Selling through Fulfillment by Amazon means paying two kinds of fees on every unit: a referral fee, which is a percentage of the price set by category, and a fulfillment fee, which depends on the size tier, the shipping weight and the price band. Storage, inbound placement and seasonal fees come on top. This calculator works out each one from the numbers on your product, shows the profit and return per unit, and puts FBA next to FBM (fulfilled by merchant, where you ship the order yourself) so you can see which earns more.
Rates are Amazon's US fees as of October 2026. The calculator runs in your browser. It is an estimate: your Fee Preview report in Seller Central shows the exact fees Amazon will charge for each ASIN, based on Amazon's own measurements.
How to use the FBA calculator
- Choose the category. It sets the referral fee, from 8% for electronics and computers to 15% for most categories and 45% for Amazon device accessories.
- Enter the selling price and your product cost per unit.
- Enter the package dimensions and unit weight as the product will arrive at Amazon, in inches or centimeters and pounds, ounces, kilograms or grams. The badges under the fields show the size tier, the shipping weight, the price band and the volume in cubic feet.
- Set the storage season and how many months a unit sits in a fulfillment center before it sells. Enter what it costs you to ship each unit to Amazon.
- Add an inbound placement fee or holiday peak fee per unit if they apply to you, and keep the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge ticked.
- Fill in the FBM numbers: your postage per order, any shipping you charge the buyer, and packaging and labor.
- Read the FBA vs FBM table: every fee, the net profit, margin and ROI side by side.
For bulky or extra-large items, apparel and dangerous goods, open Use my own fulfillment fee and enter the fee from Fee Preview or Amazon's Revenue Calculator. The rest of the comparison still works.
Amazon referral fees by category
The referral fee is a percentage of the total sales price (item price plus any shipping or gift wrap the buyer pays), with a minimum of $0.30 per item in most categories. Some categories switch rate at a price threshold. Here are common ones as of October 2026:
| Category | Referral fee |
|---|---|
| Home and Kitchen, Toys, Sports, Pet Supplies, Office, Tools, Everything Else | 15% |
| Beauty, Health and Personal Care; Baby Products | 8% at $10 or less, 15% above $10 |
| Grocery and Gourmet | 8% at $15 or less, 15% above $15 |
| Clothing and Accessories | 5% at $15 or less, 10% from $15 to $20, 17% above $20 |
| Consumer Electronics, Computers | 8% |
| Electronics Accessories | 15% on the first $100, 8% on the rest |
| Furniture | 15% on the first $200, 10% on the rest |
| Jewelry | 20% on the first $250, 5% on the rest |
| Watches | 16% on the first $1,500, 3% on the rest |
| Automotive, Industrial and Scientific, Power Tools | 12% |
| Books, Music, Video, DVD, Software | 15% plus a $1.80 closing fee |
The difference between "8% at $10 or less, 15% above" and "15% on the first $100, 8% on the rest" matters. In the first kind, one rate applies to the whole price. In the second, each slice of the price has its own rate. The calculator follows Amazon's rule for each category.
FBA fulfillment fees in 2026
The fulfillment fee covers picking, packing, shipping and customer service for one unit. Amazon's 2026 US rate card took effect on January 15, 2026 and has three price bands: under $10 (the Low-Price FBA rates), $10 to $50, and over $50. Here is part of the standard-size table (non-apparel) before the fuel surcharge:
| Size tier and shipping weight | Under $10 | $10 to $50 | Over $50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small standard, 2 oz or less | $2.43 | $3.32 | $3.58 |
| Small standard, 2+ to 4 oz | $2.49 | $3.42 | $3.68 |
| Small standard, 8+ to 10 oz | $2.77 | $3.68 | $3.94 |
| Small standard, 14+ to 16 oz | $2.95 | $3.96 | $4.22 |
| Large standard, 4 oz or less | $2.91 | $3.73 | $3.99 |
| Large standard, 12+ to 16 oz | $3.78 | $4.60 | $4.86 |
| Large standard, 1+ to 1.25 lb | $4.22 | $5.04 | $5.30 |
| Large standard, 2.75+ to 3 lb | $5.85 | $6.67 | $6.93 |
| Large standard, 3 to 20 lb | $6.15 + $0.08 per 4 oz over 3 lb | $6.97 + $0.08 per 4 oz | $7.23 + $0.08 per 4 oz |
The calculator holds every weight step of this table. Since April 17, 2026, Amazon adds a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge to FBA fulfillment fees in the US, which the calculator applies when the box is ticked. A $5.04 fee becomes $5.22.
Size tiers and shipping weight
- Small standard: up to 15 x 12 x 0.75 inches and 16 oz. The fee uses the unit weight.
- Large standard: up to 18 x 14 x 8 inches and 20 lb. The fee uses the greater of the unit weight and the dimensional weight (length x width x height / 139, with width and height counted as at least 2 inches).
- Bulky and extra-large: anything bigger or heavier. These tiers have their own rate cards, so enter the fee from Fee Preview.
Dimensional weight is why a light but bulky box can cost more than you expect. The calculator tells you when the dimensional weight is the one being used.
