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Amazon Referral Fees by Category (2026 Table)
Amazon's referral fee is the commission you pay on every sale. Most US categories charge 15% of the total sale price, with a $0.30 minimum per item, but rates run from 8% (Consumer Electronics, Computers) up to 45% (Amazon Device Accessories). Several categories use tiered rates that change with price, so the same product can pay a very different percentage at $9.99 than at $10.99.
Key takeaways
- The default rate is 15% with a $0.30 minimum, and it applies to the total price, including shipping and gift wrap.
- Beauty, Baby, Grocery and Clothing use whole-price tiers: cross a price line and the higher rate applies to the full price.
- Furniture, Jewelry, Watches, Electronics Accessories and Compact Appliances use portion-based tiers: the lower rate only applies to the amount above the threshold.
- Refunds return the referral fee minus an admin fee (the lesser of $5 or 20% of the referral fee).
- Referral fees didn't change in the January 2026 fee update. The fulfillment side did.
Amazon referral fees by category (US, 2026)
This table follows Amazon's published US referral fee schedule. Rates can change, so confirm against the official Amazon pricing page before you lock in pricing.
| Category | Referral fee | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Device Accessories | 45% | $0.30 |
| Appliances – Compact | 15% on the portion up to $300; 8% on the portion above | $0.30 |
| Appliances – Full-size | 8% | $0.30 |
| Automotive and Powersports | 12% | $0.30 |
| Baby Products | 8% if total price ≤ $10; 15% if above | $0.30 |
| Backpacks, Handbags and Luggage | 15% | $0.30 |
| Base Equipment Power Tools | 12% | $0.30 |
| Beauty, Health and Personal Care | 8% if total price ≤ $10; 15% if above | $0.30 |
| Business, Industrial and Scientific Supplies | 12% | $0.30 |
| Clothing and Accessories | 5% if ≤ $15; 10% if $15–$20; 17% if above $20 | $0.30 |
| Computers | 8% | $0.30 |
| Consumer Electronics | 8% | $0.30 |
| Electronics Accessories | 15% on the portion up to $100; 8% on the portion above | $0.30 |
| Eyewear | 15% | $0.30 |
| Footwear | 15% | $0.30 |
| Furniture | 15% on the portion up to $200; 10% on the portion above | $0.30 |
| Gift Cards | 20% | – |
| Grocery and Gourmet | 8% if total price ≤ $15; 15% if above | – |
| Home and Kitchen | 15% | $0.30 |
| Jewelry | 20% on the portion up to $250; 5% on the portion above | $0.30 |
| Lawn and Garden | 15% | $0.30 |
| Lawn Mowers and Snow Throwers | 15% if total price ≤ $500; 8% if above | $0.30 |
| Mattresses | 15% | $0.30 |
| Media (Books, DVD, Music, Software, Video) | 15% + $1.80 closing fee per item | – |
| Musical Instruments and AV Production | 15% | $0.30 |
| Office Products | 15% | $0.30 |
| Pet Supplies | 15% (22% for veterinary diets) | $0.30 |
| Sports and Outdoors | 15% | $0.30 |
| Tires | 10% | $0.30 |
| Tools and Home Improvement | 15% | $0.30 |
| Toys and Games | 15% | $0.30 |
| Video Game Consoles | 8% | – |
| Video Games and Gaming Accessories | 15% | – |
| Watches | 16% on the portion up to $1,500; 3% on the portion above | $0.30 |
| Everything Else | 15% | $0.30 |
How the referral fee is calculated
The basic formula is simple:
Referral fee = total sales price × category rate, or the minimum fee, whichever is higher.
"Total sales price" means what the buyer pays for the item, including shipping and gift wrap charges. For FBA sellers, shipping is usually free to the buyer, so in practice it's the item price.
The $0.30 minimum only matters for very cheap items. At 15%, any price below $2.00 hits the minimum. A $1.50 item would owe $0.225 at 15%, so Amazon charges $0.30 instead (20% of the price).
Whole-price tiers vs portion-based tiers
This is where most pricing mistakes happen. Amazon uses two kinds of tiers.
Whole-price tiers (Beauty, Health and Personal Care, Baby, Grocery, Clothing, Lawn Mowers). The rate is set by the final price, and that one rate applies to the entire price. Cross the line by one cent and the higher rate applies to everything.
Portion-based tiers (Furniture, Jewelry, Watches, Electronics Accessories, Compact Appliances). The price is split into slices. Each slice pays its own rate, like income tax brackets. Crossing a threshold never makes the whole sale more expensive.
Worked examples
Example 1: The Beauty $10 cliff
Say you sell a lip balm set in Beauty.
| Price | Rate | Referral fee | Left after referral fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $9.99 | 8% | $0.80 | $9.19 |
| $10.99 | 15% | $1.65 | $9.34 |
Raising the price by $1.00 only adds $0.15 after the referral fee. And there's a second cliff: FBA fulfillment fees also move to a higher price band at $10. For a large standard item, that band is $0.82 higher. So at $10.99 you'd likely keep less than at $9.99, while also converting fewer shoppers. If you're near $10 in Beauty, Health or Baby, either stay at $9.99 or go well above $10.
