By Bernardo Campelo, Forbes Business Council E-Commerce Leader, Amazon SPN Certified provider, and Founder of PrepVia.
Search for Amazon fee changes and most of what comes back was written in early 2024, when Amazon tore up its US FBA fee structure: placement fees, low inventory fees, a returns processing expansion, all of it. That architecture is still the one you are living with in 2026. What has changed since is quieter, and in some ways more expensive, because it arrived without a headline.
I run PrepVia, an Amazon SPN Certified prep center in Miami, Florida, and fee math is half of every client conversation, because the prep decision and the fee bill are the same decision seen from two sides. This page is the complete list as of 2026: every FBA fee category, its current rate, what changed and when, and which numbers are published rate cards versus Amazon's own stated averages. When Amazon revises mid-year, Seller Central wins over any blog post, including this one.
The 60-second version
The 2026 headline: three numbers moved. The rate card rose an average of $0.08 per unit on January 15, 2026, with no new fee types. A 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge landed on US FBA fulfillment fees on April 17, 2026, roughly $0.17 per unit on average by Amazon's own figure. And the holiday peak window runs October 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027 at the same roughly $0.32 per unit average increment as last year.
The real story: the fees doing the most damage in 2026 are the 2024 creations sellers still treat as edge cases: inbound placement, low inventory level, returns processing, and the aged inventory surcharge. In January 2026 the aged inventory minimums on year-old stock doubled and the low inventory fee reached bulky products.
What to do: five plays at the bottom of this page. Placement as per-shipment math, days of supply above 28, buffer stock staged outside Amazon, returns triage, and repricing against the full stack.
What Actually Changed for 2026: The One-Table Summary
The whole 2026 fee bill in one pass. Everything below this table is detail.
| Fee category | Status as of 2026 | The number that matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fulfillment fees | New card January 15, 2026, up an average $0.08 per unit; surcharge added April 17 | 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge, roughly $0.17 per unit average (stated average) |
| Holiday peak fulfillment fees | Increment unchanged from prior peak | Roughly $0.32 per unit average, October 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027 |
| Referral fees | Unchanged | 15% for most categories, $0.30 minimum; 2024 apparel price-band discounts still stand |
| Monthly storage | Unchanged | $0.78 per cubic foot standard size January through September, $2.40 October through December |
| Inbound placement fee | 2024 fee; bulky tier split in two on January 15, 2026 | $0.14 to $1.90 per unit standard size on minimal splits; $1.10 to $5.95 small bulky; $1.30 to $6.50 large bulky; $0.00 optimized; extra-large exempt |
| Low inventory level fee | Expanded to bulky products and FNSKU-level measurement January 2026 | $0.32 to $1.11 per unit sold standard size when days of supply fall below 28; bulky tiers reach about $2.09 |
| Aged inventory surcharge | Over-a-year minimums doubled January 2026; new 15-month tier | Starts at $0.50 per cubic foot at 181 days, climbs to $7.90 past 15 months |
| Returns processing fee | Carryover from June 2024 expansion | Charged per returned unit above your category's return-rate threshold |
The rows that moved for 2026 moved by cents. The bulk of the bill is 2024 decisions still compounding, which is why a 2026 invoice beats a 2024 invoice in a year Amazon prices at eight cents a unit.
Fulfillment Fees: New Card in January, Surcharge in April
The 2026 rate card took effect January 15, 2026. Amazon states the increase as $0.08 per unit on average, spread unevenly. Small standard items in the $10 to $50 price band took about a quarter. Large standard in that band took a nickel. Large standard under $10 took nothing. The card is also price-banded now: items under $10 ride the cheaper Low-Price FBA schedule, roughly $0.86 below standard rates, and items over $50 pay a step more. The rows below are the $10 to $50 band, the one most sellers live in.
Then on April 17, 2026 Amazon added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on US FBA fulfillment fees, roughly $0.17 per unit on average by its own statement. Because it is a percentage, your actual increase scales with your fee: light items pay a few cents, heavy items pay a quarter or more.
| Size tier (examples) | Base fee (published) | Effective with 3.5% surcharge (calculated) |
|---|---|---|
| Small standard, 8 to 10 oz | $3.68 | about $3.81 |
| Large standard, 12 to 16 oz | $4.60 | about $4.76 |
| Large standard, 2.75 to 3 lb | $6.67 | about $6.90 |
| Large standard, 3 to 20 lb | $6.97 plus $0.08 per 4 oz above 3 lb | about $7.21 plus the same climb, surcharged |
The base column is the published $10 to $50 band card as of 2026. The right column is arithmetic, not an Amazon table: base times 1.035, rounded. The surcharge shows as its own line on your statement.
