Amazon FBA Fees Explained: Every Cost You'll Pay in 2026
Every dollar Amazon takes out of your sale — referral fees, fulfillment fees, storage fees, and the surprise charges most beginners miss. Know the math before you buy anything.
The 4 Fee Types That Matter
Amazon's fee structure has a lot of fine print. For retail arbitrage, four fees determine 95% of your actual profitability. Know these four and you can calculate any buy accurately in under 30 seconds.
Amazon's commission on every sale. Category-dependent. Charged on the total sale price including shipping.
Covers pick, pack, and ship to customer. Charged per unit sold. Based on size and weight tier.
Charged for inventory sitting in Amazon's warehouse. Minimal if items sell within 30 days.
Your cost to ship inventory to Amazon's warehouse. Not an Amazon fee — but part of your total cost.
Referral Fees by Category
Amazon charges a percentage of your total sale price as a referral fee. The rate depends entirely on the product category. Here are the rates for the categories most relevant to retail arbitrage:
| Category | Referral % | Min Fee | Arbitrage Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toys & Games | 15% | $0.30 | Primary clearance category — model all toy runs at 15% |
| Home & Kitchen | 15% | $0.30 | Strong clearance category |
| Health & Personal Care | 15% | $0.30 | Fast turnover, consistent margins |
| Baby Products | 15% | $0.30 | High velocity, low return rate |
| Office Products | 15% | $0.30 | Steady BSR, predictable |
| Pet Supplies | 15% | $0.30 | Growing category |
| Kitchen | 15% | $0.30 | Strong clearance at Walmart + Target |
| Electronics | 8% | $0.30 | Lower % but higher $$ amounts — use Affirm 0% for these |
| Clothing & Accessories | 17% | $0.30 | Highest referral fee — also high returns. Approach carefully. |
| Books | 15% | $1.80 | Higher minimum referral fee — check per-unit math |
| Grocery | 8% | $0.30 | Only sell with expiration date awareness |
Model all non-electronics clearance at 15% referral fee. Electronics at 8%. Clothing at 17%. These are your working assumptions for in-store decisions — SellerAmp calculates the exact fee per scan.
FBA Fulfillment Fees
Amazon charges a per-unit fulfillment fee for every item sold through FBA. The fee is based on the item's size tier and shipping weight:
| Size Tier | Fee | Weight | Max Dimensions | Common Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small standard (under 4oz) | $3.22 | < 4oz | < 15"×12"×0.75" | Phone cases, small accessories, cosmetics |
| Standard (4oz–12oz) | $3.77 | 4–12oz | < 15"×12"×0.75" | Most health/beauty products, small toys |
| Standard (12oz–3lb) | $4.49 | 12oz–3lb | Standard size | Typical toy and home product range |
| Standard (3lb–20lb) | $5.99–$6.15 | 3–20lb | Standard size | Heavier kitchen or home items |
| Oversize — Small | $9.73+ | 20–70lb | Larger dims | Avoid for arbitrage — fees eat margin |
| Dangerous goods (batteries) | +$0.13–$0.31 | Varies | Varies | Hazmat surcharge — SellerAmp flags these |
Monthly Storage Fees
Amazon charges for the space your inventory occupies in their fulfillment centers. For fast-moving arbitrage inventory (BSR under 200K), this is usually minimal — items sell before much storage accumulates. It becomes a real cost if inventory sits.
A standard-size product occupies roughly 0.05–0.15 cubic feet. At $0.87/cubic ft, monthly storage on a single unit is roughly $0.04–$0.13 — negligible if it sells within 30 days. At the October–December peak rate on inventory sitting 60 days, that same unit costs $0.24–$0.72/month. Sell fast. Don't let Q4 inventory sit.
Other Fees to Know
| Fee | Amount | When It Applies |
|---|---|---|
| Low-inventory-level fee | $0.89/unit | When your inventory covers fewer than 28 days of supply. Introduced 2024. |
| Aged inventory surcharge | $0.50–$6.90/unit | Inventory over 180 days in FBA warehouse. Never hold this long. |
| Returns processing fee | Varies | On returns in high-return categories (clothing, electronics). Check per category. |
| Removal fee | $0.97–$10+/unit | To remove unsold inventory from FBA. Factor into exit strategy on slow movers. |
| Inbound placement fee | Varies | For splitting inventory across multiple fulfillment centers. Check current rates. |
| Individual plan fee | $0.99/item sold | Only on Individual seller plan (no monthly fee). Irrelevant once you upgrade to Professional. |
The ROI Calculation — Applied
Here's the exact math on a typical clearance buy. Use this template mentally on every sourcing decision:
| Amazon sale price (current Buy Box) | $27.99 |
| Referral fee (15% of $27.99) | −$4.20 |
| FBA fulfillment fee (12oz standard) | −$3.77 |
| After Amazon fees | $20.02 |
| Your buy cost (Afterpay-funded) | −$9.00 |
| Shipping to FBA (per unit share) | −$0.85 |
| Net profit per unit | $10.17 |
| ROI on buy cost | 113% |
| ROI on Day-1 cash (25% Afterpay) | 452% |
This product passes. ROI above 20% on buy cost. Day-1 cash return is exceptional because Afterpay's 25% down structure means you put in $2.25 to make $10.17.
The Starter Kit ROI calculator runs this math automatically — enter your clearance price and it returns net profit, ROI on buy cost, and ROI on Day-1 BNPL cash instantly.
Get the Starter Kit — $37Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon takes 8–17% as a referral fee (varies by category) plus a fulfillment fee of $3.22–$12+ per unit for FBA. Combined, Amazon typically takes 25–35% of your sale price. For a product selling at $30, expect Amazon to take $7–$10 before you see any money.
Use the Amazon Seller App or SellerAmp to calculate fees in-store before purchasing. Both apps show your estimated net profit after referral and FBA fees when you enter your buy cost. The formula is: Net Profit = Sale Price − Referral Fee − FBA Fulfillment Fee − Your Buy Cost − Shipping to FBA.
The FBA fulfillment fee covers Amazon picking, packing, and shipping your item to the customer. In 2026, standard-size items are charged $3.22–$6.15 depending on weight. Oversize items start at $9.73. The fee varies based on product dimensions and weight — heavier and larger items cost more.
Yes. Amazon charges monthly storage fees per cubic foot of space your inventory occupies in their fulfillment centers. Standard-size rates are approximately $0.87/cubic foot (January–September) and $2.40/cubic foot (October–December, the peak season surcharge). Items that sell in under 30 days accumulate minimal storage fees.
The Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold with no monthly fee. The Professional plan charges $39.99/month with no per-item fee. At 40+ sales per month, the Professional plan is cheaper. Most retail arbitrage sellers upgrade to Professional within 2–3 months.