Amazon FBA fees are one of the biggest line items on any seller's P&L, and they change every year. If you're not tracking the latest fee structure, you could be pricing products at a loss without even realizing it. This guide covers every FBA fee that applies to US sellers in 2026, with actual dollar amounts, size-tier thresholds, and the less obvious charges that catch new sellers off guard.
Whether you're launching your first product or auditing your margins on an existing catalog, understanding these fees in detail is the difference between a profitable business and an expensive hobby.
How Amazon FBA Fees Work: The Big Picture
When you sell a product through Fulfillment by Amazon, you pay several layers of fees. Some are taken as a percentage of the sale price, while others are flat per-unit charges based on the physical dimensions and weight of the item. Here's the high-level breakdown of the fee categories you'll encounter:
- Referral fees — A percentage of the total sale price, paid on every sale regardless of fulfillment method
- FBA fulfillment fees — Per-unit charges for picking, packing, and shipping your product to the customer
- Monthly inventory storage fees — Charged per cubic foot for inventory stored in Amazon's warehouses
- Long-term storage fees — Additional charges for inventory that sits unsold for extended periods
- Inbound placement fees — Fees for how Amazon distributes your inventory across fulfillment centers
- Removal and disposal fees — Costs to have unsold inventory returned to you or destroyed
- Other fees — Returns processing, labeling, prep services, and more
Let's break each one down with 2026 numbers.
Referral Fees in 2026
The referral fee is Amazon's commission on every sale. It's calculated as a percentage of the total sale price (item price + shipping + gift wrap) and varies by product category. Most categories charge between 8% and 15%, though some go as high as 45%.
A few key categories and their 2026 referral fee rates:
| Category | Referral Fee |
|---|---|
| Electronics (Consumer) | 8% |
| Computers | 8% |
| Home & Kitchen | 15% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 15% |
| Toys & Games | 15% |
| Books | 15% |
| Clothing & Accessories | 17% |
| Jewelry | 20% (first $250), 5% (portion over $250) |
| Grocery & Gourmet | 8% (first $15), 15% (portion over $15) |
| Amazon Device Accessories | 45% |
There's also a minimum referral fee of $0.30 per item in most categories. Amazon charges whichever is greater: the percentage-based fee or the minimum. This mainly affects very low-priced items.
For the full referral fee table by category, see our complete referral fees by category guide.
FBA Fulfillment Fees (Per Unit)
Fulfillment fees are what you pay Amazon to store, pick, pack, and ship your product to the customer. These are flat per-unit charges that vary based on your product's size tier and shipping weight.
Size Tiers in 2026
Amazon classifies every product into a size tier based on its dimensions and weight. The two main categories are Standard-Size and Oversize, with subcategories within each.
| Size Tier | Max Weight | Max Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Small Standard | 16 oz | 15" x 12" x 0.75" |
| Large Standard | 20 lb | 18" x 14" x 8" |
| Large Bulky | 50 lb | 59" x 33" x 33" (max 130" L+G) |
| Extra-Large (0-50 lb) | 50 lb | Over Large Bulky |
| Extra-Large (50-70 lb) | 70 lb | Over Large Bulky |
| Extra-Large (70-150 lb) | 150 lb | Over Large Bulky |
| Extra-Large (150+ lb) | No limit | Over Large Bulky |
2026 Fulfillment Fee Amounts
Here are the FBA fulfillment fees for the most common size tiers as of 2026. These include picking, packing, shipping, and customer service:
| Size Tier | Shipping Weight | Fulfillment Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Small Standard | 2 oz or less | $3.06 |
| Small Standard | 2-4 oz | $3.15 |
| Small Standard | 4-6 oz | $3.24 |
| Small Standard | 6-8 oz | $3.33 |
| Small Standard | 8-10 oz | $3.43 |
| Small Standard | 10-12 oz | $3.53 |
| Small Standard | 12-14 oz | $3.60 |
| Small Standard | 14-16 oz | $3.65 |
| Large Standard | 4 oz or less | $3.68 |
| Large Standard | 4-8 oz | $3.86 |
| Large Standard | 8-12 oz | $4.08 |
| Large Standard | 12-16 oz | $4.30 |
| Large Standard | 1-1.5 lb | $4.85 |
| Large Standard | 1.5-2 lb | $5.19 |
| Large Standard | 2-2.5 lb | $5.44 |
| Large Standard | 2.5-3 lb | $5.68 |
| Large Standard | 3+ lb | $5.68 + $0.16/half-lb above 3 lb |
| Large Bulky | Any | $9.61 + $0.38/lb above first lb |
| Extra-Large (0-50 lb) | Any | $26.33 + $0.38/lb above first lb |
These fees are per unit, charged at the time of shipment. For a product weighing 12 oz in the Large Standard tier, you'd pay $4.30 per unit just in fulfillment fees before any other charges.
