seller
- What changed
- Every fee charged for Fulfillment by Amazon in the US, plus referral and plan fees
- When
- 2026 changes from Jan 15; 3.5% fuel surcharge from Apr 17, 2026
- Who it affects
- All sellers using FBA on Amazon.com
- What to do
- Check the Fee Preview report and model fees per SKU before each reorder
Key takeaways
- FBA fees rose by an average of $0.08 per unit on January 15, 2026, plus a 3.5% fuel surcharge from April 17.
- Storage costs about three times more per cubic foot from October to December than earlier in the year.
- Model fees per SKU, including storage months and inbound costs, before every reorder.
FBA fees in 2026
How much does Amazon FBA cost?
Your total FBA cost per unit is the sum of a few charges. Most sellers pay a referral fee of around 15% plus a fulfillment fee of several dollars per unit, plus storage. Exact numbers depend on size, weight, price and how long stock sits.
Amazon publishes its rates in Seller Central and in the Revenue Calculator. Use the Fee Preview report to see what Amazon will actually charge for each ASIN, because a wrong dimension can push a product into a more expensive tier.
- Selling plan: $39.99 per month on Professional, or $0.99 per item on Individual
- Referral fee: a percentage of the sale price, 15% in many categories, with a $0.30 minimum in most
- FBA fulfillment fee: per unit, by size tier, weight and price
- Monthly storage fee: per cubic foot, higher from October to December
- Other charges: aged inventory, low inventory level, inbound placement, returns, removals
What changed in 2026
Amazon announced its 2026 US fee update with changes effective January 15, 2026. It said FBA fees would rise by an average of $0.08 per unit sold, that US referral and FBA fees had not increased in 2025, and that there would be no new FBA fee types in 2026.
A separate 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on fulfillment fees started on April 17, 2026 for FBA in the US and Canada and for Remote Fulfillment, and on May 2, 2026 for Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime. Trade coverage puts it at about $0.17 per unit on average for US FBA orders. Our Amazon fee changes 2026 page tracks the full timeline.
FBA fulfillment fees
The fulfillment fee covers picking, packing, shipping, customer service and returns handling for each unit sold. It is set by size tier (small standard, large standard, bulky and extra large), shipping weight and, for some tiers, the item price. Lower priced items get reduced rates.
Measure your packaged product carefully. Amazon re-measures items, and a half inch or a few ounces can move a product into the next tier, which can cost more than any ad saving.
Which FBA fee hits when
| Charged on | Main driver | How to cut it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulfillment | Each unit sold | Size and weight | Smaller packaging |
| Storage | Monthly volume | Cubic feet, season | Leaner stock |
| Aged inventory | Stock over 181 days | Slow sales | Clear or remove |
| Inbound placement | Each shipment | Split choice | Accept more splits |
FBA storage fees and aged inventory
Storage is charged monthly per cubic foot of the space your inventory takes up, based on daily average volume. For standard size products, trade sources put it at roughly $0.78 per cubic foot from January to September and about $2.40 from October to December. Inventory that stays in a fulfillment center more than 181 days also pays an aged inventory surcharge that rises the longer it sits.
A storage utilization surcharge can also apply when you hold a lot of stock relative to your sales. The cure for all three is the same: send less, more often. See our guide to Amazon excess inventory for clearing slow stock.
Inbound placement and low inventory level fees
Inbound placement fees apply to standard and large bulky products and pay for Amazon spreading your inventory to fulfillment centers near customers. You pay less when you accept more shipment splits and more when you send everything to one location.
Low inventory level fees can apply when your stock of a fast-selling product runs short relative to demand. Amazon says slower-moving items are exempt. The best defence is a steady replenishment plan based on sales velocity and lead time, which our FBA inventory management service handles.
Other FBA fees to know
These smaller charges add up across a large catalogue.
- Returns processing fee in categories where Amazon pays for free return shipping
- Refund administration fee when you refund a customer
- Removal and disposal fees, charged per unit as units are processed since February 15, 2026
- Dangerous goods and lithium battery surcharges for hazmat items
- Prep and labelling costs, which since January 1, 2026 you handle yourself or through a prep center
How to calculate FBA fees per unit
A simple per-unit model stops surprises. Use it before every reorder and every price change.
- Start with the selling price
- Subtract the referral fee for your category
- Subtract the fulfillment fee for your size tier, plus the 3.5% surcharge
- Add storage: cubic feet per unit times the monthly rate times expected months stored
- Add inbound placement, prep and freight per unit
- Allow for returns and ad spend to get true contribution margin
- 1Price
Start with sale price
- 2Referral
Subtract category fee
- 3Fulfillment
Size tier plus 3.5%
- 4Storage
Cubic feet times months
- 5Margin
After returns and ads
How to lower your Amazon FBA fees
Most savings come from operations, not negotiation.
- Cut packaging size and weight to drop a size tier
- Ship smaller, more frequent replenishments to avoid aged inventory
- Avoid Q4 overstock, when storage costs about three times more
- Compare inbound placement options for each shipment
- Move slow, bulky items to FBM; see our FBA vs FBM guide
- File reimbursement claims for lost and damaged units
Where PPC Spider helps
PPC Spider sets target ACoS from each product's margin after all Amazon fees, so ad spend never assumes a margin that FBA has already taken. SpiderOS monitors bids, budgets, search terms and stock every day, and our team audits fee overcharges as part of Amazon FBA reimbursement work. Want to see your true margins? Book a free Amazon audit.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Forums: 2026 updates to US referral and Fulfillment by Amazon fees (sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-forums/discussions/t/f3fa3211-820b-4e2e-a023-158a9cf55f99)
- Amazon: Selling on Amazon fees and pricing (sell.amazon.com/pricing)
- PPC Land: Amazon's 3.5% fuel surcharge is coming, April 2026 (ppc.land/amazons-3-5-fuel-surcharge-is-coming-and-sellers-are-furious/)
- Sellerboard: FBA storage fees, the silent margin killer, July 2026 (blog.sellerboard.com/2026/07/14/fba-storage-fees-the-silent-margin-killer-and-how-to-model-them-per-sku/)
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