Amazon FBA Fees in 2025: A Beginner’s Guide to Costs and Savings

If you’re a beginner looking to start selling on Amazon in 2025, you’ve probably heard about Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)—a service that lets Amazon handle your storage, packing, shipping, and customer service. It’s a game-changer for new sellers, but it comes with fees that can feel overwhelming if you’re not prepared. Don’t worry, buddy—I’m here to break down Amazon FBA fees in 2025 in a simple way, so you can understand what you’re paying, how to manage costs, and still make a profit as a beginner Amazon seller.

In this guide, we’ll cover what FBA fees are, how they’ve changed in 2025, and tips to save money while using FBA. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your business, understanding these costs is key to success on Amazon. Let’s dive in!

What is Amazon FBA, and Why Use It as a Beginner?

Amazon FBA lets you send your products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers, where they store, pack, and ship your items to customers. They also handle returns and customer service, which is a huge relief for beginners who don’t have the time or resources to manage logistics themselves.

Here’s why FBA is great for new sellers in 2025:

Prime Eligibility: Your products qualify for Amazon Prime’s fast shipping, which can boost sales since Prime members often prefer Prime-eligible items.
Hands-Off Logistics: Amazon takes care of the hard stuff, so you can focus on finding products and growing your business.
Customer Trust: Buyers trust Amazon’s fulfillment, which can lead to more sales and better reviews.

But FBA isn’t free—Amazon charges fees to cover these services, and as a beginner, you need to know what you’re paying to ensure your business stays profitable. Let’s break down the main FBA fees you’ll encounter in 2025.

Understanding Amazon FBA Fees in 2025

Amazon FBA fees can be grouped into a few key categories: fulfillment fees, storage fees, and additional fees like referral fees and new charges introduced in recent years. Here’s what you need to know as a beginner.

Fulfillment Fees: The Cost of Picking, Packing, and Shipping

Fulfillment fees are what Amazon charges to pick, pack, and ship your products to customers. These fees depend on the size and weight of your product, and they’ve been updated in 2025 to reflect Amazon’s growing logistics costs.

How It Works: In 2025, Amazon uses size tiers to determine fees: standard-sized (fits in a shoebox), large bulky, and extra-large. The fees are per unit and include all handling and shipping costs.
2025 Updates: Based on trends, Amazon has likely increased fulfillment fees slightly in 2025 to account for rising operational costs. For example, in 2024, a standard-sized product like a $30 stainless steel mug had a fulfillment fee of $5.06. In 2025, this might be closer to $5.30 due to inflation and Amazon’s investments in faster delivery.
Example for Beginners: If you’re selling a small kitchen gadget for $20, you might pay around $4.50-$5.50 in fulfillment fees per unit, depending on its size and weight.

Tip: Choose small, lightweight products as a beginner to keep fulfillment fees low. Avoid heavy or oversized items until you’re more experienced.

Storage Fees: Paying to Keep Your Inventory in Amazon’s Warehouses

Amazon charges storage fees to store your products in their fulfillment centers. There are two types of storage fees you’ll encounter in 2025: monthly storage fees and long-term storage fees.

Monthly Storage Fees

How It Works: You’re charged based on the volume of space your inventory takes up (measured in cubic feet) at the end of each month.
2025 Updates: In 2024, Amazon reduced off-peak monthly storage fees (January-September) for standard-sized products by $0.09 per cubic foot. In 2025, this reduction might continue, but peak season fees (October-December) are likely higher due to increased demand. Expect to pay around $0.80-$1.00 per cubic foot for standard-sized products during off-peak months and $2.50-$3.00 during peak months.
Example for Beginners: If you have 10 small gadgets taking up 2 cubic feet total, your off-peak storage fee might be $1.60-$2.00 per month (2 cubic feet x $0.80-$1.00).

Long-Term Storage Fees

How It Works: If your inventory sits in Amazon’s warehouses for over 365 days, you’ll be charged a long-term storage fee (also called an aged inventory surcharge).
2025 Updates: Amazon might introduce dynamic storage fees in 2025, where slow-moving inventory faces higher charges to encourage faster sell-through. Expect to pay $6.90 per cubic foot or $0.15 per unit (whichever is higher) for items stored over a year.
Example for Beginners: If 50 units of your product have been in storage for over a year and take up 1 cubic foot, you’d pay $6.90 as a long-term storage fee.

Tip: Keep your inventory moving by pricing competitively or running promotions. As a beginner, start with small batches (e.g., 50-100 units) to avoid long-term storage fees.

Referral Fees: Amazon’s Commission on Every Sale

Referral fees are charged on every sale, whether you use FBA or not. They’re essentially Amazon’s commission for letting you sell on their platform.

How It Works: Referral fees are typically 15% of the sale price, though they vary by category (e.g., 8% for electronics, 15% for most other categories).
2025 Updates: Referral fees are unlikely to change significantly in 2025, but Amazon might adjust rates for specific categories. For most beginner-friendly products (e.g., kitchen gadgets, home goods), expect to pay 15%.
Example for Beginners: If you sell a $20 item, the referral fee is $3 (15% of $20). So, after the referral fee, you’re left with $17 before other fees.

Tip: Factor referral fees into your pricing. If your product costs $10 to source and you want a $5 profit, set your price at $25 to cover the $3.75 referral fee and other costs.

New FBA Fees in 2025: What Beginners Need to Know

Amazon has introduced new fees in recent years to optimize their fulfillment network, and these are likely to continue or evolve in 2025. Here are two key fees to watch out for:

Low-Inventory-Level Fee

How It Works: Introduced in 2024, this fee encourages sellers to keep enough stock in Amazon’s warehouses. It’s added to the fulfillment fee if your inventory levels are too low to meet demand.
2025 Updates: In 2025, Amazon might adjust this fee to be more dynamic, charging higher rates for products with consistently low stock. Expect to pay $0.50-$1.00 per unit if your inventory is low.
Example for Beginners: If you only have 5 units of a popular product left and it sells out quickly, you might pay an extra $0.75 per unit on your next shipment.

