Amazon FBA fees catch a lot of new sellers off guard. You find a product with a $20 price gap between Walmart and Amazon, run the numbers in your head, and think you're printing money — then the fees show up and the profit evaporates.
Here's a clear breakdown of every fee you'll actually pay.
The Two Main Fees
1. Referral Fee
Amazon takes a percentage of every sale. This is their cut for giving you access to their customer base.
The percentage depends on category:
| Category | Referral Fee |
|---|---|
| Electronics | 8% |
| Toys & Games | 15% |
| Home & Kitchen | 15% |
| Clothing | 17% |
| Health & Beauty | 8% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 15% |
This is calculated on the total selling price including shipping. If you sell a product for $30 in the Toys category, Amazon takes $4.50 before you see anything.
2. FBA Fulfillment Fee
This covers Amazon picking, packing, and shipping the product to the customer. It's based on size and weight.
Small Standard Size (under 1 lb): ~$3.22 Large Standard Size (1–20 lbs): $4.75–$12+ Oversize: $10+
For most everyday Walmart products in the 1–3 lb range, expect to pay $4–$7 in fulfillment fees.
The Fee Most People Forget: Monthly Storage
Amazon charges you to store your inventory in their warehouse.
- Jan–Sep: $0.78 per cubic foot per month
- Oct–Dec (Q4): $2.40 per cubic foot per month
Storage fees are usually small per unit (a few cents to a dollar), but they add up if your inventory sits. Slow-moving products become money pits in Q4.
Real Example: Walmart Ninja Blender
Let's say you find a Ninja blender at Walmart on clearance for $29. It's selling on Amazon for $65.
Here's the math:
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Amazon selling price | $65.00 |
| Referral fee (15%) | -$9.75 |
| FBA fulfillment fee | -$5.50 |
| Your cost (Walmart) | -$29.00 |
| Profit | $20.75 |
| ROI | 71% |
That's a solid deal. But now look at a thinner-margin example:
Same blender, but you paid $45 at Walmart (not on clearance):
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Amazon selling price | $65.00 |
| Referral fee (15%) | -$9.75 |
| FBA fulfillment fee | -$5.50 |
| Your cost (Walmart) | -$45.00 |
| Profit | $4.75 |
| ROI | 10.5% |
10% ROI barely covers the time and risk. Most OA sellers want 30%+ before they pull the trigger.
What About Prep Fees?
If you use a prep center (a third-party warehouse that receives Walmart items and preps them for Amazon), add $1–$3 per unit. If you prep yourself, it's just your time.
The Easiest Way to Run the Numbers
You can calculate this manually every time, or use a tool that does it automatically.
FlipMeter pulls the Amazon price, calculates referral and FBA fees based on the product's size/weight category, and shows you the profit and ROI instantly — just from the Walmart URL.
It's not magic. It's just the math done faster so you can evaluate more products per hour.
Key Takeaway
FBA fees aren't complicated once you understand the structure. Referral fee + fulfillment fee = your main costs. Storage is usually small unless you're buying too much of a slow-moving product.
Run the numbers on every single deal. The ones that look great in your head often look different with actual fees applied.