How Amazon’s 2026 Fee Changes Will Impact Your Margins

Amazon’s 2026 fee updates may look minor on the surface, but their real impact on seller margins can be significant. The Amazon fee changes in 2026 introduce more granular Amazon FBA fulfillment fees, tighter inventory controls, and new penalties that disproportionately affect inefficient SKUs. This guide breaks down Amazon’s new fees in clear terms and outlines practical strategies Amazon brands can use to protect, and even improve, profitability in 2026.

If you want a more foundational overview on what Amazon FBA is, head on over to What Amazon FBA Is: How It Works and Increases Sales. 

Key Summary

• Amazon’s 2026 updates are designed around cost-to-serve alignment, rewarding efficient sellers rather than applying blanket fee hikes ⚙️
• Amazon FBA fulfillment fees increase by an average of ~$0.08 per unit, but actual impact varies significantly by size tier, price point, and inventory health 📦
• Products priced above $50, bulky or oversized items, and SKUs with weak forecasting face the most significant margin pressure 💸
• Amazon’s new fees increasingly reward sellers with optimized packaging (including SIPP), accurate inbound shipments, and disciplined inventory planning 📊
• SKU-level profitability modeling is now essential for sustainable scaling on Amazon in 2026, not optional 📈

Amazon Fee Changes 2026 at a Glance

Below is a high-level snapshot of the most important Amazon new fees and adjustments taking effect in January 2026:

These changes reflect Amazon’s broader push toward operational efficiency and predictable fulfillment economics.

Key Amazon FBA Fulfillment Fee Changes

Amazon FBA fulfillment fees remain the centerpiece of the 2026 updates. While Amazon positions these increases as modest on average, real-world SKU mixes often tell a very different story. This is a pattern we see consistently at beBOLD Digital when analyzing client-level profitability.

That distinction matters. McKinsey research shows that logistics and fulfillment costs can account for 8 to 10% of total ecommerce revenue, which means even small fee increases can materially impact margins at scale.

Average FBA Fee Increase

Amazon states that Amazon FBA fulfillment fees will increase by an average of $0.08 per unit, or less than 0.5% of the average item’s selling price. However, this figure masks significant variation across size tiers and price bands.

beBOLD Digital Expert Tip: Never rely on Amazon’s average increase. Always model fees at the SKU level, especially for hero products driving most of your revenue.

If you need a refresher on fee mechanics, our breakdown of how to calculate Amazon FBA fees provides a step-by-step guide.

Higher Fees for Products Above $50

One of the most impactful changes in 2026 is the sharp increase for standard-size products priced above $50. These SKUs often see per-unit increases exceeding $0.30 to $0.50, making premium-priced items more expensive to fulfill.

For brands in beauty, health, and specialty categories, especially Amazon FBA private label sellers, this creates a margin squeeze unless pricing, packaging, or bundle strategies are adjusted.

New “Small Bulky” Size Tier

Amazon introduced a Small Bulky size classification, capturing products that previously fell into large standard tiers due to weight or dimensions. For some sellers, this change reduces fees, but for others, misclassified SKUs can suddenly become less profitable.

beBOLD Digital Expert Tip: Regularly audit product dimensions in Seller Central. Small measurement errors can push products into higher-cost tiers.

Overmax Handling Fees

Extra-large products exceeding specific dimension thresholds now incur Overmax handling fees, ranging into the tens of dollars per unit. These fees primarily affect furniture, appliances, and oversized home goods.

For affected sellers, alternative fulfillment strategies or FBM may become more cost-effective.

Packaging Fees (SIPP-Related)

Products not enrolled in Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) may incur new packaging fees, often exceeding $2 per unit for bulky items. SIPP-certified products avoid these charges and may even see net fee reductions.

beBOLD Digital Expert Tip: SIPP enrollment is no longer optional. It’s one of the highest-ROI operational optimizations available in 2026.

Other Amazon Fee Changes Sellers Need to Know

Beyond FBA fulfillment, Amazon introduced several supporting fee adjustments that directly affect logistics and expansion strategies.

Referral Fee Adjustments

While most referral fee percentages remain unchanged, Amazon refined category-level exceptions and exclusions. Some sellers experience effective increases due to pricing shifts rather than explicit percentage changes.

Inbound Placement Fee Updates

Inbound placement fees now feature more weight and size bands, penalizing inefficient shipment splits and poor carton optimization. Sellers shipping non-optimized inventory may see inbound costs rise sharply.

Buy With Prime Fee Changes

Buy With Prime fees increase by an average of $0.24 per unit, reflecting Amazon’s investment in faster delivery and returns infrastructure. Brands using Buy With Prime as a DTC extension should reassess profitability.

Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) Fees

MCF fees rise by roughly $0.30 per unit, reinforcing Amazon’s preference for on-platform fulfillment. Brands relying heavily on MCF for Shopify or Walmart orders should compare third-party logistics alternatives.

Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)

AWD storage fees increase in certain regions, most notably the U.S. West, by nearly 20%. While AWD remains useful for bulk storage, sellers must reassess regional inventory placement.

What Inventory and Storage Fee Adjustments Do You Need to Know?

increases the cost of both overstocking and understocking. Inventory is no longer a passive operations task. It directly impacts profitability and cash flow.

Key inventory fee changes sellers need to understand include:

• Low-Inventory-Level (LIL) fees now apply at the FNSKU level, meaning individual variations such as sizes, colors, or bundles can trigger fees independently.
• Variation-heavy catalogs face higher risk when demand forecasting is uneven or replenishment timing is not tightly controlled.
• Aged inventory fees increase sharply after 12 and 15 months, making long-term storage of slow-moving products significantly more expensive.
• Excess inventory carries a higher opportunity cost, often making repricing, promotions, or liquidation more cost-effective than holding stock.
• Amazon has expanded removal, liquidation, and disposal options, allowing sellers to clear aging inventory sooner, though SKU-level margin analysis is still required.

Taken together, these changes reward sellers with accurate forecasting, disciplined replenishment cycles, and proactive inventory decision-making. Brands that treat inventory health as a strategic growth driver, not just an operational task, are better positioned to protect margins under Amazon’s 2026 fee model.

Why Is Amazon Changing Fees in 2026?

Amazon’s fee updates are driven by three core factors:

Rising Costs

Inflation, labor costs, and transportation expenses continue to pressure Amazon’s fulfillment network. While Amazon notes that fee increases remain below inflation rates, sellers still absorb real margin impacts.

Cost-to-Serve Alignment

Amazon is shifting toward charging more for SKUs that require disproportionate resources, bulky items, fragmented shipments, and slow movers, while rewarding efficient operations.

Operational Investments

Investments in automation, faster delivery, improved forecasting, and returns processing underpin the new fee structure. Sellers indirectly fund these upgrades through more precise fees.

How to Prepare for 2026 Fee Changes and Save on Amazon FBA Fees

At beBOLD Digital, we see preparation as the difference between margin erosion and sustainable growth. In 2026, the sellers who win will follow a structured, step-by-step approach to fee mitigation rather than relying on isolated or reactive fixes.

Step 1: Recalculate Fees per SKU (Not at the Account Level)

Start by modeling every active SKU using Amazon’s Fee Preview and Revenue Calculator tools. Pay special attention to:

• Products priced above $50
• Bulky or borderline size-tier ASINs
• High-volume SKUs with thin margins

Flag any SKU where fulfillment, storage, or inbound fees push contribution margin below your acceptable threshold. These products become immediate optimization or repricing candidates.

Step 2: Optimize Pricing, Packaging, and SIPP Enrollment

Once high-risk SKUs are identified, address the biggest levers first:

• Test targeted price increases (typically 2 to 5%) on select ASINs rather than blanket hikes
• Audit carton dimensions and weight accuracy to avoid unnecessary size-tier penalties
• Enroll eligible products in Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) to eliminate new packaging fees and reduce handling costs

Even small packaging changes can offset multiple fee increases when applied at scale.

Step 3: Strengthen Inventory Health and Forecasting

Inventory discipline is critical under Amazon’s 2026 fee model. Tactical levers like Amazon Subscribe & Save and coupon strategies can also help accelerate sell-through and reduce aged inventory exposure. 

Sellers should:

• Maintain roughly 60 to 90 days of forward coverage on core SKUs to avoid Low-Inventory-Level (LIL) fees
• Monitor variation-level sell-through to prevent individual FNSKUs from triggering penalties
• Identify slow-moving inventory early and deploy promotions or removals before aged inventory fees escalate

The goal is balance: avoiding both stockouts and excess long-term storage.

Step 4: Eliminate Inbound Errors and Defect Fees

Inbound accuracy is now directly tied to profitability. Create tighter controls around:

• Label placement and barcode accuracy
• Carton content and shipment plan compliance
• Proper routing to assigned fulfillment centers

Reducing inbound defects protects margins and minimizes operational friction as fee enforcement tightens, especially when paired with proactive Amazon vendor chargeback recovery strategies.

