Key Takeaways for Amazon Sellers
- The good news first: Amazon cut EU FBA fees by an average of EUR 0.17 per unit effective December 15, 2025, and the expanded Low-Price FBA rate now covers products up to EUR 20 since February 1, 2026.
- The bad news: Amazon is pulling margin back through at least five new or escalated ancillary fees in parallel. The Low-Inventory Cost Coverage Fee (Pan-EU) hits anyone dropping below 28 days of supply. The EU aged inventory threshold stays at 271 days, while the US is now at 181 days plus a new 15-month tier at USD 0.35 per unit.
- EPR Pay-on-Behalf: Spain has been charging a service fee on top of eco-contributions since June 2024, simplified from January 1, 2026 to EUR 25 per EPR category per year. Sellers who missed the March 31, 2026 Spain deadline are stuck in POB mode. In Germany you would be suspended.
- 3.5 percent fuel surcharge: Active on all FBA fulfillment fees in the US and Canada since April 17, 2026, extended to MCF and Buy with Prime on May 2, 2026. US-only so far, EU activation pending.
- AWD West region: Smart Storage from USD 0.43 to USD 0.51 per cubic foot per month (plus 19 percent), Transportation from USD 1.15 to USD 1.40 (plus 22 percent) since January 15, 2026.
- Concrete example: At 1,000 units per month, 25 percent margin and 21 days of supply, the Low-Inventory Fee Pan-EU runs roughly EUR 50 to 350 per month depending on size tier.
Amazon turned so many fee dials at the same time over the past months that many sellers lost the overview. December 2025 and January 2026 brought the cuts, February 2026 introduced new tariffs, March 2026 the EPR enforcement in Spain, April 2026 the US fuel surcharge, May 2026 its extension to MCF and Buy with Prime. Sellers who trusted the celebrated EU fee reduction and did not rework their margin model in parallel are losing margin systematically in Q2 and Q3 2026.
This article is the Q2/Q3 2026 update to our base guide Amazon FBA Costs 2026: Complete Fee Breakdown. All figures as of May 24, 2026.
The 2026 EU Fee Reduction, in Plain English
1. FBA Shipping Fees Down EUR 0.32 per Parcel
As of December 15, 2025, Amazon cut FBA shipping fees for parcels in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK by an average of EUR 0.32 per unit.
2. Expanded Low-Price FBA Up to EUR 20
As of January 5, 2026, the Low-Price FBA rate was extended to products with a selling price up to EUR 20 (previously EUR 12 in most categories). For newly qualified products, the FBA fee drops by an average of EUR 0.45 per unit.
3. Referral Fee Reductions in Four Categories
- Clothing & Accessories: up to EUR 15 from 8 to 5 percent, EUR 15-20 from 15 to 10 percent
- Home Products up to EUR 20: from 15 to 8 percent
- Pet Food & Clothing up to EUR 10: from 15 to 5 percent
- Grocery & Vitamins up to EUR 10: from 8 to 5 percent
For an apparel seller at EUR 12 average price, that is EUR 0.36 per sale. Important: These cuts are not gifts; they are Amazon's response to rising low-price competition from Shein, Temu and TikTok Shop.
Low-Inventory Cost Coverage Fee (Pan-EU): The Invisible Margin Eater
When Exactly Does the Fee Apply?
The LIF is only charged when both conditions are met:
- Long-term days of supply (last 90 days) below 28 days
- Short-term days of supply (last 30 days) below 28 days
Worked Example: 1,000 units/month, 25 percent margin, 21 days of supply
In the middle bucket (14-21 days), the LIF for standard size sits in the EUR 0.10 to 0.15 per unit range. At 1,000 units that is EUR 100-150 per month. Monthly contribution drops from EUR 4,500 to EUR 4,350-4,400, an effective margin erosion of 2 to 3 percentage points.
What You Can Do About It
- Days-of-supply monitoring: Daily check of historical days of supply in Seller Central. Fix an internal buffer of 30 days, not 28.
- Use AWD buffer storage: Amazon Warehousing & Distribution exists precisely to top up FBA on demand without forecast risk.
- Parallel IPI check: More in our IPI Score guide.
Aged Inventory: EU Holds at 271 Days, US Sharpens Drastically
EU Thresholds 2026 (Confirmed)
- 271-300 days: approx. EUR 125/m3/month or EUR 0.20/unit, whichever is greater
- 301-330 days: approx. EUR 130/m3/month
- 331-365 days: approx. EUR 136/m3/month
- 365-455 days: approx. EUR 228/m3/month or EUR 0.20/unit
- 455+ days: approx. EUR 262/m3/month or EUR 0.25/unit
US Tightening 2026 (Warning Signal for EU)
- Threshold pulled forward: instead of from 271 days, the surcharge already starts at 181 days.
