How Amazon FBA fees affect your price
When you sell with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), your profit per unit is what remains of the selling price after your product cost, inbound shipping, the Amazon referral fee, the FBA fulfillment fee, storage, returns and advertising. Because the referral fee and ad spend are percentages of the price, raising the price also raises those fees, which is why the right price comes from a formula instead of a simple markup.
The main Amazon seller costs
- Referral fee: a percentage of the selling price that depends on the product category, often with a minimum fee per item.
- FBA fulfillment fee: a per-unit fee based on size tier and shipping weight.
- Monthly storage and surcharges: charged for inventory kept in Amazon fulfillment centers; spread them across expected units sold.
- Selling plan: the Professional plan has a monthly subscription, while the Individual plan charges a per-item fee.
- Advertising and returns: often the biggest hidden costs; add your average ad spend as a percentage and returns as a fixed amount per unit.
The formula
Selling price = fixed costs ÷ (1 − referral fee % − ad spend % − target net margin %). With $14.22 in fixed costs, a 15% referral fee, 10% ad spend and a 20% target margin, the price is $14.22 ÷ 0.55 ≈ $25.85. To understand the difference between margin and markup, read Margin vs. Markup.
Fee sources and review date
Amazon changes its fees often. Always check the official Amazon selling fees page and the FBA fee schedule in Seller Central. The defaults here are unverified estimates (a verificar). Last reviewed: not yet verified against the source (page drafted 2026-10-12).
Related tools: Markup Calculator, Margin Calculator and Price with Fees. Selling on Etsy instead? Try the Etsy Fee Calculator. Selling on eBay? Try the eBay Fee Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate Amazon FBA fees?
Add your product cost, inbound shipping, and the FBA fulfillment fee for your product's size and weight as fixed costs. Then add the referral fee percentage for your category and any ad spend as percentage costs. The calculator returns the price that leaves your target net margin.
What is the Amazon referral fee?
The referral fee is a percentage of the total selling price that Amazon charges on each sale. The rate depends on the product category, and many categories also have a minimum per-item referral fee. Check the current table on Amazon's Seller Central fee page.
What is the FBA fulfillment fee?
It is a per-unit fee for Amazon to pick, pack, and ship your order and handle customer service and returns processing. It depends on the product's size tier and shipping weight, so enter the amount from Amazon's current FBA fee schedule.
Which other costs should I include?
Monthly storage fees, aged inventory surcharges, the Professional plan subscription (spread across units sold), returns, and advertising. Add them as fixed costs per unit or percentage costs.
Why does the calculator say no price can work?
The percentage costs that come out of the price plus your target net margin must stay below 100 percent. Lower the margin target or the ad spend percentage.