Amazon Marketplace Fees (What Are They + Other FAQs)

Amazon Marketplace fees are one of the many costs you must consider when selling on Amazon.

Learning how these fees work will help sellers set a more accurate price for their products and save money in the process. Read on as we break down how Marketplace fees work and what they cover!

Amazon Marketplace Fees In [currentyear]

Amazon Marketplace has four categories of fees that sellers must be aware of: referral, account, fulfillment, and storage in [currentyear]. Each type of fee has different criteria that determine the fee amount, which often confuses sellers. For sellers to find success on the Amazon Marketplace, they must understand when and how fees are charged.

To review the categories of Amazon Marketplace fees, why they are charged and more, keep reading!

What Are Amazon Sale-Related Fees?

When you sell products on Amazon, there are three types of sale-related fees that can be paid: referral fees, minimum referral fees, and closing fees.

Since the rates for these vary according to item category and selling price, finding out what the specific costs will be is a little research-heavy!

Below is an overview of potential fees in each category.

Type of Seller Fee Fee Amount Fee Basis
Referral Fee Sellers must pay a referral fee that ranges from 6% to 45% of the sale price (most sellers pay 15%), and they will be charged more if their referral fee is less than the minimum referral fee. Category
Minimum Referral Fee If the referral fee is less than Amazon’s minimum referral fee, sellers will be charged up to $2. Category
Variable Closing Fee $1.80 All Media Categories

What Are Amazon Referral Fees and Minimum Referral Fees?

Whether you are selling on an individual or professional account, Amazon sellers pay referral fees for every item that sells. 

Two things determine your referral fee: the product category and the selling price of the items. For most sellers, it is calculated as 15%, but it ranges from 6% to 45%.

What Are Amazon Closing Fees?

For items in the media category, an additional closing fee of $1.80 is charged in addition to the referral fee. Some things that are assessed as a closing fee are:

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Music
  • Software and computer/video games
  • Video
  • Video game consoles

What Are Amazon Seller Account Fees?

What Are Amazon Seller Account Fees?

Amazon offers two types of Amazon seller accounts geared toward the specific selling needs of low-volume individuals and high-volume business sellers.

In the below chart, sellers can find fee amounts and monthly listing fees for each type of Amazon seller account.

Amazon Seller Account Type Best Option For Monthly Fee Amount Listing Fee Amount
Individual Seller Individuals and occasional business sellers $0 99 cents per item sold
Professional Seller Businesses and volume sellers $39.99 $0

The monthly fee is charged in advance for the following month, but it can be canceled at any time by logging into your seller account and going to “Your Account.”

What Are Amazon Shipping Credits and Costs for Sellers?

Although shipping credits and costs are not seller fees, they can be costly for sellers if they are not careful! 

Additionally, when Amazon pays sellers for shipping costs, their rates are usually low compared to what sellers pay when they ship orders themselves.

In order to avoid spending all your profit on shipping costs, know how much credit Amazon will give per product before you sell anything!

Above, sellers can find shipping credits Amazon offers for deliveries within the US.

Figuring out and comparing your shipping credits with the actual cost of sending items is vital to determining whether or not you can make a profit from each item. 

Although many sellers find that Amazon may be an ideal marketplace for certain products, it may not necessarily be suitable for everything you sell!

What Are Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Fees?

For Amazon sellers looking for a more hands-off approach, Amazon offers Fulfillment by Amazon FBA.

FBA is a service that allows you to ship your inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, and the center will store it for you.

Once your products sell, Amazon will pack and ship the items to the customer and send you a payment for the sale.

Although Amazon charges fees for using FBA, many believe that it is worth investing in for certain items.

However, before jumping onboard with FBA, be aware of the total fees you’ll pay to store and ship your products, as they vary based on product size and weight.

Overall, Amazon’s FBA fees are pretty simple – the picking, packing, and shipping costs are all consolidated into one charge.

In addition, there are also FBA fees for inventory storage, which includes returns handling for items sent back to Amazon.

What Are Amazon FBA Inventory Storage Fees?

In addition to referral, account, and fulfilling charges, extra inventory storage fees are charged for FBA.

FBA inventory storage fees are for storing your products in an Amazon warehouse.

As of February 1, 2022, Amazon has changed the monthly FBA inventory storage fee schedule.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on Amazon Marketplace return policy, what is Amazons referral fee, and what is Amazon seller central.

Conclusion

Amazon Marketplace fees can be a confusing subject for sellers to

understand. This guide reviewed referral, account, fulfillment, and storage fees that Amazon sellers need to know.

Proper understanding of these fees is crucial for sellers who want to profit from selling on Amazon!

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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