On Amazon.com, Amazon takes a referral fee on every sale, most commonly 15% of the total price, with category rates ranging from 3% to 45%. On top of that you pay a selling plan: 99 cents per item sold on Individual, or 39.99 US dollars a month on Professional. Fulfillment by Amazon adds per-unit and storage fees.
Amazon is the selling site with the biggest audience and the most layers of fees, which is why so many new sellers underestimate what Amazon keeps. There's a cut on every sale, a charge for your selling plan and, if Amazon ships for you, a separate set of fulfilment and storage costs. The figures below are for Amazon.com in the US, taken from Amazon's own Sell on Amazon pages.
Amazon's two selling plans and what they cost
Before you pay anything per sale, you pick a selling plan. Amazon's pricing page sets out two:
- Individual: 99 cents for each item sold, with no monthly fee. It suits people selling a handful of items a month.
- Professional: 39.99 US dollars a month plus selling fees, with no per-item plan charge. It unlocks advertising, bulk listing tools and other features.
The maths is simple. If you sell enough items in a month that the per-item charge would pass the monthly fee, Professional works out cheaper. Below that, Individual keeps your fixed costs lower.
How Amazon's referral fee works
The referral fee is Amazon's main cut. Amazon says that for every item sold you pay a percentage of the total price or a minimum amount, whichever is greater. The total price includes the item price and any shipping or gift-wrap charge the buyer pays.
Rates depend on your product category. According to Amazon, they range from 3% to 45%, and the most common rate is 15%, which covers most categories and the catch-all Everything Else group. The standard minimum referral fee is 30 cents, so a very cheap item still costs at least that much to sell.
Books, music, video and other media items also carry a closing fee of 1.80 US dollars per item in addition to the referral fee, according to Amazon's pricing page. If you sell used books, that flat charge matters as much as the percentage.
What Fulfillment by Amazon adds to the take
Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, is where you send stock to Amazon's warehouses and Amazon picks, packs, ships and handles returns. It's convenient and it can help with Prime visibility, but it adds its own fees.
Fulfilment fees
Amazon charges FBA fulfilment fees per unit, based on the product's weight and size. Products are grouped into size tiers from small standard to extra-large, and the fee rises as size and weight increase. A light phone case and a bulky garden chair can carry very different per-unit costs, even at the same selling price.
Storage fees
Amazon also charges monthly storage based on the cubic feet your stock takes up in its warehouses. Rates vary by season, with higher rates in the holiday months, so sending in too much stock before the festive rush can eat into your margin.
Aged stock
Products that sit too long cost more. Amazon's guidance says an aged inventory surcharge applies monthly to items stored in a fulfilment centre for 181 days or longer. Slow sellers are worth removing or discounting before they reach that point.
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Amazon doesn't publish one simple FBA percentage because it depends on each product. Its Revenue Calculator in Seller Central lets you enter a product's size, weight and price and see the estimated fees before you send stock in.
What decides how much Amazon takes from you
- Your category. The referral rate can be anything from 3% to 45%.
- Your price. Low-priced items hit the 30-cent minimum, which makes Amazon's share proportionally larger.
- Your plan. Individual adds 99 cents per sale, Professional adds a fixed monthly cost.
- Who ships. Shipping yourself avoids FBA fees but means you carry postage, packaging and returns.
- How fast stock moves. Slow stock builds up storage and aged inventory charges.
- Advertising. Amazon product ads are optional, but many sellers rely on them and they come out of the same revenue.
How Amazon pays sellers
Amazon pays sales proceeds to the bank account you add in Seller Central, after deducting fees. Your Payments dashboard shows each settlement, the fees taken and any amounts held back, for example to cover possible refunds. The timing and any reserve depend on your account, so check that dashboard for your own schedule rather than relying on general advice.
Amazon seller fee table
| What | How it works | Source checked |
|---|---|---|
| Individual plan | 99 cents per item sold, no monthly fee | Amazon Sell pricing page |
| Professional plan | 39.99 US dollars a month plus selling fees | Amazon Sell pricing page |
| Referral fee | Most commonly 15%; 3% to 45% by category; 30-cent minimum | Amazon Sell pricing page |
| Media closing fee | 1.80 US dollars per media item | Amazon Sell pricing page |
| FBA fulfilment | Per unit, by size tier and weight | Amazon FBA fees guide |
| FBA storage | Monthly, per cubic foot, higher in holiday months | Amazon FBA fees guide |
Ways Amazon sellers protect their margin
- Run every product through the Revenue Calculator before you order stock.
- Choose the plan that matches your real monthly volume and review it every quarter.
- Avoid very low price points where the minimum referral fee eats the profit.
- Send stock to FBA in smaller batches so storage stays under control.
- Compare Amazon with other channels. My guide to what eBay takes from each sale shows a simpler fee model.
If you're building more than one income stream, my roundup of legitimate ways to make money online is a good next read.
These are US figures from Amazon.com. Amazon's UK and other country sites have their own plan prices and referral rates, so check the Sell on Amazon fee page for your own country and category. Amazon can't advise on tax, and selling income may be taxable where you live, so talk to an accountant or your tax office.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage does Amazon take from sellers?
Amazon's referral fee is most commonly 15% of the total price, with category rates ranging from 3% to 45%. There's a minimum of 30 cents per item.
How much is an Amazon seller account?
On Amazon.com, the Individual plan costs 99 cents per item sold with no monthly fee, and the Professional plan costs 39.99 US dollars a month plus selling fees.
Does Amazon charge more if it ships for me?
Yes. Fulfillment by Amazon adds per-unit fulfilment fees based on size and weight, plus monthly storage fees based on how much space your stock uses.
Are Amazon fees the same in the UK?
No. These figures are for Amazon.com. Amazon's UK site has its own plans and rates, so check the UK Sell on Amazon fee page.
How can I see Amazon fees before I sell?
Use Amazon's Revenue Calculator in Seller Central. You enter a product's details and it estimates the referral and FBA fees.
