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How fulfillment fees, storage surcharges, and referral fees have evolved over 5 years
Data from Amazon Seller Central
| Year | Fulfillment Fee Changes | Storage / Surcharge Changes | Other Notable Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Baseline year. Small standard: ~$3.07/unit; Large standard: $3.48-$8.26/unit | Monthly storage: $0.78/cu ft (Jan-Sep), $2.40/cu ft (Oct-Dec). Aged inventory surcharge after 365 days | FBA new product referral fee discount for select categories |
| 2023 | +$0.20/unit surcharge on all FBA fulfillment fees (Apr 2023). Small standard: ~$3.27; Large standard: $3.68-$8.46 | Monthly storage: $0.78/cu ft (Jan-Sep), $2.40/cu ft (Oct-Dec). Aged surcharge still at 365 days | Fuel and inflation surcharge introduced as temporary measure |
| 2024 | $0.20/unit surcharge removed, but base fees increased 3-5%. Small standard: ~$3.45; Large standard: $3.63-$8.14 | Aged inventory threshold lowered to 271 days. Monthly storage: $0.78/cu ft (Jan-Sep), $2.40/cu ft (Oct-Dec) | Return processing fees expanded to more categories. FBA capacity limits introduced |
| 2025 | Moderate increases (~2-3%). Small standard: ~$3.15; Large standard: $3.55-$8.00 | Aged inventory threshold lowered to 211 days. Aged surcharge rates: $1.50-$5.90/cu ft | Low-inventory-level fee introduced. SIPP (Ship in Product Packaging) discounts available |
| 2026 | +$0.08/unit base increase + 3.5% fuel surcharge (US) + 1.5% fuel surcharge (EU 10 countries). Small standard: ~$3.06 base; Large standard: $3.45-$8.26 base | Aged inventory threshold lowered to 181 days (6 months). Aged surcharge: $0.50-$7.90/cu ft across 8 tiers (181-210, 211-240, 241-270, 271-300, 301-330, 331-365, 366-455, 456+) | EU fuel surcharge applies to UK, FR, DE, IT, ES, PL, SE, NL, IE, BE. EFN fees now match domestic rates |
Aged inventory surcharge tiers and thresholds shown for 2026 are taken from Amazon's official US aged inventory surcharge schedule (Seller Central help page GJQNPA23YWVA4SBD, effective January 16, 2026). The surcharge is additive to the monthly storage fee — it does not replace it. Historical figures for 2022–2025 reflect the schedules in force in those years and are shown for context only.
Estimated total cost per standard-size unit (fulfillment + fuel surcharge) over the years:
* Based on Small Standard size tier. Fuel surcharge applied to base rate. Referral fees not included.
If you've been selling the same product at the same price since 2022, your FBA costs have increased ~16%. On a $20 product with 30% referral fee, that's roughly $0.50/unit eaten by fee increases alone. At 1,000 units/month, that's $500/month in lost margin.
The most aggressive change is the aged inventory threshold dropping from 365 days (2022) to 181 days (2026). Sellers with slow-moving inventory now face surcharges twice as early. The real cliff, however, sits at day 271, where the rate leaps from $1.50 to $5.45/cu ft (+263%) — not at the old 365-day mark. The top tier, $7.90/cu ft (or $0.35/unit, whichever is greater), only bites beyond 456 days.
The 1.5% EU fuel surcharge applies to 10 countries (UK, FR, DE, IT, ES, PL, SE, NL, IE, BE). Combined with the base fee increases, EU FBA costs are up ~12-18% since 2022.
Source: Amazon Seller Central annual fee announcements · ylishi.tools