On January 15, 2026, Amazon will introduce the single most aggressive fee hike in FBA history. It’s not on fulfillment. It’s not on storage. It’s on mistakes.
Amazon is replacing the old, negligible “Inbound Defect Fees” with a new, unified penalty structure that increases the cost of non-compliance by over 5,000% in some cases.
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The Breakdown: The New Cost of Error
In 2025, if you sent a shipment to the wrong fulfillment center (FC) or deleted a plan after approval, Amazon slapped you on the wrist with a $0.02 – $0.07 fee.
In 2026, the gloves are off.
- Standard Size Units: Fees now range from $0.32 to $1.74 per unit.
- Bulky Units: Fees range up to $5.72 per unit.
Scenario: You send a pallet of 500 “Large Standard” units (2 lbs each) to the wrong FC.
- 2025 Cost: ~$30.
- 2026 Cost: $870 ($1.74 x 500).
This destroys the margin of that shipment instantly.
The “Gaming” Loophole Closed
This update specifically targets sellers who “game” the inbound placement system. Many sellers create 5-10 shipping plans to see which one offers the best “Minimal Split” fees, approve one, and delete the rest. The new fee structure applies to Deleted or Abandoned shipments. If you approve a plan and then fail to ship it (or delete it), you will be hit with the full defect fee. The penalty is now designed to be higher than any potential savings from route-shopping.
Your Defense Strategy: Zero-Defect Logistics
You cannot afford to be “mostly” accurate anymore.
- Renegotiate 3PL SLAs
Most 3PL contracts protect them from Amazon chargebacks. This needs to change. If a 3PL mislabels your inventory, the resulting fee is no longer a “cost of doing business”—it’s a negligence fine. Ensure your partners are liable for the fees they trigger.
- Implement “Commitment” Protocols
Train your operations team: Do not click “Approve” until the truck is ready. Treat the “Approve Shipment” button like a binding contract. Once clicked, that inventory must move to that location, or you will pay the tax.
- Manufacturer-Applied Labeling
The only way to guarantee 0% labeling defects is to print the FNSKU directly on the packaging at the factory. Stickers fall off. Humans make mistakes. Printed barcodes do not.
Where Big Internet Ecommerce Fits In
We turn compliance into a competitive moat.
- Risk Audit: We analyze your last 12 months of shipping plans to simulate what your defect fees would have been under 2026 rates.
- SOP Reconstruction: We rebuild your logistics SOPs to eliminate “route shopping” and ensure strict adherence to shipping plans.
- Vendor Management: We help you negotiate new SLAs with your 3PLs to protect your business from their errors.
The margin for error is gone. Let’s ensure your profit stays.
Book a call to get your migration roadmap today.
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