FBA Inbound Placement Service Fee

How It Works: Introduced in 2024, this fee covers the cost of distributing your inventory to fulfillment centers closer to customers. In 2024, it added $0.27 per unit for standard-sized products.
2025 Updates: In 2025, this fee might increase slightly to $0.30-$0.35 per unit for standard-sized products due to rising logistics costs.
Example for Beginners: If you send 100 units to Amazon, you’ll pay an extra $30-$35 in inbound placement fees.

Tip: Send inventory to multiple Amazon locations if possible to reduce this fee. As a beginner, start with small shipments to test demand before sending large batches.

Amazon FBA fees breakdown for beginners in 2025 — A simple breakdown of Amazon FBA fees for beginners in 2025.

How Much Does It Cost to Sell with FBA in 2025? A Beginner Example

Let’s put it all together with an example. Say you’re selling a small kitchen gadget for $25, and you source it for $10 per unit. Here’s how the fees might break down in 2025:

Sale Price: $25
Referral Fee (15%): $3.75
Fulfillment Fee: $5.30 (standard-sized product)
Monthly Storage Fee: $0.50 (for 0.5 cubic feet, off-peak)
Inbound Placement Fee: $0.35
Total Fees: $9.90
Profit Before Product Cost: $25 – $9.90 = $15.10
Net Profit After Product Cost: $15.10 – $10 = $5.10 per unit

If you sell 100 units in a month, your total profit would be $510. Not bad for a beginner, but you can see how fees add up quickly. The key is to manage these costs effectively, which we’ll cover next.

Tips to Save on Amazon FBA Fees in 2025

As a beginner, keeping your costs low is crucial to making a profit. Here are some practical tips to save on FBA fees in 2025:

1. Choose Small, Lightweight Products

Smaller products have lower fulfillment and storage fees. For example, a lightweight kitchen gadget will cost less to ship and store than a heavy piece of furniture. Stick to standard-sized products (items that fit in a shoebox) until you’re ready to scale.

2. Manage Your Inventory to Avoid Long-Term Storage Fees

Only send what you can sell within 3-6 months. Use Amazon’s sales data in Seller Central to predict demand, and start with small batches (e.g., 50 units) to test your product.

3. Price Your Products Strategically

Set your price to cover all fees while still making a profit. In the example above, if you want a $7 profit per unit instead of $5.10, you’d need to price your product at $26.90 ($10 product cost + $9.90 fees + $7 profit).

4. Use Amazon’s FBA Calculator

Amazon provides a free FBA Calculator to estimate your fees and profits. You can find it in Seller Central or on Amazon’s website. Enter your product’s dimensions, weight, and price to see your costs before you start selling.

5. Consider a Hybrid Approach

If FBA fees are too high for some products, you can use FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) for those items while using FBA for others. This hybrid approach lets you save on fees for slow-moving or oversized products.

Tips to save on Amazon FBA fees in 2025 for beginners — Top tips to save on Amazon FBA fees for beginners in 2025.

FBA vs. FBM: Which is Better for Beginners in 2025?

As a beginner, you might wonder if FBA is worth the fees compared to FBM, where you handle fulfillment yourself. Here’s a quick comparison:

FBA:
- Pros: Hands-off logistics, Prime eligibility, customer trust.
- Cons: Higher fees, less control over inventory.
FBM:
- Pros: Lower fees, more control over shipping.
- Cons: Time-intensive, no Prime eligibility, higher risk of negative feedback.

For most beginners in 2025, FBA is the better choice because it saves time and builds trust with customers. However, if you’re selling oversized or slow-moving products, FBM might be more cost-effective. You can learn more about starting with FBA in our guide, How to Start as an Amazon Seller in 2025 for Beginners.

FAQ: Amazon FBA Fees in 2025 for Beginners

Here are some common questions beginners have about Amazon FBA fees in 2025, with answers to help you get started.

What are Amazon FBA fees in 2025?

Amazon FBA fees in 2025 include fulfillment fees ($4.50-$5.50 per unit for standard-sized products), storage fees ($0.80-$3.00 per cubic foot), referral fees (15% of the sale price), and inbound placement fees ($0.30-$0.35 per unit).

How can I reduce FBA storage fees as a beginner?

To reduce FBA storage fees, send small batches of inventory, price your products competitively to sell quickly, and avoid overstocking. Use Amazon’s sales data to predict demand.

Is FBA worth it for beginners in 2025?

Yes, FBA is worth it for beginners in 2025 because it saves time, makes your products Prime-eligible, and builds customer trust. Just make sure to choose small, fast-selling products to keep fees low.

Ready to Start Selling with FBA in 2025?

Understanding Amazon FBA fees in 2025 is the first step to building a profitable business as a beginner. By choosing the right products, managing your inventory, and pricing strategically, you can keep your costs low and your profits high. FBA makes selling on Amazon easier for new sellers, but it’s important to plan ahead to avoid surprises.

If you’re new to Amazon selling, check out our guide on How to Start as an Amazon Seller in 2025 for Beginners to set up your account and find your first product. For more resources, visit Amazon Seller Central or explore Jungle Scout’s FBA Calculator to estimate your fees.

Start small, stay smart, and you’ll be on your way to success on Amazon in 2025, buddy! 🚀

Tagged: Amazon Selling, Beginner Amazon Seller, Amazon Seller 2025, Amazon FBA Beginners