Amazon opens the door to millions of shoppers, but their marketplace comes at a price. Knowing the true cost to sell on Amazon in 2025 helps you make smart business choices and protect your profit. Here’s a clear breakdown of every fee and cost you’ll face, so you can start—or scale—your Amazon business with clarity and confidence.
Photo by Kampus Production
Selling Plans: Professional or Individual
Amazon offers two basic selling plans. Your first decision: how many products do you expect to sell each month?
Professional Seller Plan
- $39.99 per month (flat fee)
- Best for those selling more than 40 items monthly
- Access to advanced sales tools, advertising, and reports
Individual Seller Plan
- No monthly fee
- 99¢ fee per sale
- No access to advanced features
Those planning a long-term business almost always choose the Professional plan, since it saves money past 40 sales monthly.
Referral Fees: Amazon’s Percentage on Every Sale
Amazon takes a cut of every product you sell, called a referral fee. This is usually the largest fee you’ll pay.
- Calculated as a percent of your sale price (not including tax)
- Most categories: 8% to 15% referral fee
- Some categories: as low as 6% or as high as 45% (for special cases like Amazon Device Accessories)
- Minimum referral fee per item: $0.30
Example:
A $25 home improvement tool at 15%:
$25 x 15% = $3.75 referral fee taken by Amazon
Always check your category, since rates vary.
Fulfillment Fees: FBA vs. FBM
You have two options for shipping: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Amazon stores, packs, and ships your items. You pay two core fees:
- Fulfillment fee:
Charged per unit sold, varies by size and weight. For 2025:- Standard-size items: around $2.50–$5.50 per unit
- Oversized or bulky: higher (with a small reduction for bulky items this year)
- Monthly storage fee:
What you pay to keep stock in Amazon’s warehouse- $0.75–$2.40 per cubic foot (varies by season; expect higher costs October–December)
FBA can save you time, especially if you sell at scale. But you must track your inventory closely, as Amazon charges more for slow-moving stock.
Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM)
You store, pack, and ship items yourself (or via a third party).
- No FBA fees
- Pay only referral fees and whatever your own shipping carrier charges
- You control shipping speed and quality but handle more logistics
FBA usually works better for high-volume, fast-selling items. FBM may make sense if you sell seasonally, bulky goods, or want full control of packaging.
Extra Fees to Watch
Fees can sneak up, especially if you’re not prepared. Here are common add-ons and how they work.
High-Volume Listing Fee
- Applies if you have over 100,000 active listings (SKUs)
- Cost: $0.005 per listing, per month
Not relevant for most smaller sellers, but important for large resellers or catalog aggregators.
Media Closing Fees
- Extra fee on books, DVDs, music, or software
- $1.35–$1.80 per item in 2025
Refund Administration Fee
- If you refund a customer, Amazon charges up to 20% of the referral fee (maximum $5)
Low Inventory Fee
- New as of late 2023 (continues in 2025)
- Charged if you don’t keep enough FBA stock
- Varies by product size and how long the item sits unsold
Specialized Category Fees
- Jewelry, fine art, lithium batteries, and other special items may have unique or higher fees
- Check Amazon’s category fee list before listing unique items
International Seller Fees
- If you sell globally, expect currency conversion fees of 0.75%–1.5% on converted amounts
Every one of these fees nibbles away at your profit. Run the numbers and keep a margin “buffer” to stay safe.
Incentives and Discounts for 2025
Amazon isn’t just raising fees—some have dropped, and seller incentives are back:
- Inbound placement service fee reduction:
For large, bulky items shipped to Amazon, fees are about $0.58 less per unit in 2025 - FBA New Selection program:
For new products enrolled, up to 100 units per parent ASIN may ship to FBA with waived placement fees (December 2024–March 2025) - Increased fee discounts for new sellers:
Targeted at new accounts and those adding high-demand, low-variety products
Stay updated on Amazon’s Seller Benefits page, since these programs change throughout the year.
What Does It Really Cost: Case Study Breakdown
Let’s walk through a real-world example:
Selling a $30 kitchen gadget via FBA:
- Referral fee (15%): $4.50
- FBA fulfillment fee: $3.00
- FBA storage (per unit/month, average): $0.50
- Professional plan “share” ($39.99 / 200 sales/month): $0.20
Total Amazon fees per sale:
$4.50 + $3.00 + $0.50 + $0.20 = $8.20
Seller receives:
$30 - $8.20 = $21.80 (before your product, shipping, and other expenses)
For FBM (self-fulfillment), you’d drop the FBA fulfillment and storage fees, but add your own shipping costs.
Cost-Saving Tips for Sellers
- Choose the best fulfillment model for your products and order volume
- Track your inventory to avoid low-inventory or storage surcharges
- Use Amazon’s fee calculator before listing any new product
- Sign up for incentive programs early to save on fees
- Bundle or upsell to boost your average order value
- Consider pricing products to keep a safe margin above all fees
Conclusion
Selling on Amazon in 2025 is about understanding every cost upfront. Whether you prefer FBA for scale or FBM for control, the real expense is a mix of referral fees, fulfillment charges, storage, and extras. Stay on top of changing programs and discounts, watch your margins, and use every tool Amazon offers to your advantage.
Business on Amazon is possible—if you keep an eye on every penny and make fees work for you. Ready to crunch your numbers, pick your plan, and start selling? Let Amazon’s reach bring your products to new customers, and let smart strategy keep your profits strong.