Amazon has announced that starting January 15, 2026, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers will see new fee adjustments and policy changes that could affect delivery times for certain products.
According to the company, FBA fulfillment fees — which cover storage, handling, and shipping — will increase by an average of $0.08 per unit, amounting to less than 0.5% of an average item’s selling price. Amazon emphasized that the increase is “significantly less than inflation” and lower than the 3.9%–5.9% annual rate hikes by major U.S. carriers in recent years.
While some costs are going up, Amazon is also introducing fee reductions for specific product categories. For instance, removal and disposal fees for lightweight standard-size items will drop by $0.20 per unit. Fulfillment fees for Small Bulky and Large Bulky products will decrease by an average of $2.06 and $0.26 per unit respectively, while Extra-Large products will see a reduction of about $2.08 per unit. However, items with irregular dimensions will face increased fees due to added handling costs.
Amazon is also rolling out volume-based discounts for Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) sellers under its new Preferred Pricing program. Eligible merchants can earn up to a 15% discount on MCF fulfillment fees and receive up to a $1 FBA credit per unit shipped for one year.
On the other hand, some fees are set to rise. MCF fulfillment costs will go up by about $0.30 per unit, while Buy with Prime fees will increase by $0.24 per unit. Storage and transportation costs in Amazon’s AWD West region will also see an uptick. In addition, aged inventory fees will rise to encourage sellers to maintain healthier inventory turnover and free up warehouse space.
Amazon also updated its low-inventory-level fee policy. Starting January 15, 2026, the metric will be calculated at the seller-FNSKU level instead of the parent-ASIN level, meaning only specific SKUs with fewer than 28 days of supply will be charged the fee. The fee will now also apply to bulky product categories but remain exempt for groceries and slow-moving items.
The company warned that products with limited inventory and slow sales velocity could face slower delivery promises or restricted nationwide availability. However, this won’t result in canceled orders, and items under six months old are excluded from the change.
Amazon’s moderators advised sellers to maintain steady restocks and healthy inventory levels to ensure faster delivery speeds.
Reactions among sellers have been mixed. While some accepted the modest increases, others expressed concern about rising operational costs. One seller, writing an open letter to Amazon, said small businesses are already struggling with tariffs, advertising expenses, and tight margins. The letter urged Amazon to find ways to lessen the impact of additional fees or advocate for relief from external financial pressures.
As Amazon continues to optimize its decentralized fulfillment network, these 2026 fee adjustments highlight the company’s effort to balance efficiency improvements with cost management — though small sellers may feel the squeeze the most.
