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Amazon FBA fees are the charges Amazon deducts when it stores, picks, packs and ships your products through Fulfillment by Amazon. For most brands the bill has two main parts. The referral fee is a percentage of the sale price, 15% in most categories. The fulfillment fee is a per-unit charge based on size and weight, roughly $3.50 to $7 for typical standard-size items. On top of those, Amazon charges monthly storage, an inbound placement fee when you ship to fewer locations, a low-inventory fee when stock runs short, and surcharges for aged inventory and excess returns.
In 2026, Amazon raised fulfillment fees by an average of $0.08 per unit in January, added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge in April, and applies holiday peak fees from October 15 through January 14. Together, a $30 standard-size item can lose about a third of its price to Amazon fees in Q4. The rest of this guide breaks down each fee, what changed this year, and how brands keep the total under control.
What Changed in Amazon FBA Fees for 2026
Amazon announced its 2026 US fee changes in October 2025. It described them as an average increase of $0.08 per unit sold, or less than 0.5% of an average item's selling price, effective January 15, 2026. Amazon also said it would not introduce any new FBA fee types in 2026, and noted that fees had not increased at all in 2025.
The bigger change came later. On April 17, 2026, Amazon added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge to US FBA fulfillment fees. The surcharge is calculated on the fulfillment fee, not on the selling price. Amazon puts the average impact at about $0.17 per unit, according to its surcharge announcement to sellers. Amazon describes the surcharge as temporary but has not announced an end date. Combined with the January increase, that's about $0.25 more per unit than in 2025 before any seasonal fees, and for a brand moving 20,000 units a month it adds up to roughly $5,000 a month.
Storage and referral rates didn't change for 2026. The price structure did become more granular, though. Standard-size fulfillment fees now vary by price band, with lower rates for items under $10 and higher rates for items over $50. Several fees introduced in 2024 also got stricter, including the aged inventory surcharge and the low-inventory-level fee.
Every Amazon FBA Fee, Explained
Referral fees
The referral fee is Amazon's commission on each sale. Most categories pay 15% of the total sale price, with a minimum of $0.30 per item. Apparel is priced in bands. Items at $15 or less pay 5%, items from $15.01 to $20 pay 10%, and items above $20 pay 17%. Every Amazon seller pays referral fees, FBA or not, so they belong in any comparison of fulfillment options.
Fulfillment fees
The fulfillment fee covers picking, packing, shipping and customer service for each unit sold. It depends on the product's size tier, shipping weight and, since 2025, its price band. In the $10 to $50 band, a small standard item weighing 8 to 10 ounces pays $3.68. A large standard item weighing 12 to 16 ounces pays $4.60, and a large standard item weighing 2.75 to 3 pounds pays $6.67. The 3.5% surcharge then applies on top, which brings that 12-to-16-ounce item to about $4.76. Bulky and extra-large items have their own schedules, and bulky items that aren't certified for Ships in Product Packaging pay an added packaging fee.
Storage fees
Amazon charges monthly storage by cubic foot. Standard-size inventory costs $0.78 per cubic foot from January through September and $2.40 from October through December. Oversize inventory moves from $0.56 to $1.40 over the same periods. That Q4 jump is more than three times the base rate, so the same pallet costs far more to store in November than in June. Sellers whose stored volume runs well ahead of their sales can also pay a storage utilization surcharge.
Aged inventory surcharge
Inventory that sits in Amazon's network for more than 180 days picks up a monthly surcharge on top of regular storage. It starts at $0.50 per cubic foot for units stored 181 to 210 days and climbs steeply after that. At 271 days the rate is $5.45 per cubic foot. For 2026 Amazon added a new tier for units held longer than 455 days, charged at $7.90 per cubic foot or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater. The clock starts when a unit is received and doesn't pause.
Inbound placement fee
When you send inventory to a single Amazon location, Amazon charges a per-unit fee to redistribute it across its network. On a minimal split, standard-size items pay between $0.14 and $1.90 per unit depending on weight and destination. Accepting Amazon's optimized split, which sends cartons to several fulfillment centers, brings the fee to $0.00 but raises freight cost. The cheaper option depends on the shipment, so brands that do this math on every shipment usually save money.
