What does Amazon FBA really cost?
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) means Amazon stores, picks, packs and ships your orders — for a fee per unit that depends on the product’s size tier, shipping weight and price. This Amazon FBA fee calculator uses the 2026 US rate card, works out the size tier from your dimensions and weight, and adds every fee that applies so you know your profit before you send inventory.
Fees included
| Fee | What it is |
|---|---|
| FBA fulfillment fee | Per unit, by size tier, shipping weight and price band (under $10, $10–$50, over $50) |
| Fuel & logistics surcharge | 3.5% added to fulfillment fees (from April 2026) |
| Holiday peak fee | Extra fulfillment fee from mid-October to mid-January |
| Monthly storage | Per cubic foot; higher from October to December |
| Referral fee | Amazon’s commission, usually 8–15% of the sale price |
How to use it
- Enter the product’s length, width, height and weight (packed).
- Enter your selling price, product cost and shipping to Amazon.
- See the size tier, every fee and your profit, margin and ROI.
Size tier and dimensional weight
Amazon charges by the greater of the unit weight and the dimensional weight (length × width × height ÷ 139 for most tiers). Light but bulky products can cost far more than you expect. A few millimetres of packaging can move a product into a higher tier — try smaller packaging and check the difference here.
Reduce your FBA fees
- Shrink packaging to stay in a lower size tier.
- Watch the price bands: prices just under $10 get lower fulfillment fees.
- Keep stock lean in Q4 when storage is most expensive.
- Bundle low-priced items to spread the per-unit fee.
For a full profit picture with ads and returns, use the Amazon profit calculator; to see the lowest safe price, use the Amazon break-even calculator.
2026 FBA fulfillment fee rates (US)
The FBA fulfillment fee — often called the pick and pack fee or FBA shipping cost — is what Amazon charges to pick, pack and ship one unit to your customer. It covers the shipping, so you do not pay postage on FBA orders. Since 2024 the fee also depends on your price: items under $10 pay less, and items over $50 pay more. Here are common 2026 rates outside the holiday peak, before the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge:
| Size tier & shipping weight | Under $10 | $10–$50 | Over $50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small standard, 4 oz or less | $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, 1.75 to 2 lb | $5.00 | $5.82 | $6.08 |
| Large standard, 2.75 to 3 lb | $5.85 | $6.67 | $6.93 |
| Small bulky, first lb | $6.78 | $7.55 | $7.55 |
| Large bulky, first lb | $8.58 | $9.35 | $9.35 |
Bulky and extra-large items add a fee for each pound above the first. Enter your product above to get the exact fee — the calculator uses the full rate card, including every weight step, the peak season rates and the fuel surcharge.
How to calculate FBA fees step by step
- Measure the packed product — length, width, height and weight in the box it ships in.
- Find the size tier — small standard, large standard, small bulky, large bulky or extra-large, from the longest side, the other two sides and the weight.
- Work out the shipping weight — the higher of the actual weight and the dimensional weight (L × W × H ÷ 139), rounded up.
- Look up the fulfillment fee for that tier, weight and your price band, then add 3.5% for the fuel and logistics surcharge.
- Add the referral fee (usually 15% of the price) and monthly storage to get your total FBA cost per unit.
FBA cost vs shipping it yourself (FBM)
With FBA you pay the fulfillment fee and storage, but you get the Prime badge and Amazon handles returns and customer service. With FBM (merchant fulfilled) you pay your own postage, packaging and time. FBA is usually cheaper for small, light items that sell quickly; FBM can be cheaper for heavy, bulky or slow-selling products. Compare both for your product with the Amazon revenue calculator, and check slow sellers with the Amazon FBA storage fee calculator.
Worked example: three products, three size tiers
Size, weight and price decide the fee, so the fastest way to understand FBA is to compare products. Try the presets above — they load real-world sizes:
| Product (packed) | Size tier | What drives the fee |
|---|---|---|
| Phone case, 6 × 3 × 0.5 in, 4 oz | Small standard | Unit weight in ounces; price band (under $10 is cheaper) |
| Coffee mug, about 5 × 4 × 4 in, 1 lb | Large standard | The bigger of real weight and dimensional weight |
| Yoga mat, 24 × 6 × 6 in, 3 lb | Small bulky | Dimensional weight with a 2-inch minimum on each side |
Dimensional weight is length × width × height ÷ 139 (in inches and pounds). A light but big box is billed as if it were heavier, which is why packaging size matters as much as product weight.
Settings explained
- Season: “Auto” uses holiday peak fulfillment fees between mid-October and mid-January and normal fees the rest of the year. Choose a season manually to compare both.
- Fuel & logistics surcharge: since April 17, 2026 Amazon adds 3.5% to the US FBA fulfillment fee. Leave it ticked for realistic numbers.
- Storage: charged per cubic foot per month, about three times higher from October to December.
- Amazon (FBA) vs Me (FBM): switch to see what you would pay if you shipped orders yourself — useful for bulky or slow sellers.
- Units and months: turn per-unit fees into a monthly picture, including storage for the stock you keep at Amazon.
Common mistakes
- Measuring the product instead of the packed box. Amazon measures the unit as it arrives, including packaging.
- Forgetting the price band. In 2026 the same item can pay a different fulfillment fee under $10, from $10 to $50, and over $50.
- Ignoring peak season. Planning a launch in November with summer fees understates costs.
Save a product with ⭐ to compare it with another size or price, or download the numbers as CSV for your spreadsheet. For the full picture of fees, read our guide to Amazon FBA fees in 2026.