Storage and other FBA costs
| Monthly storage per cubic foot | January to September | October to December |
|---|---|---|
| Standard size | $0.78 | $2.40 |
| Oversize | $0.56 | $1.40 |
The calculator multiplies the unit's volume by the rate and by the months you expect it to wait. Storage utilization surcharges (when you hold more than about 22 weeks of supply) and aged inventory surcharges are not included, so keep stock lean.
- Inbound placement fee: charged per unit when you let Amazon send your shipment to fewer locations. Amazon shows the fee when you create the shipment. Choosing Amazon-optimized splits removes it.
- Holiday peak fee: from October 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027, fulfillment fees carry a seasonal increase. Enter the per-unit amount from your Fee Preview to include it.
- Professional plan: $39.99 a month, not per unit, so it is left out. Divide it by your monthly units if you want to count it.
Worked examples
A $24.99 kitchen gadget
The box is 9 x 6 x 3 inches and weighs 1.1 lb. That is large standard, and the dimensional weight (162 / 139 = 1.17 lb) is above the real weight, so the shipping weight is 1.17 lb, in the 1+ to 1.25 lb step of the $10 to $50 band: $5.04, plus $0.18 fuel surcharge. The referral fee is 15% of $24.99, or $3.75. One month of October storage for 0.094 cubic feet is $0.23. Amazon fees total $9.20. With a $6 product cost and $0.60 to ship each unit to Amazon, profit is $9.19 per unit, a 36.8% margin and 139% ROI. In January to September, storage drops to $0.07 and profit rises to $9.35.
Shipped yourself for $5.50 postage plus $0.75 for packaging and labor, with free shipping to the buyer, the same item earns $8.99. FBA wins by $0.20 here, before you count the time you save and the Prime badge.
A $14.99 phone case versus $9.99
A 7 x 4 x 0.5 inch case weighing 3 oz is small standard. At $14.99 the fulfillment fee is $3.42 plus $0.12 surcharge, the referral fee (Electronics Accessories, 15%) is $2.25 and fourth-quarter storage is $0.02: $5.81 in total. At $9.99 the Low-Price FBA rate applies: $2.49 plus $0.09, a referral fee of $1.50 and the same storage, for $4.10. With a $3 cost and $0.20 inbound shipping, profit is $5.98 at $14.99 and $2.69 at $9.99. The lower fee does not make up for the $5 lower price.
A shirt at $19.99 versus $20.99
Clothing pays 10% from $15 to $20 and 17% above $20, on the whole price. At $19.99 the referral fee is $2.00. At $20.99 it is $3.57. Raising the price by $1 costs you $1.57 more in fees, so $19.99 earns more.
A 5 lb item in a 14 x 10 x 6 inch box
The dimensional weight is 840 / 139 = 6.04 lb, which is above the real 5 lb. Over 3 lb, the fee is $6.97 plus $0.08 for each started 4 oz: 13 steps, so $8.01, plus $0.28 surcharge. In a 14 x 10 x 4 inch box the dimensional weight would be 4.03 lb, the real 5 lb would count instead, and the fee would drop to $7.61 (8 steps), saving $0.40 plus surcharge on every unit.
Counting the Professional plan
The $39.99 monthly plan is a fixed cost, so its share per unit falls as you sell more. At 200 units a month it adds $0.20 per unit; at 50 units it adds $0.80. In the kitchen gadget example, $0.80 per unit would cut profit from $9.19 to $8.39. Use the break-even calculator to find how many units a month cover your fixed costs.
FBA or FBM: how to decide
FBA usually wins on small, light, fast-selling products, where Amazon's fulfillment fee is lower than the postage you could buy yourself and the Prime badge lifts conversion. FBM often wins on heavy, bulky or slow-moving items, where dimensional weight and storage eat the margin, and on items you can ship cheaply in bulk. Run both in the table with honest numbers for your postage and the time packing takes. If the gap is small, the deciding factors are usually cash flow (FBA ties money up in stock at Amazon) and how much of your week you want to spend packing.
Before you commit to a product, AM Jarvis Marketplace Research helps you compare product ideas across Amazon, Etsy, eBay and other marketplaces and write listings that fit each one. For keyword ideas, try the free Amazon keyword tool.
Troubleshooting
Fee Preview shows a different fulfillment fee
Amazon uses its own measurements of your product, which can differ from yours, especially in packaging thickness. Check the dimensions and weight in the Fee Preview report and enter those. Apparel and dangerous goods have their own rate cards: enter the fee under Use my own fulfillment fee.
The calculator says the item is bulky
Anything over 18 x 14 x 8 inches or 20 lb (including dimensional weight) leaves the standard-size tiers. Enter the fulfillment fee from Fee Preview or the Revenue Calculator to compare FBA with FBM.
My price is exactly $10 or $50
Under $10 is the Low-Price FBA band, so $10.00 already uses the $10 to $50 band, and $50.00 is still in it. Over $50 starts at $50.01.
Why is my margin lower than I expected
Look at the referral fee first, then at storage in the fourth quarter, when rates are about three times higher. For pricing in general, the profit margin calculator and the markup calculator help you set a price that leaves room for fees. If you also sell on eBay, compare with the eBay fee calculator.