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Amazon Storage Fees and Aged Inventory Surcharge 2026
Amazon charges FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) storage fees monthly, based on how many cubic feet your inventory takes up. In 2026, standard-size storage costs $0.78 per cubic foot from January to September and $2.40 from October to December. Units stored more than 181 days also pay an aged inventory surcharge that climbs steeply after 270 days, and high-stock sellers can pay a storage utilization surcharge on top.
Key takeaways
- Base storage depends on volume, size group and season. Q4 storage costs about three times more for standard-size items.
- The aged inventory surcharge starts at 181 days and jumps from $1.50 to $5.45 per cubic foot after 270 days.
- Amazon assesses aged inventory on the 15th of each month, so timing your removals matters.
- The storage utilization surcharge hits sellers holding more than about 22 weeks of stock.
- The cheapest fix is ordering less, more often. Restock planning beats clean-up.
Monthly storage fees in 2026
Monthly storage is calculated on the average daily volume of your inventory in fulfillment centers.
| Size group | January–September | October–December |
|---|---|---|
| Standard-size (non-dangerous goods) | $0.78 per cu ft | $2.40 per cu ft |
| Oversize (non-dangerous goods) | $0.56 per cu ft | $1.40 per cu ft |
Dangerous goods (hazmat) have higher rates. Check Seller Central for your current amounts.
How to calculate it:
- Unit volume (cu ft) = length × width × height in inches ÷ 1,728
- Monthly storage = average daily units × unit volume × monthly rate
Example: a standard-size product
Say each unit is 9 × 6 × 4 inches. That's 216 ÷ 1,728 = 0.125 cu ft. You hold an average of 500 units.
- Total volume: 500 × 0.125 = 62.5 cu ft
- January–September: 62.5 × $0.78 = $48.75 a month
- October–December: 62.5 × $2.40 = $150.00 a month
Per unit, that's about $0.10 a month for most of the year and $0.30 in Q4. Small per unit, but it compounds on slow movers. Use our free FBA Profit Calculator to see storage alongside your other fees.
The aged inventory surcharge
The aged inventory surcharge is an extra monthly charge on units that have sat in fulfillment centers too long. It's charged on top of base storage.
Amazon takes an inventory snapshot on the 15th of each month. Rates in 2026:
| Inventory age on the 15th | Surcharge |
|---|---|
| 181–210 days | $0.50 per cu ft |
| 211–240 days | $1.00 per cu ft |
| 241–270 days | $1.50 per cu ft |
| 271–300 days | $5.45 per cu ft |
| 301–330 days | $5.70 per cu ft |
| 331–365 days | $5.90 per cu ft |
| 366–455 days | $6.90 per cu ft or $0.30 per unit, whichever is greater |
| 456+ days | $7.90 per cu ft or $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater |
The 456+ day band is new for 2026. Some categories, such as clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry and watches, are excluded from the early age bands. Amazon can change these rates, so confirm current figures in Seller Central.
Notice the cliff at day 271. The surcharge more than triples, from $1.50 to $5.45 per cubic foot. That's the date to act before.
Example: slow stock crossing 270 days
Say you have 300 units of a 0.25 cu ft product (75 cu ft in total) that are 285 days old on 15 May.
- Aged surcharge: 75 × $5.45 = $408.75
- Base storage that month: 75 × $0.78 = $58.50
- Total for one month: $467.25, or about $1.56 per unit
A month later, at 315 days, the surcharge rises to $5.70 per cu ft ($427.50). If those units sell for a $10 profit each, two more months of storage and surcharges can take away roughly a third of it. If they won't sell soon, removal or liquidation is usually cheaper.
Example: tiny items over a year old
For items older than 365 days, Amazon charges the greater of the cubic-foot rate or a per-unit amount. A small item of 0.02 cu ft would owe 0.02 × $6.90 = $0.14 by volume, but the minimum is $0.30 per unit. For small, cheap products, that per-unit floor is what you'll pay.
The storage utilization surcharge
The storage utilization surcharge targets sellers who hold a lot of stock compared with what they sell.
Your storage utilization ratio is your average daily inventory volume divided by your average daily shipped volume over the past 13 weeks, expressed in weeks of supply. If the ratio is above 22 weeks, a surcharge is added per cubic foot on inventory older than 30 days.
| Ratio (weeks of supply) | Standard-size surcharge | Oversize surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Under 22 | None | None |
| 22–28 | $0.44 per cu ft | $0.23 per cu ft |
| 28–36 | $0.76 per cu ft | $0.46 per cu ft |
| 36–44 | $1.16 per cu ft | $0.63 per cu ft |
| 44–52 | $1.58 per cu ft | $0.76 per cu ft |
| Over 52 | $1.88 per cu ft | $1.26 per cu ft |
It applies to Professional sellers whose first FBA shipment arrived more than 365 days ago, with more than 25 cubic feet of average daily volume in that size group. It's calculated per size group, so one badly overstocked product can raise the rate on everything else in that group.
