# Amazon FBA Fees Explained (2026)

Size tier, shipping weight, price band, season and surcharge: the five things that set an FBA fulfillment fee, plus referral and storage fees, worked through on real boxes.

By the 17x7 team · Updated October 15, 2026 · 11 min read

Read this if you sell in the US through Fulfillment by Amazon and want to trace every dollar Amazon keeps before you order inventory, change a box or move a price. All you need is the selling price, a tape measure and a scale.

You will see how Amazon's 2026 rate card turns box size, weight, price and ship date into a fulfillment fee, how the referral fee and monthly storage are stacked on top, and what the new small bulky tier, the holiday peak window and the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge do to the total. Rates come from Amazon's US Seller Central fee pages, checked October 8, 2026, with the peak table and the storage rates read again on October 15, 2026, and every worked number below was produced by the same code that runs our [Amazon FBA calculator](https://17x7.com/tools/amazon-fba-calculator/).

## The formula, term by term

Amazon fees per unit = fulfillment fee + fuel and logistics surcharge + referral fee + monthly storage

A few extras appear only in specific cases: media categories carry a $1.80 closing fee, very long extra-large items pay an overmax handling charge, and you may choose to pay a per-unit inbound placement fee. Net proceeds are the selling price minus the total.

### Size tier

Amazon sorts the packaged unit, not the bare product, by its three sides ranked from longest to shortest and by its weight. Small standard looks at the scale weight only; from large standard upward the weight limit applies to the larger of unit weight and dimensional weight (explained below). Starting January 15, 2026, there are five US tiers, and a unit lands in the first one whose limits it fits:

| Tier              | Longest × median × shortest, at most (in) | Weight limit                           | Length + girth cap |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------ |
| Small standard    | 15 × 12 × 0.75                            | 16 oz unit weight                      | none               |
| Large standard    | 18 × 14 × 8                               | 20 lb, larger of unit or dimensional   | none               |
| Small bulky (new) | 37 × 28 × 20                              | 50 lb, larger of unit or dimensional   | 130 in             |
| Large bulky       | 59 × 33 × 33                              | 50 lb, larger of unit or dimensional   | 130 in             |
| Extra-large       | anything bigger or heavier                | no cap; fees step at 50, 70 and 150 lb | none               |

Length + girth means the longest side plus two times the median side plus two times the shortest side. Small bulky, the newcomer, sits between large standard and large bulky and is billed at lower rates than large bulky. Outside peak, in the $10–$50 price band, its rate line starts at $7.55 against $9.35 for large bulky, and both add $0.38 for each pound past the first.

### Dimensional weight and shipping weight

Dimensional weight (lb) = length × width × height (inches) ÷ 139

Shipping weight = the larger of unit weight and dimensional weight

Dimensional weight lets Amazon charge for the space a light but large box takes up, though not in every tier. Small standard units are always billed on unit weight, and so are extra-large units over 150 lb. For bulky and extra-large units, Amazon treats width and height as at least 2 inches each. Every other unit is billed on whichever weight is higher.

Shipping weight then picks a row in the rate card. Small standard moves in 2-ounce steps up to 16 oz. Large standard moves in weight steps up to 3 lb; above that a separate 3+ lb rate line applies ($6.97 in the $10–$50 non-peak band) plus $0.08 for each 4 oz over 3 lb, a partial step counting as a full one (apparel adds $0.16 per half pound instead). Bulky tiers add a flat amount per pound.

### Price band and season

The same box pays one of three rates by selling price: under $10, $10 to $50, or over $50, with exactly $10.00 and $50.00 in the middle band. Each band has a non-peak and a peak version. The peak card applies to units that ship between October 15, 2026 and January 14, 2027; the rest of the 2026 rate year, January 15 to October 14, 2026, is non-peak. For the gadget in Example 1 below (large standard, 1.25+ to 1.5 lb row), the rate card reads:

| Price band | Non-peak | Peak  |
| ---------- | -------- | ----- |
| Under $10  | $4.60    | $4.91 |
| $10 to $50 | $5.42    | $5.73 |
| Over $50   | $5.68    | $5.99 |

These are base rates, before the surcharge. Apparel has its own rate card, which our calculator uses automatically for clothing.