- 12-15 months: minimum surcharge doubled from USD 0.15 to USD 0.30 per unit
- New 15+ months tier: USD 0.35 per unit or USD 7.90 per cubic foot, whichever is greater
EPR Pay-on-Behalf: Spain Charges the Service Fee
Until end of 2025, the POB fee in Spain and France looked like this: EUR 24.99 base fee plus 3 percent on the eco-contribution. Since January 1, 2026, Amazon simplified this: EUR 25 per EPR category per year, the 3 percent component drops entirely.
Germany has no Pay-on-Behalf model. Sellers without a LUCID number are suspended on Amazon.de, not charged. More on the German compliance frame in our article on GPSR on Amazon.
3.5 Percent Fuel Surcharge: US-Only, but EU Risk
Timeline and Scope
- April 17, 2026: 3.5 percent surcharge on all FBA fulfillment fees in the US and Canada
- May 2, 2026: extended to Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) and Buy with Prime
- EU: not yet activated, as of May 24, 2026
What EU Sellers Should Do Now
- Run the margin model in parallel: add a scenario mode to your contribution margin calculation that adds 3.5 percent to the FBA fee.
- Prepare your pricing logic: sellers who only start thinking about price when the EU surcharge is announced lose at least 4 to 8 weeks of margin.
- Do not neglect the FBM backup: a surcharge is a classic trigger to re-calculate the FBA vs FBM ratio.
Returns Processing Fee: Apparel Pays Per Unit Since July 2024
For apparel and shoes, every return is charged since July 2024, with no threshold. At a typical fashion return rate of 40-60 percent, this can mean EUR 0.80-2.50 in returns costs per sale. Concrete levers to reduce the return rate are in our article on reducing Amazon returns.
Concrete Margin Example: How the Q2/Q3 2026 Fees Add Up
- Brand: Pet Supplies, 12 SKUs, 8,000 units/month Pan-EU shipping
- Net selling price: EUR 22
- Planned margin before fee updates: 28 percent
Effect of the 2026 changes:
- FBA shipping minus EUR 0.32: plus EUR 2,560 margin/month
- LIF (days of supply swings 18-26 days): minus EUR 700-1,200/month
- Aged inventory (1.5 m3 at 320 days): minus approx. EUR 200/month
- EPR Pay-on-Behalf Spain: minus approx. EUR 50/month (annualized)
- Hypothetical EU fuel surcharge (if activated): minus approx. EUR 1,000/month
Net effect status quo (without EU fuel surcharge): plus EUR 510-1,610/month margin improvement. With EU fuel surcharge: minus EUR 390-690/month.
Checklist: Secure Q2/Q3 2026
- Book the 2026 FBA fee cut into your costing model actively, do not give it back to Amazon Ads
- Check Low-Price FBA eligibility for all ASINs up to EUR 20
- Monitor historical days of supply daily, set internal threshold at 30 days, not 28
- Burn down aged inventory above 200 days weekly; removal orders pay off early
- Check DE EPR registrations (LUCID, WEEE, BattG) for currency, has the 2026 volume report been filed?
- Spain, France, Italy, Belgium: review EPR self-registration, otherwise POB service fee is permanent
- Add a 3.5 percent scenario for the fuel surcharge to the margin model
- Add return rate (especially in fashion) as a margin KPI to reporting
- Review FBA/FBM split quarterly, especially for slow movers
- Re-calculate Pan-EU vs EFN setup; LIF only applies to Pan-EU shipments
Bottom Line: Gross Is Not Net
The 2026 EU fee reduction is real and in most cases a net positive, but sellers who book it as a blanket gift and ignore the new ancillary fees in parallel lose margin systematically in Q2 and Q3.
If you want to lift your margin model onto the new 2026 realities, reach out to our team via Initial Consultation Alexander Schnelle.
Note on figures: All EUR rates in this article are based on the Amazon FBA Rate Card Europe effective February 1, 2026 plus industry reporting on the Q1 and Q2 2026 updates. US fees are explicitly flagged as US-only. As of: May 24, 2026. All information without warranty.
Sources
- Amazon EU: Update to European Referral and Fulfilment by Amazon Fees for 2026
- NovaData: Amazon EU Fee Reductions 2026
- FLEX Fulfillment: Amazon EU 2026 Margin Reset Guide
- Amazon: Aged Inventory Surcharge (EU + US)
- Acadia: Amazon Hikes US Fees in 2026
- AMZ Prep: Amazon FBA Fees 2026 Full Breakdown + April 17 Surcharge Update
- NovaData: Amazon Adds 3.5% Fuel Surcharge on FBA, MCF, Buy with Prime
- ChannelX: Amazon Simplify EPR Pay on Behalf Fees
- Venture Forge: Amazon EPR Pay on Behalf Fees 2026
- Avask: Amazon Streamlines EPR Pay-on-Behalf Policy UK Spain France
- Amazon: 2026 Returns Processing Fee Changes