Amazon Fees Explained (2026): Referral Fee, FBA Fees & Profit

Published on January 6, 2026

“Amazon fees” can be confusing because they’re a mix of percentage fees (like the referral fee) and fixed per-unit fees (like FBA fulfillment). If you don’t model both, your profit per order can look much higher than it really is.

If you want to compare Amazon against other platforms, use our platform fee comparison guide to model the same price across Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon.

What Amazon fees usually include

Your per-order selling costs typically come from:

Referral fee: a percentage of the order total, varies by category and marketplace.
Fulfillment fees: FBA pick & pack / handling (often fixed per unit, depends on size tier and weight).
Other per-order fees: closing fees (category dependent), payment/processing, or other adjustments.
Your own costs: COGS, inbound shipping, packaging, and shipping (for FBM).

1) Referral fee

The referral fee is usually the biggest line item. It’s calculated as a percentage of your order total (often including shipping charged to the customer, depending on marketplace rules).

Referral fee = Order total × referral fee %

2) FBA fulfillment fee (if you use FBA)

FBA fees are typically fixed per unit based on size tier and weight. This means your fee doesn’t scale with price the same way referral fees do.

For a simple profit model, treat FBA fulfillment as a fixed per order amount.

3) Simple profit formula per order

A straightforward per-order profit formula is:

Profit = Revenue − (Referral fee + fulfillment + other Amazon fees) − (COGS + shipping + other costs)

Example: quick per-order estimate

Suppose you sell an item for $50, you have a 15% referral fee, your FBA fulfillment fee is $5, and your product cost is $20:

Referral fee ≈ $50 × 15% = $7.50
Amazon fees ≈ $7.50 + $5.00 = $12.50
Profit ≈ $50 − $12.50 − $20 = $17.50

Use the free Amazon profit calculator

Enter your referral fee %, FBA/FBM costs, and product costs to get an instant profit breakdown.

Open the Amazon Calculator

Tips to improve Amazon margins

Optimize category/variation choices so you use the correct referral fee % for forecasting.
Reduce dimensional weight and packaging size to lower FBA fees.
Track contribution margin per SKU to identify “revenue-heavy but profit-light” products.

Data accuracy & source

Amazon fees vary by category, marketplace, and program. Always verify your exact referral fee % and fulfillment fees in Amazon Seller Central and official Amazon documentation for your region.

Use the calculator below to model real profit, then compare Amazon against other platforms.

Need a quick cross-platform view? Jump to the fee comparison page.

Updated 2026 guide

For the newest official fee details and examples, read:

Amazon selling fees update (2026) →

Conclusion

To understand Amazon profitability, model referral fees (percentage) and fulfillment fees (often fixed per unit) separately. With a simple fee model, you can price confidently and protect your margins.

Next read

Continue with our Shopify fee guide to compare different fee structures.

Shopify fees explained (2026 guide) →