### Fuel and logistics surcharge

Fulfillment fee charged = rate-card fee + rate-card fee × 3.5%

Since April 17, 2026, every FBA fulfillment fee carries an extra 3.5% for fuel and logistics. Referral fees and storage are left alone. Amazon does not publish a rounding rule for it, so we round the surcharge to the nearest cent.

### Referral fee

Referral fee = the larger of (category rate × selling price) and the $0.30 minimum

The referral fee is Amazon's sales commission, and size plays no part in it. Most categories charge 15% with a $0.30 minimum per unit, and Amazon did not change the US referral percentages for 2026\. Some categories switch the whole price to a new rate once it crosses a line; others charge a lower rate only on the part above the line.

| Category                                                        | Rule                                                 | Minimum |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| Most categories (home and kitchen, toys, sports, office, tools) | 15%                                                  | $0.30   |
| Beauty, health and personal care; baby                          | 8% of the whole price at $10 or less, otherwise 15%  | $0.30   |
| Grocery and gourmet                                             | 8% at $15 or less, otherwise 15%                     | none    |
| Clothing and accessories                                        | 5% at $15 or less, 10% at $20 or less, otherwise 17% | $0.30   |
| Electronics accessories                                         | 15% of the first $100, 8% of the rest                | $0.30   |
| Consumer electronics; computers                                 | 8%                                                   | $0.30   |
| Furniture                                                       | 15% of the first $200, 10% of the rest               | $0.30   |
| Books, music, video and DVD, software                           | 15% plus a $1.80 closing fee                         | none    |

Whole-price rules create cliffs. A clothing item at $15.00 pays a $0.75 referral fee; at $15.01 it pays $1.50\. A beauty product at $10.00 pays $0.80, and one cent more pushes it to $1.50\. Part-of-the-price rules have no cliff: an electronics accessory at $150 pays $19.00, because only the slice above $100 drops to 8%.

### Monthly storage

Storage per unit per month = (length × width × height ÷ 1,728) cubic feet × monthly rate

| Months               | Standard-size, per ft³ | Oversize (bulky and extra-large), per ft³ |
| -------------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| January to September | $0.78                  | $0.56                                     |
| October to December  | $2.40                  | $1.40                                     |

Amazon bills storage by the space your stock occupies each month, so a per-unit figure depends on how long the unit waits to sell and which months it waits through. Every calendar month is billed at its own rate, in proportion to the days the unit spent on the shelf. For an estimate, our calculator counts back from the ship date by the months you enter and adds those months up one at a time, which is why a unit shipped in early October still pays mostly the January–September rate.

## Three worked examples

### Example 1: a kitchen gadget where dimensional weight wins

A gadget sells for $24.99 in the 15% referral group. Its retail box measures 10 × 6 × 3 inches and the packed unit weighs 1.2 lb. It ships on June 1, 2026, and we allow one month of storage.

1. **Tier.** Too thick for small standard's 0.75-inch limit; every side and the weight fit the large standard limits, so that is its tier.
2. **Weight.** 10 × 6 × 3 ÷ 139 = 1.29 lb of dimensional weight, which beats the 1.2 lb unit weight. Shipping weight is 1.29 lb, which falls in the 1.25+ to 1.5 lb row instead of 1+ to 1.25 lb.
3. **Fulfillment.** Rate card, $10–$50 band, non-peak: $5.42\. Surcharge: $5.42 × 3.5% = $0.19\. Fulfillment fee: $5.61.
4. **Referral.** 15% of $24.99 = $3.75, well above the $0.30 minimum.
5. **Storage.** 0.1042 ft³ × $0.78 × 1 month = $0.08.
6. **Total.** $5.61 + $3.75 + $0.08 = $9.44 in Amazon fees, leaving net proceeds of $15.55.