Calculate Your Exact FBA Fees
Use our free calculator to see your real profit across all 21 Amazon marketplaces — with currency conversion.
Try the Free FBA Calculator →Monthly Inventory Storage Fees
Every unit sitting in an Amazon fulfillment center costs you money. Storage fees are charged monthly based on the average daily volume (in cubic feet) your inventory occupies.
| Period | Standard-Size | Oversize |
|---|---|---|
| January – September | $0.78 per cubic foot | $0.56 per cubic foot |
| October – December (Q4) | $2.40 per cubic foot | $1.40 per cubic foot |
Notice the Q4 spike: storage fees roughly triple during peak season. This is Amazon's way of encouraging sellers to maintain lean inventory outside of products that will actually sell during the holidays. If you have slow-moving inventory in Q4, you're paying premium storage rates for items that aren't earning their keep.
Storage Utilization Surcharge
Amazon introduced a storage utilization surcharge that applies when your ratio of average daily inventory volume to average daily shipped volume exceeds certain thresholds. If your storage utilization ratio is above 26 weeks, you pay a surcharge on top of the standard monthly storage fee. This is Amazon's way of penalizing sellers who use fulfillment centers as long-term warehouses.
Aged Inventory Surcharge (Long-Term Storage)
Previously called "long-term storage fees," the aged inventory surcharge applies to any units that have been in Amazon's fulfillment centers for more than 181 days. The surcharge is assessed on the 15th of each month:
| Inventory Age | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 181-210 days | $0.50 per cubic foot |
| 211-240 days | $1.00 per cubic foot |
| 241-270 days | $1.50 per cubic foot |
| 271-300 days | $2.00 per cubic foot |
| 301-330 days | $3.00 per cubic foot |
| 331-365 days | $4.00 per cubic foot |
| 365+ days | $6.90 per cubic foot or $0.15 per unit, whichever is greater |
This is in addition to the standard monthly storage fee. Products sitting in a warehouse for over a year can easily have their storage costs exceed the value of the product itself. Monitor your Inventory Age reports in Seller Central and set up removal orders for aged inventory before these surcharges kick in.
Inbound Placement Service Fee
When you ship inventory to Amazon, they decide which fulfillment centers receive your products. The inbound placement service fee was introduced in 2024 to offset the cost of distributing inventory across Amazon's network.
You have several placement options:
- Amazon-optimized splits (default) — Amazon sends your inventory to multiple fulfillment centers. Fees vary by product size and number of ship-to locations.
- Minimal shipment splits — You ship to fewer locations, but pay higher inbound placement fees per unit.
- Partial inventory placement (PIP) — Ship to a single location for the highest per-unit fee.
For standard-size items under 1 lb shipped with Amazon-optimized splits, the fee ranges from $0.21 to $0.68 per unit depending on the number of ship-to locations. Choosing to ship to a single destination can increase this to $1.10+ per unit for standard-size items.
The fee is waived if you can ship your inventory directly to 4+ Amazon-designated fulfillment centers on your own.
Returns Processing Fee
For most categories, Amazon doesn't charge sellers a returns processing fee — the cost of return shipping and handling is built into the fulfillment fee. However, for categories with high return rates (Clothing, Shoes, Handbags, Jewelry, Luggage, and Watches), Amazon charges a returns processing fee that's roughly equal to the fulfillment fee.
For products in these categories, a single return can effectively cost you the fulfillment fee twice — once for the original shipment and once for the return. Factor this into your pricing if you sell in categories with historically high return rates.
