Table of Contents

1. Overview: Amazon’s 2026 FBA Fee Strategy
2. What’s Changing in 2026 FBA Fulfillment Fees
3. Hidden Costs: Inbound Defects, Low Inventory, and Returns
4. AWD, MCF, and Buy with Prime Fee Updates
5. How Sellers Can Protect Profit Margins
6. Final Thoughts

The 2026 Amazon FBA fee changes are not just a simple price hike, they’re a structural shift in how Amazon prices logistics, storage, returns, and inventory behavior. Starting January 15, 2026, sellers will see modest increases in core fulfillment fees (an average of about $0.08 per unit), but the real impact comes from the new and updated layers around inbound defect fees, low-inventory-level (LIL) fees, returns processing, AWD storage, and removal/disposal costs.

In plain terms, Amazon is rewarding compliant, well-planned operations and charging more when you ship inaccurately, hold the wrong inventory depth, or generate excessive returns. This article breaks down what’s changing across fulfillment, returns, removals, AWD, MCF, and Buy with Prime, then maps out practical steps you can take to protect (and even improve) your margins.

By the end, you’ll know which SKUs are most exposed under the 2026 model, how to reforecast your profitability, and what operational changes (including packaging, inbound routing, inventory planning, and catalog hygiene) will make the biggest difference for your bottom line.

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1. Overview: Amazon’s 2026 FBA fee strategy

Starting January 15, 2026, Amazon will roll out a new layer of FBA fee adjustments across fulfillment, returns, inbound defects, AWD storage, and more.

On paper, the average $0.08 increase per unit doesn’t look dramatic. In practice, those cents stack across:

• Thousands of units
• Dozens of SKUs
• New surcharges tied to returns, inbound defects, and low inventory

Amazon isn’t really inventing new fee types; it’s tightening and reweighting the ones that already exist. The platform is clearly moving away from flat-fee simplicity toward “pricing precision”: rewarding accurate, compliant operations and penalizing inconsistency.

For sellers already managing higher ad costs, slower demand, and inflation, that means 2026 will be less about “absorbing a price hike” and more about rebuilding your margin model from the ground up.

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2. What’s changing in 2026 FBA Fulfillment Fees

This is the backbone of the update: fulfillment fees are shifting by a few cents per unit, but not equally across all product types.

2.1. Non-Apparel Standard-Size & Bulky Items

For non-apparel FBA (Jan 15, 2026 onward):

• Small Standard (<$10 and $10–$50)
  • Most weight tiers increase by ~$0.10–$0.30 per unit
  • Example:
    • 2 oz or less, $10–$50: $3.06 → $3.32
    • 2+ to 4 oz, $10–$50: $3.15 → $3.42
• Large Standard ($10–$50)
  • Increases are smaller, often $0.05 per unit
  • Example:
    • 1–1.25 lb, $10–$50: $4.99 → $5.04
• Higher-price products (> $50)
  • Often see $0.25–$0.31 increases in the standard and large standard tiers.
• Bulky & Extra-Large
  • Many Large Bulky and Extra-Large tiers move up only a few cents, but the weight-based add-ons remain, so heavy units are still expensive to move.

There’s nuance buried here: some Small Bulky non-apparel tiers below $10 actually drop versus 2025 non-peak rates (for example, from $8.84 to $6.78 + $0.38/lb above first lb), which is a hidden benefit for certain configurations.

2.2. Apparel Fulfillment Fees

FBA apparel has its own fee table, and the pattern is similar but not identical:

• Most Small Standard apparel tiers increase by ~$0.10–$0.25 per unit.
• Large Standard apparel tiers tend to move by $0.05–$0.20 per unit.
• Heavier apparel (over 3 lb) continues to be charged per half-pound interval.

Example (non-peak, $10–$50, starting Jan 15, 2026):

• Small Standard 2 oz or less: $3.27 → $3.51
• Small Standard 4+ to 6 oz: $3.42 → $3.59
• Large Standard 8+ to 12 oz: $4.67 → $4.72

If you’re in fashion, you’ll feel fulfillment + returns (see below) together, not in isolation.

2.3. Dangerous Goods (Hazmat) Fulfillment Fees

Hazmat units have their own fee table due to special handling and storage requirements.

