2026 Amazon FBA Fee Breakdown: Every Change, Date, and Rate Explained

If you are an Amazon seller, you know the drill: Q4 is for selling, and Q1 is for recalculating your margins. Amazon has officially released its 2026 US Referral and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fee changes, and while the headline reads "average increase of $0.08 per unit," the devil is in the details.

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For many sellers, the real story isn't just the fulfillment fee hike—it’s the end of Amazon labeling services , the payout delays , and the aggressive new defect fees.

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At Sellify, we’ve dissected the rate cards and policy updates so you don’t have to. Here is everything changing on January 15, 2026, and exactly how to prepare.

1. The Core FBA Fulfillment Fee Changes

Effective Date: January 15, 2026

Amazon states that FBA fulfillment fees are increasing by an average of $0.08 per unit. However, this average hides significant variance depending on your product’s price and size.

The "Price Tier" Breakdown

Amazon is splitting fees based on the item's price, with heavier increases on expensive items to fund "service improvements" like faster returns processing.

• Items Priced Below $10 (Low-Price FBA):
  • The Change: Fees will increase by $0.05 per unit on average for Standard-size products.
  • The Silver Lining: Amazon is increasing the "effective discount" for these items to $0.86 per unit (up from $0.77) compared to standard items.
  • Verdict: If you sell cheap, small items, you are relatively safe.
• Items Priced $10 - $50:
  • The Change: A moderate increase. Small Standard units go up by $0.25; Large Standard units go up by $0.05 on average.
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  • Verdict: Most sellers live here. A $0.25 hit on a $12 item is significant, meaning you will need to re-calculate margins for nearly every SKU in your catalog.
  Sellify Tip: Instead of manually recalculating every ASIN, use the Sellify Extension. It automatically applies these new 2026 fee structures to your browser view, doing the math for you instantly so you can see your true net profit at a glance.
• Items Priced Above $50:
  • The Change: This is where it hurts. Fees will increase by $0.31 per unit on average. Small standard items in this bracket will jump by $0.51 per unit.
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  • Verdict: Amazon argues these products require "extra handling" and "faster processing". If you sell premium goods, your fulfillment costs are rising the fastest.

Bulky & Extra-Large Changes

Amazon is splitting the "Large Bulky" tier into Small Bulky and Large Bulky to offer better rates for smaller items in this class.

• SIPP Change: Amazon is removing the Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) discount for Bulky items. Instead, they are lowering the base fulfillment fee for these items automatically.

• The Catch: If your bulky product cannot ship in its own packaging, you will now incur a packaging fee averaging $2.07 per unit.

2. The Operational Shock: End of Amazon Prep Services

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

This is arguably the most disruptive change for "hands-off" sellers. Amazon will discontinue FBA prep and labeling services in the US.

• What is ending: FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, bubble wrapping, and boxing services previously performed by Amazon.

• The Consequence: Every unit you send to FBA must arrive 100% ready—labeled, bagged, and compliant.

• The Risk: If you send non-compliant inventory after this date, Amazon may reject the shipment entirely or charge massive defect fees.

3. New Penalties: Inbound Defect Fees

Effective Date: January 15, 2026

Amazon is getting strict on shipment accuracy. They are introducing a consolidated Inbound Defect Fee that replaces previous smaller fees, and the price hike is aggressive.

• The Trigger: Shipments that are mislabeled, delivered to the wrong location, deleted, or abandoned.

• The Cost:
  • Standard-sized products: Fees will range from $0.32 to $1.74 per unit (up from pennies in 2025).
  • Bulky items: Fees can reach $5.72 per unit.

Takeaway: Accuracy is now a profit metric. One sloppy shipment could wipe out your monthly profit margin.

4. Inventory Management Updates

Amazon continues to use fees to force sellers to keep "healthy" inventory levels—not too much, not too little.

Low-Inventory-Level Fee Tweak

• The Good News: This fee will now apply at the FNSKU level (specific variation) rather than the parent-ASIN level. This prevents you from being penalized just because one variation of a product is out of stock while others are healthy.

• The Expansion: This fee now applies to Small and Large Bulky products.

Aged Inventory Surcharge

Storage is getting more expensive for old stock.

• 12–15 Months: Fee increases by $0.15 to $0.30 per unit.

• 15+ Months: A new tier introducing fees of $0.35 per unit or $7.90 per cubic foot, whichever is greater.

5. Cash Flow Crunch: The "DD+7" Payout Delay

Effective Date: March 12, 2026

Buried in the policy updates is a critical change to how you get paid. Amazon is shifting to a "Deferred Delivery + 7 Days" (DD+7) policy.

• Current State: You often get paid shortly after shipment.
• New State: Payouts will be released 7 days after the customer receives the order.

• Impact: This adds roughly 10–14 days to your cash conversion cycle. You must plan your Q1 2026 inventory purchasing budget with this gap in mind.

6. Your 2026 Action Plan

The "set it and forget it" era of Amazon FBA is over. To thrive in 2026, you need to be an operational expert. Here is your checklist:

1. Audit Your Pricing: Use the new rates to re-calculate the net margin for every SKU. Pay special attention to items priced just over $50—can you lower the price to $49.99 to avoid the $0.51 fee hike?
   • Quick Fix: If you have Sellify installed, just open the extension on your product pages. It handles the complex fee logic automatically, so you don't have to build a spreadsheet to see the impact.
2. Secure a Prep Solution: If you currently rely on Amazon to stick FNSKU labels on your products, you have until January 1, 2026, to stop. Start vetting 3PLs or training your warehouse staff now.
3. Tighten Inbound QA: With defect fees hitting $1.74+, you cannot afford labeling errors. Implement a double-check system for all outbound FBA shipments.
4. Review Bulky Packaging: If you sell bulky items, ensure they are SIPP-compliant (ship in own container). If they aren't, you will be hit with the new $2.07 packaging fee.‍
5. Adjust Cash Flow Forecasts: Prepare your business for the March 2026 payout delay. Ensure you have enough working capital to cover the new 2-week lag in revenue.

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Disclaimer: Fee amounts are averages and estimates based on Amazon's announcements. Always verify specific rates for your product dimensions in Seller Central.

Need help calculating your new margins? Get the Sellify extension today to run updated fees automatically

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