Low-inventory-level fee
Amazon charges a per-unit fee on every unit sold while your days of supply sit below 28. For standard-size items the fee ranges from $0.32 to $1.11 per unit, depending on size and how low supply has fallen. In 2026 the fee was extended to bulky products and is now measured for each seller FNSKU. Amazon counts only sellable units already inside its network, so inventory still in transit doesn't protect you.
Returns processing and inbound defect fees
Amazon charges a returns processing fee on returned units above your category's return-rate threshold. In apparel and shoes it applies to every returned unit. Shipments that arrive late or don't follow Amazon's inbound requirements can also trigger an inbound defect fee, which averages about $0.60 per unit.
Holiday peak fulfillment fees
From October 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027, Amazon applies its holiday peak fulfillment rates, which add roughly $0.32 per unit on average. During this window the large standard 12-to-16-ounce item above costs $4.89 before the surcharge, or about $5.06 after it.
| Fee | What triggers it | 2026 rate (standard size) |
|---|---|---|
| Referral fee | Every sale | 15% of sale price in most categories, $0.30 minimum |
| Fulfillment fee | Every unit Amazon ships | About $3.68 to $6.67 for common weights in the $10 to $50 band |
| Fuel and logistics surcharge | Every fulfillment fee since April 17, 2026 | 3.5% of the fulfillment fee |
| Monthly storage | Inventory held at Amazon | $0.78 per cu ft (Jan to Sep), $2.40 per cu ft (Oct to Dec) |
| Aged inventory surcharge | Units held over 180 days | $0.50 to $7.90 per cu ft per month |
| Inbound placement | Shipping to fewer locations | $0.14 to $1.90 per unit on a minimal split, $0 optimized |
| Low-inventory-level fee | Days of supply under 28 | $0.32 to $1.11 per unit sold |
| Holiday peak fee | Oct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027 | About $0.32 per unit on average |
Rates reflect Amazon's US fee schedule as of October 2026 and can change. Check Seller Central for the current rate for a specific product.
How much does Amazon FBA cost per unit?
Amazon FBA costs a referral fee of 15% of the sale price in most categories, plus a fulfillment fee of roughly $3.50 to $7 per unit for common standard-size items, plus smaller charges for storage and inbound placement. The referral fee scales with price, so it's usually the largest piece for items above about $30. A $30 item weighing 12 to 16 ounces pays about $9.64 in fees from January through September and about $10.10 during the holiday peak, which is 32% to 34% of its price.
What Amazon Keeps From a $30 Sale
The chart shows the full fee stack for one $30 item in the large standard tier, weighing 12 to 16 ounces. From January through September, Amazon keeps about $9.64, made up of a $4.50 referral fee, a $4.76 fulfillment fee including the surcharge, about $0.08 in monthly storage and an estimated $0.30 placement fee. During the holiday peak the total rises to about $10.10, because the fulfillment fee climbs to $5.06 and storage triples. That's before advertising, returns, product cost or inbound freight. A $0.46 swing per unit sounds small, but across 10,000 holiday units it's $4,600 in margin.
How Brands Lower Their Total FBA Cost
The brands that manage FBA costs well treat fees as an operations problem, not a line item to accept. Most of the 2026 fee stack responds to how inventory moves: how much you send, when you send it, and how long it sits.
The first lever is inventory flow. Sending Amazon only the inventory you expect to sell in the next 30 to 60 days keeps you below the aged inventory thresholds and limits exposure to Q4 storage rates. Holding buffer stock at a third-party warehouse and replenishing Amazon against actual sales keeps days of supply above 28 without paying Amazon to store the excess. That's the model behind FBA replenishment through a 3PL.
The second lever is inbound planning. Compare the placement fee against the freight cost of an optimized split on every shipment instead of defaulting to one option. Prepping and labeling inventory correctly before it ships also avoids inbound defect fees and reduces damage-related returns, which count toward your returns threshold. Cart.com's FBA prep and kitting services handle this work before inventory reaches Amazon.
