Amazon has dropped the details for the 2026 FBA fee structure, and the message to sellers is unambiguous: Move it or lose it. While referral fees often grab the headlines, the expansion of the Aged Inventory Surcharge is the silent killer that will erode margins for unprepared sellers.
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What is Changing?
Amazon is introducing stricter penalties for inventory that sits in their fulfillment centers.
- The 12-15 Month Hike: Previously ~$0.15/unit, this fee is doubling to $0.30/unit for Amazon USA.
- The New >15 Month Tier: A dedicated tier for older stock charging $0.35/unit or $7.90/cubic foot.
The “Inventory Health” Reality Check
In the past, you might have ignored a few boxes of slow-selling units in the corner of the FBA warehouse. Under the new rules, those boxes are actively draining your account balance.
- The “Sunk Cost” Fallacy
Many sellers hold onto stock thinking, “I’ll sell it eventually and make my money back.” With a $0.35/unit monthly recurring fee, “eventually” is too expensive. You must shift your mindset from “Profit Preservation” to “Capital Recovery.” It is better to get cash back now at a lower margin than to bleed fees for another 6 months.
- The Inbound Logistics Shift
This fee change forces a change in how you ship.
- Old Way: Send 5,000 units to cover 6 months of sales to save on shipping.
- New Way: Send 1,000 units every month. Yes, your shipping work increases, and your per-unit freight might tick up slightly. But you completely eliminate the risk of getting hit with massive storage surcharges if demand drops.
- Data-Driven Decisions
You cannot manage this by “feel.” You need to know your exact sell-through rate per SKU. If a SKU sells 0.5 units a day, and you have 500 units in stock, you are in the danger zone.
Where Big Internet Ecommerce Fits In
We don’t just launch products; we manage the lifecycle.
- Risk Audits: We scan your catalog to find the “hidden liabilities”—products that look fine now but will trigger fees in January.
- Liquidation Strategy: We don’t just lower the price; we build campaigns. We use Amazon Outlet, Coupons, and external traffic to flush aged inventory efficiently.
- Forecasting Precision: We model your restocking to ensure you stay in the “Green Zone”—enough stock to sell, but never enough to sit.
The 2026 fees are an efficiency test. Pass it with BigIntermetEcommerce.
Book a call to get your customized strategy roadmap today.
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