Amazon Selling Fees: How Expensive is Trading on the Marketplace?
While, for example, classified ad platforms are designed for (also) private individuals to sell, Amazon focuses on professional sellers who trade goods online commercially and accordingly charges fees for using the marketplace. It is therefore very important for sellers to be aware of the applicable selling fees. These directly influence profitability and profit.
Amazon offers sellers a vast reach, but the platform charges various fees for this service – from sales commissions to shipping costs and fulfillment fees for FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Depending on the product category and the chosen sales model, the fees can vary significantly.
The actual selling fees in the strict sense are those charges that Amazon calculates per sold item based on the total price. In this article, you will learn about the selling fees that apply, how they are calculated, and what strategies can help you optimize costs.
What are the Amazon selling fees?
Selling fees are the costs that sellers must pay to Amazon in order to offer and sell their products through the marketplace. This is distinct from fees that cover additional services, such as the seller account or shipping through Amazon.
This selling commission is calculated as a percentage of the total cost of a product sale and varies widely. In many product categories, it is as low as 7%, but it can also be as high as 45% (for accessories for Amazon devices). However, in most categories, it ranges between 7% and 15%.
In almost all categories, there is also a so-called minimum selling fee, which is currently set at €0.30 and is charged per item.
A good understanding of these fees is essential for calculating your profitability and conducting informed pricing calculations. You can also check which fees apply using Amazon’s Selling Fees Calculator.
Amount of Amazon Selling Fees by Product Category
All selling fees are calculated based on the total sale price. This is the amount that the buyer actually pays and consists of the product price, shipping costs, and any additional costs such as gift wrapping.
Total Sale Price = Item Price + Shipping Costs + Additional Costs (if applicable)
| Product Category | Percentage Selling Fee | Minimum Selling Fee of €0.30 |
| Accessories for Amazon Devices (e.g., Alexa) | 45 % | yes |
| Automotive and Motorsports | • 15% for the portion of the total sale price up to €50.00 • 9% for the portion of the total sale price over €50.00 | yes |
| Baby Products | • 8% for products with a total sale price of up to €10.00 • 15% for products with a total sale price over €10.00 | yes |
| Backpacks and Handbags | 15 % | yes |
| Beauty, Drugstore, and Personal Care | • 8% for products with a total sale price of up to €10.00 • 15% for products with a total sale price over €10.00 | yes |
| Beer, Wine, and Spirits | 10 % | yes |
| Books | • 15% • Closing fee of €1.01 per sold item | no |
| Accessories for Industry & Science | 15 % | yes |
| Clothing and Accessories | • For Prime assortment products with a total price over €45: 15% for products with a total price of more than €15 for the portion of the total price up to €45 and 7% for the portion of the total price over €45 • For products from all assortments with a total price of up to €15: 8% • For products from all assortments with a total price of more than €15: 15% | yes |
| Commercial Electronics Accessories and Power Supply Accessories | 12 % | yes |
| Compact Devices | 15 % | yes |
| Computers | 7 % | yes |
| Electronics | 7 % | yes |
| Bicycle Accessories | 8 % | yes |
| Electronics Accessories | • 15% for the portion of the total sale price up to €100.00 • 8% for any portion of the total sale price over €100.00 | yes |
| Glasses | 15 % | yes |
| Shoes | 15 % | yes |
| Standard Size Devices | 7 % | yes |
| Furniture | • 15% for the portion of the total sale price up to €200.00 • 10% for any portion of the total sale price over €200.00 | yes |
| Food and Delicacies | • 8% for products with a total sale price of up to €10.00 • 15% for products with a total sale price over €10.00 | no |
| Handmade | 12 % | yes |
| Household and Kitchen | 15 % | yes |
| Jewelry | • 20% for the portion of the total sale price up to €250.00 • 5% for any portion of the total sale price over €250.00 | yes |
| Garden | 15 % | yes |
| Luggage, Backpacks, and Bags | 15 % | yes |
| Mattresses | 15 % | yes |
| Music, Videos, and DVDs | • 15% • And a closing fee of €0.81 per sold item | yes |
| Musical Instruments and DJ Equipment as well as AV Production | 12 % | no |
| Office Supplies | 15 % | yes |
| Pet Supplies | 15 % | yes |
| Software | • 15% • And a closing fee of €0.81 per sold item | no |
| Sports and Leisure | 15 % | yes |
| Tires | 7 % | yes |
| Tools and Hardware | 13 % | yes |
| Toys | 15 % | yes |
| Video Games and Accessories | • 15% • And a closing fee of €0.81 per sold item | no |
| Video Game Consoles | • 8% • And a closing fee of €0.81 per sold item | no |
| Watches | • 15% for the portion of the total sale price up to €250.00 • 5% for any portion of the total sale price over €250.00 | yes |
| Other Products | 15 % | yes |
Additional Fees for Using Amazon FBA
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is the in-house fulfillment program of the trading platform. Sellers can opt for this option if they want to delegate storage, fulfillment, shipping, and customer service or returns management to Amazon. This naturally incurs additional costs, but at the same time, sellers do not need to provide their own storage space and personnel resources for order processing. Fulfillment by Amazon can therefore be a real support.
The FBA fees consist of two components:
Here you can find the fee schedule for using Fulfillment by Amazon for the individual marketplaces available for download: Amazon FBA Pricing.
Refunds from FBA Errors
Unfortunately, errors also occur repeatedly in the logistics centers. For example, products can be damaged during the fulfillment process and become unsellable. In such cases, Amazon owes the seller compensation. However, this does not always happen proactively.
Anyone who does not want to waste their money on Amazon should definitely make use of SELLERLOGIC Lost & Found Full-Service. Marketplace sellers can lose up to 3% of their annual gross revenue due to FBA errors. These are funds you should not write off, but can easily reclaim within a day with SELLERLOGIC.
Conclusion
Amazon is one of the largest and most far-reaching sales platforms in the world – but this reach comes at a price. The selling fees vary significantly depending on the product category and the chosen sales model, directly impacting the profitability of an online seller. In addition to the standard selling commissions, there are often additional costs, such as for shipping, storage, and Fulfillment by Amazon.
For sellers, this means that precise calculation is essential. Those who do not accurately adjust their prices to account for the incurred fees risk unintentionally giving away profits or even incurring losses. At the same time, programs like FBA offer the advantage that sellers do not have to worry about logistics and customer service – therefore, a cost-benefit analysis is crucial.
Anyone looking to sell on Amazon should thoroughly familiarize themselves with the fee structures in advance and regularly review their profitability. With the right strategy, sellers can optimize costs and use the Amazon marketplace profitably for their business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Selling fees are charged per sold item and depend on the respective product category. Typically, the commission ranges from 7% to 15% of the total price. Additional costs, such as those for shipping through Amazon, are also incurred.
This depends entirely on the chosen business model. For example, the professional seller account costs a flat fee of €39 per month, plus a selling commission that usually ranges from 7% to 15% of the total price. Those using the FBA program must also calculate additional fees.
Beginners have two options: they can either use the individual seller account, which is free but charges €0.99 per sold item, or they can choose the professional seller account, which costs €39 per month. In both cases, Amazon selling fees and any applicable FBA costs are added.
No, anyone who wants to sell products on Amazon must always expect costs and fees. For example, there is a selling fee that typically ranges from 7% to 15% of the total price.
Yes, you can offer your products on both platforms simultaneously.
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