The box size is costing money here. In a 9 × 6 × 3 inch box, dimensional weight is 1.17 lb, the 1.2 lb unit weight takes over, the rate card fee drops to $5.04 ($5.22 with the surcharge) and total fees fall by $0.40 per unit, to $9.04.

### Example 2: the same gadget shipped in November

Same box, same weight, same $24.99 price, but the unit ships on November 10, 2026, inside the peak window. Tier, dimensional weight and weight row do not change.

1. **Fulfillment.** Rate card, $10–$50 band, peak: $5.73\. Surcharge: $0.20\. Fulfillment fee: $5.93.
2. **Referral.** Still $3.75\. Referral fees have no holiday season.
3. **Storage.** One month back from November 10 is October 10, so the unit sits through 22 days of October and 9 of November, all at the October–December rate: 0.1042 ft³ × $2.40 × (22/31 + 9/30) = $0.25.
4. **Total.** $5.93 + $3.75 + $0.25 = $9.93 in fees, leaving net proceeds of $15.06.

The holiday version costs $0.49 more per unit: $0.32 from fulfillment and $0.17 from storage. With three months on the shelf instead of one, the stay reaches back to August 10: 52 days at the $0.78 rate and 40 at $2.40 bring storage to $0.46 and total fees to $10.14.

### Example 3: a 7.9 lb item in the new small bulky tier

A $30 item ships in a 20 × 10 × 5 inch box and weighs 7.9 lb, with a June 1, 2026 ship date. Its weight matches the small bulky example on Amazon's 2026 fee page, so you can check the result against Amazon's.

1. **Tier.** The 20-inch side is too long for large standard; every side fits 37 × 28 × 20 and length + girth is 50 inches, so it is small bulky.
2. **Weight.** 20 × 10 × 5 ÷ 139 = 7.19 lb of dimensional weight. The 7.9 lb unit weight is higher, so shipping weight is 7.90 lb.
3. **Fulfillment.** Small bulky, $10–$50 band, non-peak, starts at $7.55 and adds $0.38 for each pound past the first, counting a partial pound as a whole one. That is 7 extra pounds: $7.55 + $0.38 × 7 = $10.21, the same figure Amazon publishes. Surcharge: $0.36\. Fulfillment fee: $10.57.
4. **Referral.** 15% of $30.00 = $4.50.
5. **Storage.** Oversize rate: 0.5787 ft³ × $0.56 × 1 month = $0.32.
6. **Total.** $10.57 + $4.50 + $0.32 = $15.39 in fees, leaving net proceeds of $14.61.

Shipped on November 10, 2026, the same unit pays $16.96, or $1.57 more. A bulky unit without Ships in Product Packaging certification is charged a further $1.51 to $4.04 for packaging, which these totals leave out.

## Common mistakes that skew the estimate

1. **Measuring the product instead of the shipping unit.** Spec sheets often give the bare item; Amazon measures the packed retail unit, so get those dimensions and that weight.
2. **Trusting the scale alone.** In Example 1 a 1.2 lb unit is billed at 1.29 lb. Whenever L × W × H ÷ 139 beats the unit weight, the box sets the fee.
3. **Missing the 2-inch floor on bulky items.** A 3 lb flat panel packed at 40 × 12 × 1 inches is large bulky, so its dimensional weight uses a 2-inch height: 40 × 12 × 2 ÷ 139 = 6.91 lb. It is billed on 6.91 lb, not 3 lb; sold at $20 and shipped in June 2026, it pays a fulfillment fee with surcharge of $12.04.
4. **Working from pre-April numbers.** Before April 17, 2026 the Example 1 gadget paid $5.42 for fulfillment instead of $5.61\. A fee sheet built early in the year misses the 3.5% surcharge.
5. **Setting a price without checking the band edges.** For the Example 1 box, the rate card fee is $4.60 at $9.99, $5.42 at $24.99 and $5.68 at $59.99\. A move from $50.00 to $50.01 lands in the top band.
6. **Forgetting the $0.30 minimum on cheap items.** 15% of $1.50 is $0.225, but Amazon charges $0.30\. A $1.50 item in a 6 × 4 × 0.5 inch package weighing 3 oz, shipped in June 2026 with one month of storage, pays $2.89 in fees, for net proceeds of −$1.39 before product cost. The minimum stops mattering at $2.00.
7. **Treating Q4 storage as a rounding error.** The October–December standard-size rate of $2.40 per cubic foot is about 3.08 times the $0.78 rate; oversize goes up 2.5 times. Stock that lands in early October pays that rate every month it waits through December.

