Amazon Seller Fees 2026: Referral Fees, FBA and What You Really Keep
Amazon fees have two main parts: a referral fee on every sale and, if you use Fulfillment by Amazon, an FBA fee per unit. Here is what changed for 2026 and how to calculate your real profit.
Short answer: most categories pay a 15% referral fee in 2026 (unchanged from 2025). FBA fees went up by about $0.08 per unit on average.
1. Referral fee
The referral fee is a percentage of the total sale price, including any shipping you charge. Amazon kept referral percentages unchanged for both 2025 and 2026.
| Category (examples) | Referral fee |
|---|---|
| Most categories | 15% |
| Electronics, computers | 8% |
| Jewelry | 20% |
| Amazon device accessories | 45% |
Some categories, such as clothing and beauty, use tiered rates that depend on the item price. There is also a minimum referral fee per item in most categories, so very cheap items can pay more than 15%.
2. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fee
If Amazon stores, packs and ships your product, you pay an FBA fee per unit based on its size and weight. Amazon said its 2026 changes raise average fees by about $0.08 per unit, or less than 0.5% of an average item's price. Reports say the increase was steeper for some small items priced over $50.
With FBA, you no longer pay your own shipping and packaging for that order. The FBA fee replaces it.
3. Account plan
Amazon also charges a selling plan fee: a monthly subscription on the Professional plan, or a fee per item sold on the Individual plan. Spread it across your monthly sales when you work out profit per unit.
Worked example: a $29.99 item
Option A - you ship it yourself (product cost $10, shipping & packaging $5):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $29.99 |
| Referral fee (15%) | −$4.50 |
| Product cost | −$10.00 |
| Shipping & packaging | −$5.00 |
| Net profit | $10.49 (35.0% margin) |
Option B - FBA (same product; assume an FBA fee of $4.50 for illustration - check Amazon's fee table for your item's size):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sale price | $29.99 |
| Referral fee (15%) | −$4.50 |
| Product cost | −$10.00 |
| FBA fee (example) | −$4.50 |
| Net profit | $10.99 (36.7% margin) |
FBA can come out ahead when its fee is lower than your own shipping cost - and Prime eligibility often brings more sales. Storage fees and returns are extra, so include them for slow-selling items.
Price for a 25% margin
Shipping it yourself, this product needs a price of at least $25.00 on Amazon to keep a 25% margin.
Based on public information for Amazon US as of October 2026. Check Seller Central for your exact category, plan and FBA fees.