Short answer: $3.00 — that is 15.0% of the sale. You keep $17.00 before your product cost and shipping.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Referral fee (15% standard category) | $3.00 |
| Total Amazon fees | $3.00 |
| You receive | $17.00 |
Assumes a standard 15% referral category and Fulfilled by Merchant (no FBA pick-and-pack). Media categories add a $1.80 closing fee; electronics and computers are 8% rather than 15%.
$17.00 is not profit — it is what lands in your account before you pay for the item itself. Here is the real number at four common cost levels on a $20 sale:
| Your unit cost | Net profit | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| $4.00 | $13.00 | 65.0% |
| $6.00 | $11.00 | 55.0% |
| $8.00 | $9.00 | 45.0% |
| $10.00 | $7.00 | 35.0% |
Margin is net profit divided by the $20 sale price. It excludes inbound shipping, storage, returns and ad spend — all of which come out of the profit column above.
If your unit cost is $8.00, you need to charge at least $9.41 on Amazon just to break even, and $12.31 to clear a 20% margin. Anything under $9.41 loses money on every single order — which is exactly the kind of SKU that hides in a big catalog.
Change the price and cost in the calculator →
Is $3.00 the whole cost of selling at $20?
No. It is the whole of Amazon's fees. Your own costs — the unit cost, inbound freight, packaging, returns, and any advertising — come out of the $17.00 you receive.
Does the buyer's shipping charge change the fees?
Yes on all three marketplaces. Amazon charges its percentage fee on the total the buyer pays, shipping included, so a $20 item with $6 shipping is charged fees on $26, not $20.
How do I check this against my own catalog?
Paste your SKUs, prices and costs into the free calculator, or send a CSV for the $9 bulk audit and get every SKU's fees, margin and break-even price back within 24 hours.