How Much Does Amazon Take Per Sale? (2026)
By the Profitvana Editorial Team · Updated August 2026
Amazon takes between 8% and 20% of most sales as a referral fee — 15% is the single most common rate — plus FBA fulfillment fees if Amazon ships for you, and a monthly plan cost. Here is exactly what Amazon takes per sale in 2026, category by category, with worked examples showing what actually lands in your account.
The referral fee: Amazon's cut of every sale
The referral fee is Amazon's commission, charged on every sale whether you fulfil orders yourself (FBM) or use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). It is a percentage of the total sales price — item price plus shipping and gift-wrap charges — with a minimum of $0.30 per item.
Good news for planning: Amazon froze referral-fee percentages for both 2025 and 2026, so the rates below are stable. What did creep up slightly are FBA fulfillment fees (about $0.08 per unit on average in 2026).
The exact percentage depends on your category. Use our Amazon fee calculator to apply your category's rate automatically — it carries the full schedule.
| Category | Referral fee (2026) |
|---|---|
| Most categories (Everything Else) | 15% |
| Consumer Electronics / Computers | 8% |
| Clothing & Accessories | 5% ≤$15 · 10% $15–20 · 17% >$20 |
| Beauty, Health & Personal Care | 8% ≤$10 · 15% >$10 |
| Grocery & Gourmet | 8% ≤$15 · 15% >$15 |
| Baby Products | 8% ≤$10 · 15% >$10 |
| Jewelry | 20% ≤$250 · 5% above |
| Watches | 16% ≤$1,500 · 3% above |
| Electronics Accessories | 15% ≤$100 · 8% above |
| Automotive / Business & Industrial | 12% |
| Tires | 10% |
| Full-size Appliances / Video Game Consoles | 8% |
| Amazon Device Accessories | 45% |
Worked examples: what you keep at three price points
Here is the referral-fee math at three realistic price points in the default 15% bracket, before your own product and shipping costs. Notice how the $0.30 minimum never binds at normal prices — it only matters on very cheap items.
| Sale price | Referral fee (15%) | You keep (before costs) |
|---|---|---|
| $25 | $3.75 | $21.25 |
| $100 | $15.00 | $85.00 |
| $500 | $75.00 | $425.00 |
FBA fees (if Amazon ships for you)
If you use Fulfillment by Amazon, a per-unit fulfillment fee is added on top of the referral fee, based on the item's size tier and weight — typically $3–$6 for standard-size items in 2026 — plus monthly storage fees ($/cubic foot, roughly tripling in October–December).
FBM (shipping yourself) skips those fees but you cover postage and handling. The referral fee is identical either way, so the FBA-vs-FBM decision comes down to your fulfillment cost per unit versus Amazon's — and how fast your inventory turns, because slow stock quietly accumulates storage fees.
Add your per-unit FBA or shipping cost into the item-cost field of the Amazon fee calculator to see your true net.
The monthly plan: Professional vs Individual
Professional sellers pay $39.99/month regardless of volume; Individual sellers pay $0.99 per item sold instead. The break-even is about 40 items a month — above that, Professional is cheaper, and it also unlocks the Buy Box, advertising, and bulk tools that most serious sellers need anyway.
Spread the plan cost across your monthly orders when you calculate margins: at 100 orders a month, the Professional plan adds $0.40 per order.
The complete per-sale picture
Putting it together for a typical $100 FBA sale in a 15% category: referral fee $15.00, FBA fulfillment ~$5.00, plan cost ~$0.40 (at 100 orders/month) — about $20.40 to Amazon, or roughly 20% of the sale, before your product cost. FBM sellers replace the $5 FBA fee with their own postage.
That 'Amazon takes about 20–25% all-in' rule of thumb is what experienced sellers actually price around — the 15% headline alone understates it. Compare how other marketplaces stack up in our cheapest way to sell online guide, or run a side-by-side with the compare tool.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Amazon take from a $100 sale?
In a standard 15% category, Amazon's referral fee on $100 is $15. If you use FBA, add a per-unit fulfillment fee (typically $3–$6 for standard-size items), bringing Amazon's total take to roughly $18–$21.
What is Amazon's referral fee minimum?
$0.30 per item. It only matters on very cheap items — below about $2 in a 15% category — where the flat minimum replaces the percentage.
Did Amazon raise referral fees in 2026?
No. Amazon froze referral-fee percentages for 2025 and 2026, keeping 2024's rates. FBA fulfillment fees rose slightly (about $0.08 per unit on average).
Is the referral fee charged on shipping too?
Yes — for most categories the referral fee applies to the total sales price, which includes the item price plus shipping and gift-wrap charges the buyer pays.
Sources
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Written and reviewed by the Profitvana Editorial Team
Last reviewed August 2026
We research marketplace, payment, and finance fees directly against each platform’s official, published rates, re-check every platform monthly, and stamp each calculator with the date it was last verified. We publish exactly how we work — and never let ads change a result.
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