Eva Answers / Amazon
How Much Does It Cost to Sell on Amazon?
Answered by Hai Mag, Founder & CEO, Eva Commerce, with 20+ years in eCommerce transformation, marketplace optimization, and AI-driven automation.
Last reviewed: October 22, 2026
Short answer: Every Amazon seller pays two standard fees: a selling plan fee and a referral fee on each sale. The plan is either $0.99 per item sold (Individual) or $39.99 a month (Professional). The referral fee is a percentage of the total sale price, with a minimum per item, and the percentage depends on the product category. Fulfillment by Amazon, storage and advertising are optional and cost extra, so your real cost per unit depends on how you fulfill and how much you advertise.
The two standard fees
| Fee | What Amazon charges |
|---|---|
| Individual plan | $0.99 per item sold. List one product at a time, static prices. |
| Professional plan | $39.99 a month. Adds bulk listing tools, Amazon Ads, brand tools with Brand Registry, automated pricing and selling to businesses. |
| Referral fee | A percentage of the total price (list price plus shipping and gift wrap) or a minimum amount per item, whichever is greater. The rate depends on the category. |
| Closing fee (media only) | $1.80 per media item, on top of the referral fee. |
Referral fee examples from Amazon’s fee table
| Category | Referral fee | Minimum per item |
|---|---|---|
| Everything Else | 15% | $0.30 |
| Beauty, Health and Personal Care | 8% if the total price is $10.00 or less, 15% above $10.00 | See Amazon’s table |
| Grocery and Gourmet | 8% if the total price is $15.00 or less, 15% above $15.00 | See Amazon’s table |
| Clothing and Accessories | 5% up to $15.00, 10% from $15.01 to $20.00, 17% above $20.00 | See Amazon’s table |
| Sports and Outdoors | 15% | See Amazon’s table |
| Furniture | 15% of the price up to $200.00, 10% of any portion above $200.00 | See Amazon’s table |
Amazon notes that a product’s fee category can differ from the category shoppers see in the store, so check the fee category guidelines for each product.
How to work out your cost per unit, step by step
- Pick a plan. Compare $0.99 times your expected monthly units with $39.99. Most brands that plan to advertise need the Professional plan anyway.
- Find your referral fee category. Use Amazon’s fee category guidelines, then apply the percentage to the full price the shopper pays, including shipping.
- Add fulfillment costs. If you use FBA, Amazon charges fulfillment and storage fees on top of the referral fee. Amazon’s Revenue Calculator compares FBA with your own fulfillment for a specific product.
- Add advertising. Sponsored Products has no monthly fee and charges per click, so you set the budget. See how much to spend on Amazon PPC.
- Check margin after all fees. Subtract product cost, inbound shipping, Amazon fees and ad spend from the price. That number decides how much you can spend to grow.
Exceptions
- New-to-Amazon brand incentives. Amazon says new-to-Amazon sellers can get over $50,000 in credits, bonuses and benefits, including automatic referral fee waivers in the first year for new-to-Amazon brands. Terms apply, so check eligibility before you launch.
- Tiered categories. Some categories charge a different rate above a price threshold, so price changes can change your fee rate.
- Switching plans. Amazon lets you switch or cancel your selling plan at any time after registration.
Eva’s Amazon account management works from contribution margin per product, after Amazon fees and ad spend, so pricing, fulfillment and advertising decisions are made on profit, not revenue. If your fees look wrong or inventory has gone missing, see how to file an Amazon FBA reimbursement claim.
Follow-up questions
Is the Individual or Professional plan cheaper?
Amazon charges $0.99 per item sold on the Individual plan and $39.99 a month on the Professional plan. If you sell more than about 40 items a month, the Professional plan costs less, and it is the plan that includes advertising, bulk listing tools and brand tools.
Do I pay a referral fee on shipping charges?
Yes. Amazon says the referral fee is a percentage of the total price, and the total price includes the list price plus shipping and any gift-wrapping charges.
Are there extra fees for books and other media?
Yes. Amazon adds a closing fee of $1.80 per item for media items, on top of the referral fee.