Referral Fees: No Change, One Standing Exception
Referral fees did not change for 2026. Most categories still pay 15% of the sale price with a $0.30 per-item minimum, with the usual category exceptions. The one structural discount worth remembering arrived in January 2024 and still stands: apparel under $15 pays 5%, and apparel between $15 and $20 pays 10%. If you sell clothing in those bands, make sure your margin model knows about the discount.
Storage Fees: Same Rates, Two Multipliers Behind Them
Monthly storage rates are unchanged as of 2026.
| Period | Standard size | Large bulky and extra large |
|---|---|---|
| January through September | $0.78 per cubic foot | $0.56 per cubic foot |
| October through December | $2.40 per cubic foot | $1.40 per cubic foot |
Two multipliers hide behind the flat rates. The first is the Q4 jump itself: the same pallet costs roughly three times more to store in November than in June, a published number sellers still forget when they push an entire holiday buy into Amazon in early October. The second is the storage utilization surcharge, a graduated per-cubic-foot add-on for sellers whose stored volume runs far ahead of their sales velocity. Its bands depend on your utilization ratio and live in Seller Central, so no single number covers everyone. The operational translation is simple: Amazon charges extra when you use its buildings as a warehouse instead of a flow-through.
Aged Inventory Surcharge: The Table Worth Printing
The sub-year bands are unchanged for 2026, but the over-a-year tiers got more expensive in January 2026: the per-unit minimum on 12-to-15-month stock doubled to $0.30, and a new 15-month-plus tier tops the schedule at $7.90 per cubic foot. The clock still starts the day a unit is received and never pauses.
| Days in fulfillment centers | Surcharge per cubic foot per month (published, as of 2026) |
|---|---|
| 181 to 210 | $0.50 |
| 211 to 240 | $1.00 |
| 241 to 270 | $1.35 |
| 271 to 300 | $1.65 |
| 301 to 330 | $1.80 |
| 331 to 365 | $2.40 |
| 366 to 455 | $6.90, or $0.30 per unit, whichever is greater |
| Over 455 | $7.90, or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater (new for 2026) |
This schedule is why the smart Q4 move is two waves rather than one big push: a first wave sized to confident sell-through, and a second wave staged at a 3PL that inbounds against real velocity. Inventory at a prep center can still be redirected; inventory at an FC can only be sold or removed. The full backward calendar is in our Q4 2026 deadlines post.
Inbound Placement Fee: Still the Biggest New Line on Most Invoices
Introduced in March 2024, rebuilt twice since, and as of 2026 the line item clients ask us about most. The mechanics did not change: send a shipment to one destination (minimal splits) and Amazon charges per unit to redistribute it across its network; accept the optimized multi-destination split and the fee is $0.00.
Two revisions matter. On February 20, 2025 Amazon removed partial splits for standard size, so partial pricing exists for bulky only. On January 15, 2026 Amazon split the old Large Bulky tier in two: a new Small Bulky tier for packages up to 37 by 28 by 20 inches, and Large Bulky above that. Small Bulky is cheaper in every band, so a product you have called large bulky since 2024 may price as small bulky today. Measure the packed carton before you budget.
Standard size, 2026 card
| Tier and shipping weight | Minimal split, per unit |
|---|---|
| Small standard, 8 oz or less | $0.14 to $0.32 |
| Small standard, 8 to 16 oz | $0.16 to $0.32 |
| Large standard, 12 oz or less | $0.20 to $0.40 |
| Large standard, 12 oz to 1.5 lb | $0.24 to $0.50 |
| Large standard, 1.5 to 3 lb | $0.34 to $0.60 |
| Large standard, 3 to 5 lb | $0.38 to $0.76 |
| Large standard, 5 to 7 lb | $0.40 to $0.98 |
| Large standard, 7 to 10 lb | $0.42 to $1.20 |
| Large standard, 10 to 15 lb | $0.44 to $1.50 |
| Large standard, 15 to 20 lb | $0.55 to $1.90 |
Bulky, 2026 card
| Tier and shipping weight | Minimal split, per unit | Partial split, per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Small bulky, 5 lb or less | $1.10 to $1.60 | $0.55 to $1.10 |
| Small bulky, 5 to 12 lb | $1.75 to $2.40 | $0.65 to $1.75 |
| Small bulky, 12 to 28 lb | $2.74 to $3.50 | $0.81 to $2.19 |
| Small bulky, 28 to 42 lb | $3.95 to $4.95 | $1.05 to $2.83 |
| Small bulky, 42 to 50 lb | $4.80 to $5.95 | $1.23 to $3.32 |
| Large bulky, 5 lb or less | $1.30 to $1.80 | $0.55 to $1.25 |
| Large bulky, 5 to 12 lb | $2.10 to $2.90 | $0.65 to $1.80 |
| Large bulky, 12 to 28 lb | $3.40 to $4.10 | $0.81 to $2.30 |
| Large bulky, 28 to 42 lb | $4.70 to $5.60 | $1.05 to $2.95 |
| Large bulky, 42 to 50 lb | $5.50 to $6.50 | $1.23 to $3.50 |
Amazon-optimized splits are $0.00 in every row above. Standard size has no partial column because that option no longer exists. Extra-large products pay no placement fee at all. The ranges are ranges on purpose: the charge varies by destination region, and Send to Amazon shows your real number before you confirm.
