Amazon FBA fees
One of the first Amazon fees that a merchant on Amazon has to deal with is the cost of the seller tariff. Here, retailers have two tariffs to choose from: In the “Individual Provider” tariff , sellers pay 99 cents for each item sold; in the “Professional” sales tariff, 39 euros are due per month, regardless of how many items are sold.
If you sell 40 products per month and especially if you want to advertise your product, the professional sales rate is worth it. This is ideal for all sellers who want to run their Amazon business in a long-term and focused manner.
FBA Amazon costs: Sellers have to be prepared for this
Amazon selling fees
According to Mcat-test-centers, Amazon retailers must pay a percentage sales fee for each item sold. This varies depending on the category, which is why correct category assignment is very important. For example, in the “Beauty” category the fee is 8% for products with a total sales price of up to 10 euros and 15% for more expensive products. In other categories, the percentage selling fees on Amazon vary from 7 to 15% (exceptions are the categories “Accessories for Amazon devices” with 45% and “Jewelry” with up to 20%). The minimum sales fee is 30 cents per item.
Sellers of media articles also pay an acquisition fee. This is:
- €1.01 for books
- €0.81 for music, DVDs, videos as well as video games and software
FBA shipping fee
Of course, Amazon also allows you to pay for the actual services of the FBA program. The so-called FBA shipping fees arise for picking, packaging, shipping, processing, customer service and returning goods.
The shipping fee on Amazon depends on the size and weight of the product (and its packaging). Here some examples:
Shipping fees for low priced items:
The program for low-priced items – on the German marketplace for products with a maximum selling price of €11 – offers reduced shipping fees. A standard envelope (less than 60 grams) costs €1.90 in shipping fees for local shipping in Germany. For comparison: higher-priced items in the same range cost €2.35 in shipping fees.
Shipping fees for standard sizes and oversizes
Shipping fees for standard sizes and oversizes are also based on the size and weight of the product. The classifications range from “small envelope” to “oversized – program for heavy and bulky products”. For example, a standard package weighing less than 2.9 kg costs €6.24. A cheaper exception is the Central Europe program, in which products are stored not only in Germany but also in Poland and the Czech Republic. A standard package costs €5.98.
Shipping fees for European shipping network EFN
Other fees apply for international shipping via EFN. For example, the products are stored in Germany and sent from there to customers in Italy. The shipping fees for the standard package from the example above no longer cost €6.24, but €13.42.
Amazon storage fees
The last of the regular Amazon FBA fees is storage costs. They vary depending on the calendar month, the size of the storage quantity, the category and the storage location. Additionally, additional fees may apply for obsolete inventory.
- Calendar month: Amazon divides two periods – January to September with lower fees and October to December with higher fees.
- Size: Here Amazon differentiates products into “standard size” and “oversize”.
- Category: The storage fees for the “Dangerous Goods – Hazmat” category is the most expensive of the three available categories. The fees for “clothing and shoes” and “all other categories” are slightly cheaper.
- Storage location: Amazon differentiates between three locations in the cost overview:
- UK
- Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium
- France
- Sweden
- Surcharge for obsolete inventory: A monthly surcharge of €46.58 per cubic meter applies to inventory stored in the Amazon warehouse between 271 and 330 days (excluding the categories: clothing, shoes and bags, jewelry and watches). For inventory stored between 331 and 365 days, the monthly surcharge applies across all categories. It becomes even more expensive for inventory that is stored for more than 365 days. Amazon estimates €170 per cubic meter per month for this.
In addition to the monthly storage fees, an additional storage usage surcharge may apply if certain criteria are met and the storage usage level is greater than 26 weeks. Inventory utilization ratio is calculated as follows: average daily inventory volume divided by average daily shipping volume over the last 13 weeks.
Occasional and optional Amazon FBA costs
In addition to the regular FBA costs listed, there are other fees that can be relevant for Amazon sellers. These arise, for example, if products are delivered without proper preparation or labeling.
Other occasional Amazon fees:
- Remission
- disposal
- Labeling service
- Special packaging (e.g. in foil bags or bubble wrap)
- Returns processing fee
Advertising costs as another form of Amazon fees
Things are a little different with the fees and costs for advertising on Amazon. These apply depending on the number, type and success of the campaigns run. The use of Amazon Advertising is generally free; costs only arise when a user clicks on an advertisement.
When calculating, don’t forget: fees other than Amazon
The costs incurred outside of Amazon should also not be missing from a good calculation. This includes basics such as business registration but also costs that are directly related to the product: for example, purchase price, packaging, customs fees or logistics costs for delivery to an Amazon fulfillment center.
Conclusion – Amazon FBA fees: Why is the calculation so important?
Why is an overview of Amazon fees so important? Quite simply because your success on Amazon depends on it. If you have previously set your sales prices without taking into account all the costs incurred on and off Amazon, you run the risk of losing sight of your margins and wasting cash.
Successful sellers (and good Amazon agencies) always keep an eye on Amazon FBA fees. After all, even an online giant like Amazon can make mistakes – for example by using the wrong product size, which is reflected in storage and shipping fees that are too high. Only if the error is noticed through a regular look at fees and billing can it be resolved by filing a case with support – and get the money you are entitled to back.
