Short answer: roughly $12.92 on a typical large-standard 1–2 lb unit — $7.50 referral plus $5.42 pick-and-pack. You keep about $37.08 before your product cost.
| Size tier | Referral | Fulfillment | Total fees | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small standard, under 1 lb | $7.50 | $3.33 | $10.83 | $39.17 |
| Large standard, 1–2 lb | $7.50 | $5.42 | $12.92 | $37.08 |
| Large standard, 2–3 lb | $7.50 | $6.02 | $13.52 | $36.48 |
Fulfillment fees shown are US standard-size pick-and-pack rates and are the dominant FBA cost, but they are not the only one: monthly storage runs about $0.78–$2.40 per cubic foot depending on the season, and returns, removals and long-term storage surcharges are billed separately. Referral is 15% on standard categories — electronics and computers are 8%, which cuts the referral column roughly in half.
Merchant-fulfilled, this $50 sale costs you $7.50 in referral fees and nothing else to Amazon — but you pay the postage, the box and the labour. FBA replaces that with a flat $5.42 for a 1–2 lb unit. The honest comparison is: can you pick, pack and ship a 1–2 lb parcel for less than $5.42? For most sellers buying retail postage, the answer is no — which is why FBA usually wins on cost as well as on Prime placement, right up until the item is bulky, slow-moving, or cheap enough that $5.42 is a double-digit share of the price. On a $50 item, that flat fee alone is 10.8% of revenue.
At a unit cost of $17.50 and the 1–2 lb fulfillment fee, you break even at $26.96 and need $35.26 for a 20% margin. If you are listing at $50 with that cost structure, your actual margin is 39.2%.
Run your own cost and weight through the calculator →
What is the total Amazon cut on a $50 FBA sale?
About $12.92 for a typical large-standard 1–2 lb unit: $7.50 referral fee plus $5.42 fulfillment. Smaller units under 1 lb come in nearer $10.83.
Does that include monthly storage?
No. Storage is billed separately per cubic foot per month and rises sharply in Q4. A fast-turning SKU pays very little of it; a SKU sitting for six months can pay more in storage than in fulfillment.
Is FBA cheaper than shipping it myself?
Only if your own pick, pack and postage cost exceeds $5.42 for a 1–2 lb parcel. For most sellers buying retail rates it does, but for light, flat, letter-rate items it often does not.
How do I find which of my SKUs lose money under FBA?
Send a CSV of sku, price and cost for the $9 bulk audit and get every SKU’s fees, net profit, margin and break-even price back within 24 hours — the underwater ones are flagged.