Relief came twice for bulky: Amazon cut bulky placement fees in January 2025, and the 2026 tier split cut them again for everything inside the Small Bulky envelope. Concretely: 500 units of a 10 lb product in a 20 by 14 by 5 inch carton, too long for large standard, is small bulky in the 5 to 12 lb band. Minimal split at $1.75 to $2.40 per unit is $875 to $1,200. The same 500 units as large bulky, at $2.10 to $2.90, run $1,050 to $1,450. Partial split, bulky only, is $0.65 to $1.75, so $325 to $875.
The decision is genuinely two-sided, and most sellers get it wrong by defaulting. Paying zero means shipping to multiple destinations, often four or more, which multiplies freight. Paying the fee means one cheaper truck. Which side wins depends on units per box, box weight, and lane, and it flips shipment by shipment. The full rate mechanics are in our inbound placement fee guide, and the consolidation tactics that shrink the fee are in how to avoid inbound placement fees.
Low Inventory Level Fee: The Understock Penalty
Live since April 2024, and it grew in January 2026: the fee now reaches Small and Large Bulky products, not just standard size, and Amazon measures it per seller FNSKU instead of per parent ASIN. The threshold did not move. It applies when days of supply fall below 28, measured against both short-term and long-term sales rate, and it is charged per unit sold while you are under the threshold. That is the detail that surprises people: it taxes your sales at exactly the moment you are running out.
| Size tier | 0 to 13 days of supply | 14 to 20 days | 21 to 27 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small standard | $0.89 | $0.63 | $0.32 |
| Large standard, up to 3 lb | $0.97 | $0.70 | $0.36 |
| Large standard, 3 to 20 lb | $1.11 | $0.87 | $0.47 |
Standard-size rate card as of 2026; the bulky tiers added in January run higher, up to about $2.09 per unit at the lowest supply levels. Amazon maintains a short list of exemptions, including windows for new products and newer sellers, so check eligibility rather than assuming. The measurement mechanics and the restock math that keeps you above 28 days are in our low inventory level fee explainer, and the days-of-supply calculation itself, including why in-transit units count, is in Amazon FBA days of supply.
Returns Processing Fee: The Quiet One
In June 2024 Amazon expanded the returns processing fee beyond apparel and shoes to every category, charged on returned units that exceed your category's return-rate threshold. Apparel and shoes remain the special case: there it applies to every returned unit. The per-unit fee scales with size and weight; as of 2026 the published card starts around $1.78 for the smallest standard tier and climbs well past $4 for heavier items. Your product-level return rate and threshold sit in the FBA Returns dashboard.
Why I call it the quiet one: it lands weeks after the sale, it is invisible in most repricers, and in return-heavy categories like shoes and electronics accessories it can quietly outweigh the placement fee sellers spend hours optimizing. Prep quality is one of the few levers on your side of the fence: a meaningful share of returns are damage-in-transit or not-as-described complaints that trace back to missing poly bags, weak dunnage, or bundles that separate in the box.
Who Pays What: The 2026 Stack by Seller Model
Online arbitrage
The OA stack is dominated by the low inventory fee and placement. Depth per ASIN is thin by design, so days of supply swings below 28 constantly. Each replenishment shipment is small enough that minimal-split placement fees eat a visible share of a thin margin. The play is consolidation: pool many small buys into fewer, larger, better-split shipments through a prep center. The full workflow is in our online arbitrage prep guide.