## Calculator, pencil or Seller Central?

Work one product through by hand once: it shows which term dominates, and a referral fee alone is one multiplication. Beyond that, the [FBA fee calculator](https://17x7.com/tools/amazon-fba-calculator/) is faster and harder to get wrong. It sorts the sides, applies the 2-inch floor, finds the right row among 27 non-apparel and 21 apparel rate lines, switches to peak rates by ship date and shows every step, which suits comparing box sizes, testing prices near $10 and $50, or planning Q4 stock.

Neither a calculator nor a hand calculation is enough when:

- The product already has a live ASIN. Amazon bills it on the dimensions and weight its warehouse recorded, which may not match your tape measure, so the fee preview Amazon shows for that ASIN, not your own numbers, is the figure to go by.
- Your costs depend on how you run inventory rather than on the product: returns processing, advertising, the low-inventory-level fee, aged-inventory and storage utilization surcharges, and the $39.99 monthly Professional plan all sit outside the formula above.
- You are planning past January 14, 2027\. The 2026 rate card ends there, and Amazon usually announces the next year's fees in December.

Net proceeds are not profit. To subtract product cost and inbound shipping and see margin, continue with [how to work out your Amazon FBA profit margin](https://17x7.com/guides/amazon-fba-profit-margin/). Selling on Etsy too? See [Etsy fees explained](https://17x7.com/guides/etsy-fees-explained/).

## Quick answers

### Does the 3.5% surcharge apply to the referral fee?

No. It is added only to the FBA fulfillment fee, not to referral, closing or storage fees.

### What is the overmax charge?

An extra handling charge for extra-large units with a longest side over 96 inches or length + girth over 130 inches: $17 up to 50 lb, $21 from 50 to 70 lb, $25 from 70 to 150 lb.

### How do we know the rate card in the calculator is right?

Amazon's 2026 fee page includes four worked examples, all in the $10–$50 band outside peak and before the surcharge: a 3.35 lb large standard item at $7.13, a 7.90 lb small bulky item at $10.21 (Example 3), a 47.59 lb extra-large item at $44.19 and a 65.47 lb extra-large item at $48.57\. Our code reproduces all four to the cent; run your own product through the [calculator](https://17x7.com/tools/amazon-fba-calculator/) to see each step.

## Sources

Every rate and rule in this guide comes from these official pages; the dates are when we last checked them.

- [Amazon Seller Central — FBA fulfillment fees (2026)](https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/external/GABBX6GZPA8MSZGW) — checked 2026-10-15
- [Amazon Seller Central — Dimensional weight and product size tiers](https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/external/G53Z9EKF8VVZVH29) — checked 2026-10-09
- [Amazon Seller Central — Referral fees](https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/external/G200336920) — checked 2026-10-08
- [Amazon Seller Central — Monthly storage fees](https://sellercentral.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/external/G3EDYEF6KUCFQTNM) — checked 2026-10-15

## Run your own numbers

- [Amazon FBA Calculator](https://17x7.com/tools/amazon-fba-calculator/)

## More guides

- [How Etsy Fees Work in 2026](https://17x7.com/guides/etsy-fees-explained/)
- [How to Price Etsy Products for Profit](https://17x7.com/guides/how-to-price-etsy-products/)
- [How to Calculate Amazon FBA Profit Margin and ROI](https://17x7.com/guides/amazon-fba-profit-margin/)

**Note.** Guides explain how the numbers work using published rules and our own worked examples. They are not tax, legal, financial or engineering advice; fees and codes change, so check the current source before you rely on a figure.

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Source: https://17x7.com/guides/amazon-fba-fees-explained/ · Last updated: 2026-10-15