Example: You hold 400 cu ft of standard-size stock and ship about 15 cu ft a week. 400 ÷ 15 = 26.7 weeks. That's the 22–28 band, so stock older than 30 days pays $0.78 + $0.44 = $1.22 per cu ft from January to September.
Where to find these charges in Seller Central
- Reports > Fulfillment lists the monthly storage fee report and the aged inventory surcharge report. They show which ASINs were charged and how much.
- Inventory > Inventory Planning shows inventory age, excess stock and Amazon's recommended actions for each SKU.
- Inventory > Manage FBA Inventory lets you create removal orders and change prices on aged SKUs.
Check aged inventory at the start of each month, before the 15th snapshot. Anything heading past 180 or 270 days needs a decision now, not after it's charged.
How storage affects your capacity and IPI
Amazon also limits how much you can store, through FBA capacity limits. Your IPI (Inventory Performance Index) score reflects how well you manage stock: selling through inventory, keeping excess and aged units low, and keeping listings in stock. A weak score can mean tighter capacity, which makes restocking your best sellers harder. Amazon sets the exact thresholds, so check your current score and limits in Seller Central's Inventory Performance dashboard.
How to reduce storage fees and aged inventory
- Order to demand, not to the discount. A cheaper per-unit price from your supplier is no saving if half the order ages past 270 days.
- Ship in smaller, more frequent batches. Holding 6–10 weeks of supply at Amazon, with the rest in cheaper storage, keeps your utilization ratio low. Our inventory restock planning guide covers the method.
- Watch the 180 and 270-day lines. Units approaching day 270 are the top priority. Discount, promote or remove them first.
- Use price cuts and deals early. A modest discount at day 200 usually costs less than surcharges plus a bigger discount later.
- Remove or liquidate dead stock. If a SKU won't sell in the next two to three months, compare the removal or disposal fee with the storage you'd pay. Removal fees are per unit and depend on size and weight, so check Seller Central.
- Don't over-stock in Q4. October–December storage is about three times the normal rate. Send what you'll realistically sell by the end of the year. See our holiday peak fees guide.
- Shrink the packaging. Storage is charged by volume, so a smaller box lowers every storage line. Our size tiers and dimensional weight guide shows how.
Balance is key. Cutting stock too far can trigger the low-inventory-level fee and cost you sales, so aim for steady coverage, not the minimum.
For Amazon's own summary of storage and aged inventory costs, see its FBA pricing page.
Common mistakes
- Treating storage as a fixed cost. It's variable, and it grows fast on slow movers.
- Missing the 15th. A removal order created after the snapshot won't avoid that month's aged charge.
- Averaging across SKUs. One dead SKU can push your utilization ratio into a surcharge band for the whole size group.
- Ignoring the Q4 jump when planning holiday stock.
- Leaving dead stock "just in case." Over 365 days, every unit pays at least $0.30 a month in surcharge alone.
Bottom line
Amazon storage fees in 2026 are $0.78 per cubic foot for most of the year and $2.40 in Q4 for standard-size items, with the aged inventory surcharge starting at 181 days and jumping after 270. Check inventory age before the 15th of each month, clear stock before day 271, and order closer to real demand. Good restock planning removes most of these fees before they appear.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Amazon charge for storage per month?
For standard-size items, Amazon charges $0.78 per cubic foot per month from January to September and $2.40 from October to December. Oversize items pay $0.56 and $1.40. Extra charges can apply for aged inventory and high storage utilization.
When does Amazon charge the aged inventory surcharge?
Amazon assesses aged inventory on the 15th of each month. Any units that have been in a fulfillment center for more than 181 days on that date are charged, with the rate rising as inventory gets older.
Is the aged inventory surcharge the same as the long-term storage fee?
Yes, it replaced what sellers used to call the long-term storage fee. The main difference is that it now starts much earlier, at 181 days, with small charges that climb steeply after 270 days.
Is it cheaper to remove inventory or pay storage fees?
Compare the removal or disposal fee per unit with the storage and aged surcharges you would pay before the stock sells. If a unit will keep sitting past 270 days, removal or liquidation is often cheaper. If it will sell within a month or two at a discount, a price cut or deal can be better.
Do storage fees apply to inventory in transit to Amazon?
Monthly storage is based on the average daily volume of inventory stored in Amazon fulfillment centers. Units in transit are not stored yet, but they start accruing storage once Amazon receives them.
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.