Amazon Announces 2026 US FBA and Referral Fee Updates: What Sellers Need to Know

Amazon has officially announced its 2026 updates to US Referral and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees, with most changes taking effect on January 15, 2026.

This is one of the most significant seller updates heading into 2026, covering:

• FBA fulfillment fees

• low inventory fees

• inbound placement fees

• bulky and extra-large item rates

• coupon fee caps

• AWD, MCF, and Buy with Prime pricing

According to Amazon, the average FBA fee increase will be $0.08 per unit sold, which is less than 0.5% of the average selling price.

Importantly, Amazon notes there was no US referral or FBA fee increase in 2025, making this the first major pricing adjustment in two years.

Average FBA Fee Increase in 2026

For most sellers, the headline change is:

+$0.08 per unit on average

Amazon says this increase remains below:

• inflation

• industry logistics cost increases

• major carrier price hikes

The company also emphasized that the increase is significantly lower than the 3.9%–5.9% annual cost increases from major US carriers over the past two years.

Standard-Size FBA Fee Changes

The biggest changes apply to standard-size products, and fees now vary more heavily by price bands.

Products Priced $10–$50

• Small standard-size: +$0.25 per unit

• Large standard-size: +$0.05 per unit average

Products Below $10

• Small standard-size: +$0.12 average

• Large standard-size: no change

Amazon is also increasing the Low-Price FBA discount.

The average fee discount rises to:

$0.86 per unit(up from $0.77)

This is excellent news for sellers focused on low-ticket impulse products.

Products Above $50

Higher-value products will see larger increases:

• Small standard-size: +$0.51

• Large standard-size: +$0.31 average

Amazon says these products require more handling and enhanced service levels.

Major Update to Low Inventory Fees

A very important operational change:

Low-inventory-level fees will now apply at the FNSKU level instead of parent ASIN level.

This means variation-level stock health becomes much more important.

For example: If one color or size variation runs low, it can now trigger fees even if the parent listing is healthy.

Good News for Grocery Sellers

Grocery products are now fully exempt. This is a major benefit for replenishable inventory sellers.

New Inbound Placement Fee Changes

Amazon is also updating inbound placement service fees.

Minimal Split Option

Standard-size products using minimal splits will increase by: +$0.05 per unit average

For large standard-size items (3–20 lb), Amazon is introducing five new weight bands, making pricing more granular.

This means packaging optimization becomes even more important.

New Inbound Defect Fee Structure

Amazon is simplifying inbound defect charges. Late, missing, abandoned, or misrouted shipments will now incur: $0.60 per unit average

Previously, sellers could be charged multiple fees. This update improves fee predictability.

Aged Inventory Fee Increases

Long-term storage costs are increasing.

12–15 Months

New minimum fee: $0.30 per unit per month (up from $0.15 increase)

15+ Months

New tier introduced: $0.35 per unit per month or $7.90 per cubic foot

whichever is greater.

This is a strong signal that Amazon wants faster-moving inventory.

Removal and Disposal Fees Reduced

A positive update for inventory cleanup:

Removal and disposal fees for aged standard-size products under 0.5 lb will be reduced by: $0.20 per unit

This helps sellers remove stale stock more affordably.

Huge Fee Changes for Bulky and Extra-Large Products

This is one of the most impactful changes.

Amazon is splitting the current Large Bulky tier into:

• Small Bulky

• Large Bulky

This creates more accurate pricing.

Fee Reductions

Average decreases:

• Small Bulky: -$2.06 per unit

• Large Bulky: -$0.26

• Extra-Large: -$2.08

This is a major win for furniture, fitness equipment, home goods, and oversized products.

New Packaging Fee for Non-SIPP Bulky Products

For bulky products that cannot ship in their own packaging:

New packaging fee: +$2.07 average per unit

This replaces the old SIPP discount model. Sellers should strongly consider packaging redesign to maintain margins.

Coupon Fee Update for 2026

Amazon is introducing a new cap for variable coupon fees. Starting November 5, 2025: maximum $2,000 per coupon

This provides more predictability for Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions.

This is especially useful for high-volume sellers.

AWD Fee Updates

Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) pricing is also changing.

West Region Storage

New fee: $0.57 per cubic foot

East and South remain: $0.48

Transportation fee increases to: $1.40 per cubic foot

Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) Fee Changes

MCF fees will increase by: +$0.30 per unit average

However: Orders with 3+ units in standard-size categories remain unchanged.

Amazon is also launching Preferred Pricing discounts up to 15%.

This could be highly valuable for DTC and omni-channel brands.

Buy with Prime Fee Updates

Buy with Prime fees increase by: +$0.24 average per unit

However, Amazon is reducing the Prime service fee minimum from: $1.00 → $0.30

This is a significant improvement for low-AOV brands.

What Sellers Should Do Now

To prepare for 2026, sellers should focus on:

• packaging optimization

• variation-level stock management

• aged inventory cleanup

• bulky item margin recalculation

• coupon budget forecasting

• use Amazon’s Profit Analytics dashboard

The Revenue Calculator and Fee Preview reports have already been updated.

Final Thoughts

Amazon’s 2026 US FBA fee update introduces a mix of modest increases and strategic fee reductions.

While standard-size sellers may see slightly higher costs, bulky and extra-large product sellers could benefit significantly from lower fees.

For most sellers, the key to protecting margins in 2026 will be:

• better inventory forecasting

• faster stock turnover

• packaging improvements

• listing-level profit analysis