Example 2: The Clothing $20 cliff
A T-shirt in Clothing and Accessories:
| Price | Rate | Referral fee | Left after referral fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| $19.99 | 10% | $2.00 | $17.99 |
| $20.99 | 17% | $3.57 | $17.42 |
Charging $1.00 more leaves you $0.57 worse off. Prices from $20.00 to about $21.67 earn less than $19.99 does. In Clothing, price at $19.99 or comfortably above about $22.
Example 3: Furniture at $350 (portion-based)
- First $200 × 15% = $30.00
- Remaining $150 × 10% = $15.00
- Total referral fee: $45.00, an effective rate of 12.9%
The higher the price, the lower your effective rate. That's very different from Beauty or Clothing.
Example 4: Jewelry at $400
- First $250 × 20% = $50.00
- Remaining $150 × 5% = $7.50
- Total: $57.50, or 14.4% effective
Jewelry has one of the highest base rates, but premium pieces end up near the standard 15%.
Example 5: Electronics Accessories at $150
- First $100 × 15% = $15.00
- Remaining $50 × 8% = $4.00
- Total: $19.00, or 12.7% effective
Compare that with a Consumer Electronics item at the same price, which pays a flat 8% ($12.00). Category placement matters, so make sure your product is in the right one.
Referral fees and returns
When you refund an order, Amazon refunds the referral fee but keeps a refund administration fee: the lesser of $5.00 or 20% of the referral fee.
On a $24.99 Home and Kitchen item, the referral fee is $3.75. On a refund, Amazon keeps $0.75 and returns $3.00. That's small per order, but in a category with a high return rate it adds up. Count it in your return cost alongside any returns processing fee and unsellable units.
How referral fees fit into total Amazon fees
The referral fee is only one part. For an FBA product you also pay the fulfillment fee (set by size, weight and price band, with a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge since April 2026) and monthly storage. On a typical $30 product, the referral fee is about $4.50 and the fulfillment fee is often $5–$6. Our Amazon FBA fees 2026 guide breaks down every line.
To see all fees together, plug your price, category and dimensions into our free FBA Profit Calculator. It shows how much each price point actually leaves you, which is the quickest way to spot the cliffs above.
How to check the referral fee on your products
- Fee Preview report. In Seller Central, go to Reports > Fulfillment > Fee Preview. It lists the estimated referral fee for each active ASIN.
- Revenue Calculator. Search any ASIN to see Amazon's fee estimate at a given price.
- Order-level check. Open Payments > Transaction view and click into an order to see the actual referral fee charged.
If the referral fee doesn't match the rate you expect, your product may be classified in a different category. For example, a phone mount might sit in Electronics Accessories (15% on the first $100) instead of Automotive (12%). Open a case with Seller Support and ask for a category review, with the reasons your product belongs elsewhere. Don't misclassify on purpose to get a lower rate, though. Amazon can reclassify and it puts the listing at risk.
Common referral fee mistakes
- Pricing just over a whole-price threshold. $10.49 in Beauty or $20.49 in Clothing is usually the worst price you can pick.
- Assuming 15% everywhere. Electronics pay 8%, Automotive pays 12%, Jewelry pays 20%. Use the real rate in your margin model.
- Forgetting the $0.30 minimum on cheap add-on items. Low-price items can effectively pay 20% or more.
- Running sale prices and deals without re-checking tiers. A sale price that takes a $10.99 Beauty item below $10 changes both the referral rate and the FBA price band. Check the numbers at your discounted price too.
- Ignoring the refund admin fee in high-return categories.
Once you know your margin after all fees, you know how much you can afford to spend on ads. See how to calculate Amazon profit margin for the full method.
Bottom line
Most Amazon categories charge a 15% referral fee with a $0.30 minimum, but the tier rules matter more than the headline rate. In Beauty, Baby, Grocery and Clothing, crossing a price line raises the rate on the whole sale, so price on the right side of $10, $15 or $20. Check your actual fees in the Fee Preview report and model every price point before you change it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Amazon referral fee for most categories?
Most Amazon US categories charge a 15% referral fee with a $0.30 minimum per item. That includes Home and Kitchen, Sports and Outdoors, Toys and Games, Office Products, Pet Supplies and the Everything Else category.
Do I get the referral fee back if a customer returns an item?
Amazon refunds the referral fee on a refunded order but keeps a refund administration fee. That fee is the lesser of $5.00 or 20% of the referral fee, so on a $3.75 referral fee you would get back $3.00.
Is the referral fee charged on the shipping cost?
Yes. Amazon calculates the referral fee on the total sales price, which includes the item price plus any shipping or gift wrap charges the buyer pays.
Do Individual and Professional sellers pay the same referral fees?
Yes, the referral fee percentages are the same on both plans. Individual sellers also pay $0.99 per item sold, while Professional sellers pay $39.99 per month instead, which is cheaper once you sell more than about 40 units a month.
How do I know which referral fee category Amazon puts my product in?
Check the Fee Preview report in Seller Central or look up the ASIN in the Revenue Calculator, which show the referral fee Amazon is applying. If the category looks wrong, contact Seller Support with evidence to have the product reclassified.
Amazon fees, policies and features change often. Figures here were checked in October 2026; confirm current rates in Seller Central before making pricing or budget decisions. Sotrics is not affiliated with Amazon.