From January 15, 2026:

• Small Standard dangerous goods rise by roughly $0.10–$0.25 per unit across most tiers.
• Large Standard dangerous goods also see gradual increases, with added cost per weight interval above 3 lb.
• Bulky and Extra-Large dangerous goods carry a heavy premium (combination of base fee + $0.38/lb or $0.75/lb intervals).

If you sell aerosols, flammables, or other regulated items, you’re now stacking:

• Higher base fulfillment fees
• Hazmat premium
• And potentially higher returns processing in high-return categories

2.4. Peak vs Non-Peak Fulfillment Windows

Remember, peak (Oct 15, 2025 – Jan 14, 2026) has its own higher rate card.

On Jan 15, 2026, Amazon flips to updated non-peak rates, but those “non-peak” rates are still higher than 2025 non-peak for many tiers.

And for Extra-Large up to 150 lb, anything over 96" longest side or 130" length+girth is treated as Overmax and incurs an additional surcharge.

2.5. Low-Price and High-Value items

Not all fee changes hit every price segment equally. In 2026, Amazon is refining its approach to rewarding efficiency for low-priced items while adding a small surcharge for high-value products that require additional handling and return processing.

• Low-Price FBA Discount expands to $0.86 per unit (up from $0.77), offering small relief for under-$10 items.
• Products above $50 are subject to an average increase of $0.31 per unit due to enhanced processing and return handling.

The adjustment aims to balance costs across categories, providing light relief to sellers of affordable, fast-moving items while ensuring that higher-ticket SKUs better reflect their fulfillment complexity and return risk.

2.6. Weight-Based Pricing

Amazon will now calculate fulfillment fees using the greater of dimensional or unit weight, affecting lightweight but bulky products (e.g., pillows, fitness gear).

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3. Hidden Costs: Inbound defects, Low inventory, and Returns

Not all of the 2026 Amazon FBA fee changes show up in the main fulfillment table. Some of the most painful costs are buried in what Amazon considers “behavior-based” fees: inbound defects, low-inventory-level (LIL) penalties, and returns processing charges.

These don’t hit every shipment, but when they do, they compound quickly and quietly. This section walks through how each hidden fee works, why Amazon is using them to shape seller behavior, and what you can do to keep them from eating into your margins.

3.1. Inbound Defect Fees

This is where many sellers lose margin without realizing it: removals, returns, inbound defects, and low inventory fees.

3.2. Removal, Disposal, and Liquidation Fees

Removal & Disposal (effective Jan 15, 2026): There’s one small “win” here for very light standard-size units and a lot of status quo elsewhere:

• Standard-size 0–0.5 lb:
  • $1.04 → $0.84 per unit (a small cost reduction).
• Standard-size ≥0.5 lb and all heavier tiers:
  • Largely unchanged vs 2025.
• Large bulky, extra-large, special handling:
  • All tiers remain the same (for example, $14.32 + $1.06/lb above 10 lb for very heavy units).

Remember: removal/disposal fees are locked in when you place the order, not when it ships.

If you place a removal before Jan 15, 2026, 2025 rates apply, even if the shipment leaves later.‍

3.3. Liquidation Fees (unchanged)

While many 2026 fees are trending upward, FBA liquidation fees remain unchanged. That doesn’t mean you can ignore them, liquidation still carries two layers of cost and should be used strategically, not as an automatic “clean up” button.

• 15% liquidation referral fee, based on recovered value
• Liquidation processing fee, based on size + weight

Standard-size liquidation processing ranges from:

• $0.25 (0–0.5 lb) up to
• $0.40 + $0.20/lb above 2 lb

Bulky and extra-large units range roughly from $0.60 to $1.90 + $0.20/lb for heavier tiers.

Liquidation remains a useful tool when:

• Your landed cost + removal/disposal would cost more than the expected recovered value
• You want to avoid storage + LIL + future removal fees stacking over time

3.4. Returns Processing Fees (New Pressure Point)

2026 introduces a sharper returns processing fee structure, particularly aimed at:

• Apparel & shoes (charged on every returned unit)
• Other categories (charged once returns exceed a certain threshold)

High-return categories (like electronics, home goods, fashion) are squarely in the spotlight.