The third lever is channel mix. FBA is usually the right choice for Amazon orders, but sending orders from your own site or other marketplaces through Amazon's network isn't always cheapest. Our guide to Amazon MCF vs. FBA explains when a dedicated 3PL costs less for non-Amazon orders.
Is Amazon FBA worth it for brands in 2026?
Amazon FBA is still worth it for most brands that sell meaningful volume on Amazon, because Prime eligibility lifts conversion and Amazon handles shipping and customer service. The 2026 fee changes make inventory management the deciding factor. Brands that keep only a few weeks of supply at Amazon, avoid aged inventory and plan inbound shipments carefully keep their fees in a manageable range. Brands that send large holiday buys early, or let slow sellers sit, pay storage and surcharges that can erase the margin on those products.
How Cart.com Helps Brands Control Amazon Costs
Commerce Services by Cart.com and Cart.com's fulfillment network work from the same inventory and order data, so marketplace decisions and warehouse decisions stay connected. Cart.com's marketplace team manages listings, advertising and account health. The fulfillment team stages inventory, preps it to Amazon's requirements and replenishes FBA on a schedule built around real sales velocity.
UV Skinz, a sun-protective apparel brand, is one example. Cart.com runs the brand's FBA replenishment alongside fulfillment for its own sites and merchant-fulfilled Amazon orders. The result was a 0% late shipment rate for more than three months, against Amazon's 4% threshold. Consistent replenishment like that keeps brands above the low-inventory threshold without overloading Amazon's warehouses ahead of Q4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main Amazon FBA fees?
The main Amazon FBA fees are the referral fee, a percentage of each sale that is usually 15%, and the fulfillment fee, a per-unit charge based on size and weight. Brands also pay monthly storage fees, and may pay inbound placement fees, low-inventory-level fees, aged inventory surcharges, returns processing fees and, in Q4, holiday peak fulfillment fees.
Did Amazon FBA fees go up in 2026?
Yes. Amazon raised FBA fees by an average of $0.08 per unit on January 15, 2026, then added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on fulfillment fees starting April 17, 2026. Amazon puts the surcharge at about $0.17 per unit on average. Holiday peak fees add roughly $0.32 per unit from October 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027.
What is the Amazon FBA fuel and logistics surcharge?
It's a 3.5% surcharge that Amazon added to US FBA fulfillment fees on April 17, 2026. It's calculated on the fulfillment fee, not the product's selling price, so a $5.00 fulfillment fee carries about $0.18 in surcharge. Amazon calls it temporary but has not announced an end date.
How much are Amazon FBA storage fees in Q4?
From October through December, Amazon charges $2.40 per cubic foot per month for standard-size inventory and $1.40 for oversize inventory. That's more than three times the January-through-September standard rate of $0.78. Inventory held longer than 180 days also pays an aged inventory surcharge.
How can I avoid the Amazon low-inventory-level fee?
Keep at least 28 days of supply inside Amazon's fulfillment network for each product. Amazon counts only sellable units it has already received, so plan replenishment far enough ahead that inventory is checked in before supply drops below 28 days. Holding backup stock at a 3PL lets you replenish quickly without paying Amazon to store the extra inventory.
Is it cheaper to use a 3PL instead of FBA?
For Amazon orders, FBA is often the most cost-effective option once Prime eligibility is factored in. For orders from your own site, wholesale accounts and other marketplaces, a 3PL is often cheaper and gives you more control over packaging and delivery. Many brands use both, with FBA for Amazon orders and a 3PL for everything else, including replenishing FBA.
Get More Out of Every Amazon Sale
Amazon's fees will keep changing, but the brands that protect their margins plan inventory around them. If you want help balancing FBA, your own channels and the inventory between them, talk to Cart.com's marketplace and fulfillment teams about building a plan that keeps more of every sale. Learn more about Cart.com Marketplace Services and fulfillment.
Related reading: Amazon MCF vs. FBA: Which Fulfillment Option Is Right for Your Brand?, What Is a Managed Marketplace Service?, Amazon Seller Account Requirements