Removal and Disposal Fees
When you need to pull inventory out of Amazon's warehouses — whether to liquidate, return to yourself, or dispose of — you'll pay per-unit removal or disposal fees:
| Size Tier | Shipping Weight | Removal/Return | Disposal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 0-0.5 lb | $1.04 | $0.31 |
| Standard | 0.5-1 lb | $1.53 | $0.47 |
| Standard | 1-2 lb | $2.21 | $0.65 |
| Standard | 2+ lb | $2.21 + $0.72/lb above 2 lb | $0.65 + $0.22/lb above 2 lb |
| Oversize | 0-1 lb | $3.64 | $1.09 |
| Oversize | 1-2 lb | $4.48 | $1.51 |
| Oversize | 2+ lb | $4.48 + $0.72/lb above 2 lb | $1.51 + $0.22/lb above 2 lb |
Disposal is cheaper than removal but means your products are destroyed. If your products have any remaining value, it's usually worth paying for removal and liquidating them yourself.
Other FBA Fees to Know
FBA Prep Service Fees
If your products require labeling, poly-bagging, bubble-wrapping, or other prep that you haven't done yourself, Amazon will do it for you and charge per-unit fees ranging from $0.55 (labeling) to $2.00+ (bubble-wrap) per unit. Doing your own prep saves these costs but requires compliance with Amazon's packaging requirements.
Unplanned Service Fees
If your shipments arrive at Amazon's fulfillment centers without proper labeling or prep, Amazon charges "unplanned service fees" that are higher than standard prep fees. These range from $0.20 to $1.00+ per unit depending on the issue. Avoid these by following Amazon's inbound shipping requirements carefully.
Referral Fee Closing Fee (Media Items)
For media categories (Books, DVDs, Music, Software, Video Games), there's an additional closing fee of $1.80 per item sold, on top of the referral fee.
Low Inventory Level Fee
Introduced in recent years, this fee applies when your historical days of supply at FBA is consistently below 28 days for standard-size products. The fee ranges from $0.32 to $0.63 per unit shipped, depending on your historical days of supply and the product's shipping weight. It encourages sellers to keep sufficient stock at FBA to meet demand consistently.
How Fees Vary by Marketplace
Everything above applies to the US marketplace (amazon.com). If you sell internationally, fee structures differ significantly by marketplace. European marketplaces (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain) use different size-tier definitions, different fulfillment fee amounts (in local currencies), and have additional considerations like VAT and Pan-European FBA fees.
For a full breakdown of UK and European fees, see our Amazon FBA Fees UK & Europe 2026 guide.
Putting It All Together: Example Fee Calculation
Let's walk through a concrete example. Suppose you sell a kitchen gadget on Amazon US:
- Sale price: $24.99
- Product weight: 10 oz
- Size tier: Large Standard
- Category: Home & Kitchen (15% referral fee)
Here's what the fees look like:
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Referral fee (15%) | -$3.75 |
| FBA fulfillment fee | -$4.08 |
| Monthly storage (est.) | -$0.12 |
| Inbound placement fee (est.) | -$0.27 |
| Total Amazon fees | -$8.22 |
| Revenue after fees | $16.77 |
That's 32.9% of your sale price going to Amazon fees alone, before your cost of goods. If your landed cost (product + shipping to Amazon) is $7.00, your gross profit would be roughly $9.77, or a 39.1% margin. Factor in PPC advertising and other operating costs, and your net margin might land around 15-20%.
Calculate Your Exact FBA Fees
Use our free calculator to see your real profit across all 21 Amazon marketplaces — with currency conversion.
Try the Free FBA Calculator →Tips to Minimize FBA Fees in 2026
- Optimize packaging — Reduce product dimensions to qualify for a lower size tier. Even a fraction of an inch can move you from Large Standard to Small Standard, saving $0.40+ per unit.
- Monitor inventory age — Set up automated removal orders before the 181-day aged inventory surcharge kicks in.
- Ship to multiple FCs — Use Amazon-optimized shipment splits or ship to 4+ locations yourself to minimize inbound placement fees.
- Maintain 4-8 weeks of supply — Avoid the low inventory level fee without overstocking and triggering storage surcharges.
- Use the right product category — Some products legitimately fit in multiple categories. Choose the one with the lower referral fee if your product qualifies.
- Calculate fees before sourcing — Always run the numbers before committing to a new product. A product that looks profitable at first glance may not be once you stack all the fees.