Step 5: Reevaluate Fulfillment Strategy by SKU

Not every product belongs in FBA in 2026. Review:

• Bulky, low-margin, or slow-moving SKUs that may perform better under FBM
• Hybrid fulfillment models for seasonal or regional demand
• Third-party logistics alternatives for off-Amazon orders instead of rising MCF fees

Optimizing fulfillment at the SKU level often delivers faster margin relief than pricing alone.

beBOLD Digital Expert Tip: The most effective fee mitigation strategies integrate operations, pricing, and demand generation. When Amazon SEO, PPC, and fee optimization are aligned, sellers protect both visibility and profitability rather than sacrificing one for the other.

Summary of Fee Changes with Examples

To understand how the Amazon fee changes in 2026 play out in real terms, it helps to look at a practical SKU-level example, and how sellers can respond.

Consider a standard-size product priced at $55:

• 2025 FBA fulfillment fee: ~$7.75
• 2026 FBA fulfillment fee: ~$8.06
• Per-unit increase: ~$0.31

At a sales volume of 50,000 units per year, this seemingly small adjustment results in an additional ~$15,500 in annual fulfillment costs for a single SKU.

For brands operating on 10 to 15% net margins, a common range for established Amazon sellers, this increase alone can erode 2 to 4% of total profit if left unaddressed. And this example reflects only the core FBA fulfillment fee. When layered with other 2026 changes, such as higher inbound placement fees, packaging fees for non-SIPP products, or low-inventory-level penalties, the total margin impact can grow significantly.

How beBOLD Digital Helped Clients Through Past Fee Changes

In past fee updates, beBOLD Digital worked with a mid-sized consumer brand facing similar fulfillment fee increases across its top SKUs. Rather than reacting with blanket price hikes, our team conducted SKU-level profitability modeling and identified products where packaging adjustments and SIPP enrollment could offset higher Amazon FBA fulfillment fees. 

By optimizing carton dimensions, improving inbound shipment accuracy, and implementing targeted 3 to 4% price increases on select ASINs, the brand not only absorbed the new fees but improved overall contribution margin year-over-year, without sacrificing conversion rate.

Without proactive pricing adjustments, packaging optimization, or inventory improvements, compounded fees quickly turn previously profitable SKUs into break-even or even loss leaders. This is why Amazon now requires sellers to think in terms of unit economics, not averages, when planning for 2026.

How beBOLD Digital Can Help

beBOLD Digital helps Amazon brands turn the Amazon fee changes in 2026 into a strategic advantage by identifying where Amazon FBA fulfillment fees and new operational costs impact margins, then fixing them through SKU-level profitability modeling, pricing and packaging optimization, inventory planning, and fee-aware Amazon SEO and PPC strategies, so sellers can protect margins and scale with confidence.

Want expert guidance through the 2026 fee changes? Talk to a beBOLD Digital Amazon strategist and start protecting your margins with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Amazon referral fees in 2026?

Amazon referral fees in 2026 remain largely consistent with prior years, with most categories continuing to fall within the typical 8 to 15% range. However, sellers may still experience changes in effective referral costs due to pricing adjustments, category-specific exceptions, or shifts in how Amazon applies minimum referral fees. 

Is Amazon increasing seller fees?

Yes. But not across the board. Rather than implementing blanket increases, Amazon is selectively restructuring fees to charge more for products and sellers that create higher fulfillment and operational costs. Inefficient packaging, poor inventory planning, bulky SKUs, and inaccurate inbound shipments are now more likely to trigger higher overall fees, while efficient sellers may see minimal impact.

When do the 2026 Amazon fee changes take effect?

Most of the 2026 Amazon fee changes officially take effect on January 15, 2026. Sellers should begin modeling their SKUs and updating pricing, packaging, and inventory strategies well in advance to avoid margin shocks once the changes go live.

Are any new fee types being introduced?

Yes. Amazon is introducing several new or expanded fee categories in 2026, including packaging-related fees for non-SIPP products, inbound defect fees tied to shipment accuracy issues, and expanded low-inventory-level penalties at the FNSKU level. These new fees are designed to encourage better operational discipline rather than simply increase seller costs.

Will referral fee percentages increase?

In most categories, referral fee percentages are not increasing in 2026. However, sellers should still monitor category updates closely, as indirect increases can occur through pricing thresholds, minimum referral fee rules, or changes to category definitions.

Why is Amazon raising fees now?

Amazon is adjusting fees to offset rising labor, transportation, and infrastructure costs while also aligning pricing more closely with cost-to-serve. At the same time, these changes support Amazon’s broader investment in faster delivery, automation, and improved inventory forecasting across its fulfillment network.

Do these updates apply globally or just the U.S.?

The most significant 2026 fee changes apply to the U.S. marketplace. That said, some international marketplaces are rolling out similar structural adjustments, meaning global sellers should monitor region-specific announcements to avoid unexpected fee impacts.