Amazon fees 2026: Where you save — and where you pay more

If you sell on Amazon, 2026 brings two pieces of good news and one less welcome one: selling commissions in many categories have been reduced, FBA shipping fees too — but from mid-April a new fuel and logistics surcharge applies. In this article you'll learn what has changed in concrete terms, when each change takes effect, and which levers you should review now to keep your margin healthy.

Table of contents

• Overview: What changes in 2026
• Commission reductions since 5 January 2026
• FBA shipping fees: less per unit
• New fuel and logistics surcharge of 1.5%
• What this means for your calculation
• Practical check: five points to review now
• Frequently asked questions
• Conclusion
• Sources

Overview: What changes in 2026

Across Europe — including the German marketplace — Amazon has rolled out its 2026 fee changes in several steps. Three dates matter for you:

• 15 December 2025: Reduction of FBA shipping fees in Germany.
• 5 January 2026: Reduction of percentage selling fees in several categories.
• 17 April 2026 (FBA) and 2 May 2026 (MCF): Introduction of a fuel and logistics surcharge of 1.5% on shipping fees.

On balance, many low-priced products become cheaper to sell — but the surcharge eats into part of that saving on FBA. Who feels which effect depends strongly on your category, whether you use FBA or self-shipping, and your average unit price.

Commission reductions since 5 January 2026

The percentage selling fees — the share Amazon keeps from your sale price — have been clearly reduced in several categories. Low-priced items benefit most.

Concrete reductions on the German marketplace (excerpt):

• Clothing & accessories up to €15: from 8% to 5%
• Clothing & accessories €15 to €20: from 15% to 10%
• Home goods up to €20: from 15% to 8%
• Pet apparel & food up to €10: from 15% to 5%
• Grocery & gourmet up to €10: from 8% to 5%
• Vitamins, minerals & supplements up to €10: from 8% to 5%

What does that mean for you? If your product sits in one of these categories at the low-price end, the selling fee can drop by up to ten percentage points. The effect is noticeable on thin margins — but don't book the extra income one-to-one as profit, because additional costs come further down.

Example: a small Etsy and Amazon seller

Assume a part-time online seller offers handmade dog jumpers across several platforms, including Amazon. Unit price €9.90. Previously she paid 15% commission in the pet category. Since January it's 5%. With 100 units sold per month that's a meaningful difference — how big exactly depends on shipping costs, materials and ad spend.

FBA shipping fees: less per unit

If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) — Amazon's storage and shipping logistics — you have benefited from two adjustments since 15 December 2025:

• Standard parcel shipments in Germany: on average around €0.32 less per unit.
• Low-price FBA tariff: the price ceiling has been raised to €20 (previously lower). Average saving around €0.45 per unit.

Important: these are averages from Amazon's official announcement. Your actual saving depends on size, weight and packaging class. Use the Profit Analytics or FBA fee calculator in Seller Central for the exact values for your ASINs.

New fuel and logistics surcharge of 1.5%

Here's the less welcome side of the 2026 reform: Amazon has introduced a fuel and logistics surcharge that the platform previously absorbed itself.

Key facts (official Amazon announcement):

• Rate: 1.5%
• Calculation basis: FBA shipping fees only — not the sale price and not the percentage selling fee
• Effective dates: 17 April 2026 for FBA, 2 May 2026 for Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF)
• Geographic scope: Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium (FBA); MCF in DE, UK, FR, IT, ES
• Average added cost per Amazon: around €0.05 per unit

Amazon describes the surcharge as "temporary" and announces ongoing review. There is no fixed end date.

What does that mean for you? In absolute terms the surcharge is modest, but it applies to every shipment. On items with already thin margins it can — together with ad spend — tip the sweet spot, especially in the low-price FBA tariff.

What this means for your calculation

Instead of working with flat euro figures, look at the changes in two steps:

Step 1 — gross effect of the reductions. For each of your top ASINs, check whether the new commission category applies (especially home goods, clothing, pet, grocery, supplements under the relevant price thresholds). If so, the commission rate drops noticeably.

Step 2 — net effect after the surcharge. Subtract the 1.5% surcharge on the FBA shipping fee — and check whether the residual saving justifies your ad spend and return rate. On very small unit prices the surcharge can hit per-unit profit notably, especially when shipping and ad share already account for a quarter of the sale price.

Tip: Amazon has updated its Profit Analytics, Revenue Calculator and Fee & Economics Preview to reflect the new values. Before any pricing or assortment decision, look at these reports — they are more reliable than any flat estimate.

Practical check: five points to review now

1. Verify category mapping. Are your bestsellers in one of the reduced categories? If yes: update the commission rate in your calculation.
2. Mind the price thresholds. Many reductions only apply up to €10 or €20. If you're just over, test whether a price point under the threshold is economical.
3. Recalculate the low-price FBA tariff. With the raised €20 ceiling, more products qualify. Weigh inventory turnover and minimum margin.
4. Adjust ad budget. When you advertise on thin margins via Sponsored Products, a fee reduction can widen your ACoS room — the surcharge narrows it again.
5. Keep your bookkeeping clean. The individual fee items — commissions, FBA fees, surcharges — appear separately on your Amazon settlement. They belong neatly in your accounts. With a structured invoicing and bank-import workflow in your cloud invoicing software you keep the overview even with high volume.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1.5% surcharge apply to the sale price?

No. The surcharge is calculated solely on the FBA shipping fee — not on the sale price and not on the percentage selling fee. On average per Amazon it's around €0.05 per unit.

Do FBM (self-shipping) sellers also benefit from the changes?

FBM sellers benefit from the reduced percentage selling fees in the listed categories. The FBA-specific adjustments (shipping fee reduction, fuel surcharge) do not apply to them — they cover their own shipping costs anyway.

What about Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF)?

If you ship orders from other channels (your own shop, other marketplaces) via Amazon's warehouses, the 1.5% fuel and logistics surcharge applies from 2 May 2026 — slightly later than for FBA.

Are further adjustments expected in 2026?

Amazon has announced ongoing review of the surcharge. No further specific dates are currently known. It's worth checking the news sections of Seller Central regularly.

Should I lower my sale prices now?

There is no blanket answer. In the categories with lower commissions you have room, but you're not obliged to pass it on. A controlled A/B price test with clear margin targets is usually wiser than a reflexive adjustment.

Conclusion

For most smaller sellers the 2026 fee reform is a modest relief on balance — provided you sell in one of the reduced categories and stay under the price thresholds. The surcharge nibbles back some of it on FBA shipping but stays modest in absolute terms. Anyone who keeps their bookkeeping and marketplace payouts cleanly in view will see immediately whether the changes are positive or negative for their assortment. With a structured bank import and clear payment matching you can see at a glance what Amazon actually pays out — and what stays as fees.

Sources

1. Fuel and logistics surcharge: FBA and MCF in EU (Amazon Seller Central, 02.04.2026) — Official Amazon announcement with the exact rate, dates and calculation basis.
2. Update of percentage selling fees and FBA fees in Europe 2026 (Amazon Seller Central) — Official overview of the 2026 adjustments.
3. Reductions in percentage selling fees and "Fulfillment by Amazon" fees in the EU from 5 January (Amazon Seller Central) — Detail announcement of commission and FBA reductions.
4. Amazon pricing for your business (Amazon) — Current overview of all fee types, categories and FBA models.
5. FBA fees for low-priced items (Amazon) — Conditions and price ceilings of the low-price FBA tariff.