Wholesale
Wholesale feels the storage side. Pallet-scale buys mean real cubic feet, so Q4 storage at $2.40 and the aged inventory clock are your line items to manage. Placement fees on big single-SKU sends are large enough in absolute dollars to justify doing the split math every time. The receiving-to-shipment flow that keeps a wholesale operation ahead of those clocks is in our wholesale FBA prep workflow.
Private label
Private label pays the whole stack, and the 2026 surcharge hits it hardest in dollar terms because PL products tend to be larger and heavier. The returns threshold matters more here too, because one bad packaging decision on your own product moves your entire ASIN's return rate. If you have not rebuilt your per-ASIN margin model since the surcharge landed, start with true profit per ASIN; the fee stack in that post is the one this page just walked through.
Five Plays That Cut the Total Bill
- Make placement a per-shipment calculation, not a default. Compare the placement fee against the real freight cost of the optimized split on every shipment. It flips both ways, and whichever way it flips is worth real money at volume.
- Hold days of supply above 28 with in-transit counted. The low inventory fee is entirely avoidable with a reorder point that includes what is already on the water and on the truck. Below 28 is not a warning, it is a per-unit charge on everything you sell.
- Stage buffer inventory outside Amazon. Keep wave two at a 3PL and inbound against actual velocity. You dodge Q4 storage on stock that will not sell until January and keep units off the aged inventory clock entirely.
- Attack the returns you can control. Poly bag what needs poly bagging, bundle so the bundle survives, box-in-box what breaks. Every returned unit above threshold is billed, and a fraction of those returns never had to happen.
- Reprice against the full 2026 stack. Base fee times 1.035, plus peak in Q4, plus referral, plus storage per unit, plus prep cost per unit. Our prep rates are published on the pricing page for exactly that reason: you cannot model a stack that hides one of its layers.
Final Take
2026 is the year the FBA fee conversation stopped being about new fees and became about compounding. Amazon nudged the rate card by pennies, added a percentage on top, and let the 2024 architecture keep working. The sellers whose bills grew fastest this year did not miss an announcement; they are running 2023 habits, one big Q4 push, default splits, restocking on gut feel, into a fee structure that now prices each of those habits individually.
The list above is the whole map as of 2026. Verify the rate cards in Seller Central, because Amazon revises mid-year and a blog post ages from the day it publishes. The structure, though, is stable, and the five plays work in any revision of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Amazon FBA fees changed in 2026?
Three moves. The rate card rose an average of $0.08 per unit on January 15, 2026, with no new fee types. A 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge was added to US fulfillment fees on April 17, 2026, roughly $0.17 per unit on average. Holiday peak fees kept the same increment as the prior year, about $0.32 per unit from October 15 through January 14. The 2024 fees, placement, low inventory, returns processing and aged inventory, all remain active, and the aged inventory minimums on year-old stock doubled in January 2026.
Did Amazon increase fulfillment fees in 2026?
Yes, modestly. The January 15, 2026 card raised fulfillment fees by an average of $0.08 per unit, and the 3.5% surcharge from April 17 sits on top, so a large standard unit in the 12 to 16 oz band went from $4.55 in 2025 to about $4.76 today. During the holiday peak window an additional increment of roughly $0.32 per unit applies on top of that.
What is the low inventory level fee?
It is a per-unit fee Amazon charges when days of supply drop below 28, measured against both short-term and long-term sales. As of 2026 it covers standard-size and bulky products, measured per FNSKU. Standard-size rates run from $0.32 to $1.11 per unit sold depending on size tier and how low your supply sits, and bulky tiers reach about $2.09. It is avoidable with restock planning that counts in-transit inventory toward supply.
How can sellers offset the 2026 FBA fee increases?
Treat the placement fee as per-shipment math instead of a default, keep days of supply above 28, stage buffer inventory at a third-party warehouse instead of aging it at Amazon, cut prep-caused returns, and reprice using the full fee stack per ASIN. Sellers who do those five things usually offset the surcharge several times over. A prep center that consolidates inbound also lowers the freight side of the same bill.
See PrepVia's published prep pricing →
24-36h prep · No minimums · Amazon SPN Certified · Miami, FL
Related Reading
- Amazon FBA Prep Service Fees 2026: the other half of your per-unit cost
- How to Avoid Inbound Placement Fees: the consolidation tactics in detail
- The Low Inventory Level Fee, Explained: bands, exemptions, and the restock math
- Q4 2026 Inventory Deadlines: the backward calendar behind the two-wave plan
