal, disposal, or liquidation. They give sellers an exit from excess inventory, but that exit comes with a cost.
If inbound inventory does not meet Amazon’s preparation or labeling requirements, corrective services can result in additional charges. This matters more now that Amazon no longer provides its standard FBA prep and item-labeling services in the US.
The closing fee is a per-unit fee that Amazon charges on eligible media products when they are sold, in addition to the applicable referral fee.
The closing fee is not a general FBA fee. Amazon currently lists a $1.80 closing fee for media products, including Books, DVD, Music, Software, and Video, in addition to the applicable referral fee. (Amazon’s selling fees)
There is no universal winner. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) have different cost structures, and the cheaper option depends on the product you sell, your shipping costs, and how quickly inventory moves.
| Comparison Area | FBA(Fulfillment by Amazon) | FBM(Fulfillment by Merchant) |
| Inventory storage | Amazon stores inventory in its fulfillment centers | Seller stores inventory or uses a third-party warehouse |
| Order fulfillment | Amazon picks, packs, and ships orders | Seller handles picking, packing, and shipping |
| Customer service | Amazon handles most customer service and returns | Seller manages customer service and returns |
| Main costs | Referral fees, fulfillment fees, storage fees, and applicable surcharges | Referral fees plus the seller’s warehousing, labor, packaging, and shipping costs |
| Best fit | Fast-moving, lightweight products that benefit from Amazon’s fulfillment network | Heavy, oversized, slow-moving, or high-return products where FBA costs may be higher |
| Scalability | Can simplify fulfillment as order volume grows | Requires the seller to manage fulfillment capacity |
The most useful comparison is your total cost per unit, not just the FBA fulfillment fee. Before choosing a fulfillment method, compare storage, labor, packaging, shipping, returns, and inbound freight costs for each SKU. Sellers can use Amazon’s Revenue Calculator to compare FBA costs with their own fulfillment expenses.
Amazon spreads FBA fees across multiple Seller Central reports rather than showing them in one place. Knowing which report to check can help you quickly identify charges and understand where your costs are coming from.
Amazon’s Fee Preview is available under Reports → Fulfillment → Fee Preview, and its Revenue Calculator can compare FBA with your own fulfillment method. (Amazon’s fee estimation tools)
Five common causes are a size-tier reclassification, the April fuel surcharge, peak-season rates, a product crossing its returns threshold, or falling below the low-inventory threshold.
Yes. First check Amazon’s recorded product dimensions and weight. If they appear incorrect, request a measurement recheck and open a Seller Support case with the SKU and relevant fee details.
These six actions connect directly to the fee areas above and give sellers a practical way to look for avoidable margin leakage.
Amazon records applicable selling and FBA charges as transactions against your seller account and settles them through your normal seller payment cycle. The timing depends on the specific fee and transaction.
Not every original fee is treated the same way when an order is returned. Some charges can be reversed or adjusted, while Amazon can also apply return-related fees. The treatment depends on the specific fee and return circumstances.
For US businesses, FBA fees may generally qualify as ordinary and necessary business expenses. Tax treatment depends on your business structure and circumstances, so confirm the treatment with a qualified tax professional.
That depends on the economics of the individual product. Compare FBA fulfillment and storage costs with your own shipping, labor, packaging, warehouse, and return costs. Amazon’s Revenue Calculator can help you compare the two fulfillment methods. (Amazon’s Revenue Calculator)
Book a free 30-minute audit focused specifically on fee leakage, not strategy. We’ll look at these six cost-reduction opportunities and find which ones you’re leaving on the table.
