If you are selling on amazon.co.uk, your costs depend on your product category, selling plan and how you fulfil orders. Start with the fees that apply to each sale, then account for any charges tied to storing or handling your stock.
What this selling-fees breakdown covers
This guide covers Amazon referral fees, selling plan charges and the fulfilment, storage and other inventory charges that may apply when you use FBA. It does not price advertising, sourcing, stock preparation or shipping stock to Amazon. Include those costs separately when assessing whether a product will be profitable. For the process of setting up and listing, see how to sell on Amazon UK.
Use the Amazon UK fee calculator to work out selling fees for your own product rather than relying on a general category example.
The three core Amazon selling fees in the UK
1. Referral fee
The referral fee is Amazon's commission on a sale, calculated as a percentage of the selling price. Match your product to its actual Amazon category: similar-looking products do not necessarily attract the same rate.
| Category | Referral fee |
|---|---|
| Books | 15% |
| Toys & Games | 15% |
| Sports & Outdoors | 15% |
| Consumer electronics | 7% |
| Computers | 7% |
| Everything else | 15% |
A minimum referral fee may apply, depending on the category. Check the category assigned to your listing and its current terms in Seller Central. For more on how the charge works, read the Amazon referral fee guide.
2. FBA fulfilment fee
If you use Fulfilled by Amazon, you pay a per-unit fee when Amazon fulfils an order. This covers picking, packing and delivery to the customer. The charge depends on the product's applicable size and weight tier, so check the measurements of the packed item rather than estimating from the product alone.
Common descriptions include envelopes and parcels of different sizes; a product that moves into another tier can have a different fulfilment charge. If you fulfil orders yourself, you do not use the FBA fulfilment charge for that order, but you still need to account for your own packing and delivery costs. See the UK FBA fulfilment fees guide for a closer look at the tiers.
3. Monthly subscription fee
Individual plan — There is no monthly subscription charge; the per-item selling fee is £0.75 in addition to applicable referral fees. Compare this with the Professional plan if your sales volume changes.
Professional plan — The monthly subscription charge is £25.00 plus VAT, with no Individual-plan per-item selling fee. Compare the total plan costs and the features you need instead of choosing solely on expected order volume.
Additional fees to know about
Match these charges to the way you handle your stock. Storage, removal and aged-inventory costs relate to products held in Amazon's warehouses; they are separate from the referral fee on a sale.
Monthly storage fee — Amazon charges for the space FBA inventory occupies in its warehouses. Storage costs can vary by time of year, so allow for the period your stock is likely to remain there, not just the day it sells.
Long-term storage fee — Inventory held for more than 365 days may incur additional charges on top of standard storage. Review slow-moving stock before it becomes expensive to keep.
Returns processing fee — A charge may apply to returns in some categories, including apparel and footwear. Check whether it applies to the products you intend to sell.
FBA disposal/removal fee — Removing unsold inventory from Amazon's warehouses, whether to have it returned or disposed of, can incur a per-unit charge.
Aged inventory surcharge — Additional charges may apply to stock as it ages in Amazon's warehouses. Monitor inventory age alongside monthly storage costs.
After identifying the charges that apply to your product, use the fee calculator to check its own category and fulfilment costs. Then add costs outside Amazon's selling fees to assess your likely margin.
How to calculate your total selling cost
For an FBA product, begin with the referral fee and FBA fulfilment fee for a sale. Allocate storage costs across the units you expect to sell, and account for your selling plan and any other charges that apply. A useful starting point is:
Referral fee + FBA fulfilment fee + storage allocation + applicable selling plan and other charges
For example, a kitchen product would need the referral rate assigned to its listing and the fulfilment tier of the packed item. If you hold stock at Amazon, add an allocation for storage rather than treating it as a charge that occurs only when an order ships. The result is an estimate of Amazon charges, not profit: subtract sourcing, stock preparation, inbound shipping and any advertising spend separately.
A product fulfilled by the seller needs a different calculation. Include its referral fee and selling plan costs, but replace FBA fulfilment and warehouse storage charges with your own fulfilment and storage costs. Check the applicable fees in Seller Central before committing to a stock order.
How to reduce your Amazon UK selling fees
Optimise your size tier — Check the packed product's dimensions and weight. Packaging that fits the product securely without unnecessary bulk may help it qualify for a more suitable FBA tier, but confirm the actual charge before changing your forecast.
Keep inventory moving — The longer stock sits in Amazon's warehouses, the more storage can affect its margin. Use a restock calculator to plan stock levels against demand.
Price correctly — Referral fees vary with the selling price, while an FBA fulfilment charge does not fall simply because you discount a product. Recheck your margin whenever you change its price.
Consider FBM for slow-moving SKUs — Fulfilling a product yourself may avoid Amazon warehouse storage charges. Compare that saving with your own storage, packing and delivery costs before switching.
Before placing a stock order, model the product in the Amazon UK fee calculator and keep non-Amazon costs in your separate profit calculation.