Examples (rough pattern):

• Small Standard Apparel & Shoes
  • 4 oz or less: around $1.65 per return
  • Heavier standard units: $1.95–$3.89+ with per-weight increments
• Non-Apparel (above threshold)
  • Small Standard up to 4 oz: approx $1.78–$1.90
  • Larger standard items: scaling up to $5.00 + $0.05 per 4 oz above 3 lb
  • Bulky & Extra-Large: base $6.74–$26.33 plus per-lb increments up to very large items (150+ lb).

3.5. Low-Inventory-Level (LIL) Fee – Per-FNSKU

As we discussed before, the LIL fee jumps from parent-level to FNSKU-level.

If your inventory level for a specific FNSKU stays below 28 days of supply, you pay:

• $0.32 to $2.09 per unit, depending on size, weight, and severity of understock.

This fee now applies to Small Bulky and Large Bulky, too. Grocery and slower-moving products are exempt, but if you run lean on those, Amazon may:

• Offer slower delivery promises
• Reduce buyability or ranking

3.6. Inbound Defect Fees – From Cents to Dollars

Any shipment that doesn’t meet Amazon’s inbound rules (routing, labeling, completeness) will be charged a unified inbound defect fee:

• Standard-size: from $0.32 up to $1.74
• Bulky: up to $5.72

Previously, defects might cost you $0.02–$0.07. In 2026, the same mistakes cost 10–50x more.

External resource:

See Amazon’s official 2026 US FBA Fulfillment Fee Table (PDF) for complete tier-by-tier data.

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4. AWD, MCF, and Buy with Prime Fee Updates

Beyond core FBA, Amazon is also adjusting the economics of its broader logistics stack: Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD), Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF), and Buy with Prime. These programs can still be powerful levers for omnichannel brands, but in 2026, they will cost more per cubic foot and per unit shipped. This section summarizes the key changes and helps you decide when AWD, MCF, or Buy with Prime still make sense, and how to use them without letting the extra fees quietly erode your margin.

4.1. Amazon Warehousing & Distribution (AWD)

Amazon’s 2026 AWD update pushes the program further toward profitability rather than aggressive adoption. While it remains a valuable logistics lever for off-Amazon storage and replenishment, new pricing structures emphasize regional cost differences and processing precision.

• West region storage increases by 19% to $0.57/cu ft/month.
• Transportation fees rise ~20–22%, averaging $1.40 per cubic foot.
• Inbound and outbound box processing adds +$0.05 per box.

Discounts (10–20%) remain, but only for Smart or Managed Storage participants.

Sellers using AWD will need to reassess whether the cost advantage still holds, especially for standard goods stored long-term in the West region or high-volume replenishment cycles.

4.2. Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF)

Fees rise by $0.30 per unit, affecting smaller MCF orders the most.

High-volume sellers can offset this through Preferred Pricing programs.

4.3. Buy with Prime

Fulfillment fees increase by $0.24 per unit, though the Prime service minimum fee drops from $1.00 → $0.30, offering partial relief for smaller sellers.

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5. How Sellers Can Protect Profit Margins

Adaptability is the new advantage. Sellers can still preserve profitability by making three operational pivots:

1. Audit every SKU for fee exposure, Identify which SKUs are moving up a tier due to new dimensional rules.
2. Optimize inbound accuracy, Misrouted shipments now cost dollars, not cents. Use Amazon’s FBA Shipment Creation Workflow for validation.
3. Use SIPP (Ships in Product Packaging), Certified packaging continues to qualify for discounted FBA rates.

External resources:

• Amazon: How to Build a Smarter FBA Fee Strategy
• Amazon: Reducing Inbound Defects: A Seller Central Checklist
• Carbon6: Profitability Metrics Every Amazon Seller Should Track

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6. Final Thoughts

Amazon’s 2026 FBA update focuses on pricing precision, where each new layer of fees directly ties costs to operational behavior. Sellers who maintain clean inbound shipments, right-size their inventory, and use efficient packaging will thrive

For everyone else, these changes will quietly erode profitability across the year.

The solution isn’t panic, it’s precision: measure, adapt, and act before January 15.

👉 Need help recalculating your 2026 FBA profitability? Book a Margin Audit with Online Seller Solution, we’ll map your SKUs, forecast the impact, and help you stay profitable under Amazon’s new fee model.