Amazon Inbound Placement Fee Calculator
Compare minimal, partial and Amazon-optimized shipment splits, with your freight costs, to find the cheapest way to send stock to FBA.
Your numbers
Your result · updates as you type
Cheapest way to send this shipment
Amazon-optimized
$520.00 in placement fees and freight ($1.04 a unit), $15.00 less than minimal splits.
- Minimal splits
- $535.00
- Amazon-optimized
- $520.00
Amazon-optimized splits need at least five identical cartons or pallets per item, each with the same quantity and item mix. If your plan can't meet that, the option won't be offered.
Breakdown
- Weight band
- 12+ oz to 1.5 lb
- Minimal-split range (2026)
- $0.24 to $0.50
- Minimal splits: fee $0.37 × 500
- $185.00
- Minimal splits: freight
- $350.00
- Minimal splits: total
- $535.00
- Amazon-optimized: fee (none)
- $0.00
- Amazon-optimized: freight
- $520.00
- Amazon-optimized: total
- $520.00
How the inbound placement fee works
When you create a shipping plan in Send to Amazon, you choose how many locations to ship to. Sending everything to one place costs a per-unit inbound placement service fee. Splitting it across the locations Amazon picks is free, but your freight costs more. Rates last checked 30 Sep 2026.
| Option | Where you ship | Placement fee |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal shipment splits | Usually one location | Per-unit fee |
| Partial shipment splits (bulky only) | Two or three locations | Lower per-unit fee |
| Amazon-optimized shipment splits | Five or more locations | No fee |
Amazon-optimized needs at least five identical cartons or pallets per item, each with the same quantity and item mix. The fee is charged 45 days after the shipment is received, on the units received. Extra-large items don't pay it.
Worked example (the calculator's starting values)
- Product
- Large standard, 1.2 lb, 500 units
- Weight band
- 12+ oz to 1.5 lb: $0.24 to $0.50
- Midpoint rate
- $0.37
- Minimal splits
- 500 × $0.37 + $350 freight = $535.00
- Amazon-optimized
- $0 + $520 freight = $520.00
Amazon-optimized is cheaper by $15.00. At the low end of the range ($0.24), minimal splits win instead: 500 × $0.24 + $350 = $470.00.
2026 inbound placement fee rates
These apply to shipping plans created from 15 January 2026. Amazon publishes ranges, not single rates: where you land depends on the inbound location (the West can cost more) and capacity. Send to Amazon shows your exact rate for each option, so enter it in the calculator for the final answer.
| Size tier | Shipping weight | Minimal splits, per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Small standard | 8 oz or less | $0.14 to $0.32 |
| Small standard | 8+ oz to 16 oz | $0.16 to $0.32 |
| Large standard | 12 oz or less | $0.20 to $0.40 |
| Large standard | 12+ oz to 1.5 lb | $0.24 to $0.50 |
| Large standard | 1.5+ lb to 3 lb | $0.34 to $0.60 |
| Large standard | 3+ lb to 5 lb | $0.38 to $0.76 |
| Large standard | 5+ lb to 7 lb | $0.40 to $0.98 |
| Large standard | 7+ lb to 10 lb | $0.42 to $1.20 |
| Large standard | 10+ lb to 15 lb | $0.44 to $1.50 |
| Large standard | 15+ lb to 20 lb | $0.55 to $1.90 |
| Size tier | Shipping weight | Minimal splits | Partial splits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small bulky | 5 lb or less | $1.10 to $1.60 | $0.55 to $1.10 |
| Small bulky | 5+ lb to 12 lb | $1.75 to $2.40 | $0.65 to $1.75 |
| Small bulky | 12+ lb to 28 lb | $2.74 to $3.50 | $0.81 to $2.19 |
| Small bulky | 28+ lb to 42 lb | $3.95 to $4.95 | $1.05 to $2.83 |
| Small bulky | 42+ lb to 50 lb | $4.80 to $5.95 | $1.23 to $3.32 |
| Large bulky | 5 lb or less | $1.30 to $1.80 | $0.55 to $1.25 |
| Large bulky | 5+ lb to 12 lb | $2.10 to $2.90 | $0.65 to $1.80 |
| Large bulky | 12+ lb to 28 lb | $3.40 to $4.10 | $0.81 to $2.30 |
| Large bulky | 28+ lb to 42 lb | $4.70 to $5.60 | $1.05 to $2.95 |
| Large bulky | 42+ lb to 50 lb | $5.50 to $6.50 | $1.23 to $3.50 |
Choosing a split
- Small shipments rarely qualify for Amazon-optimized, because you need five identical cartons or pallets per item.
- Split plans by type. Amazon suggests separate shipments for standard-size items, non-standard-size items, and apparel, jewelry, shoes, watches and dangerous goods, to see more placement options.
- Mixed plans can still be split. If a plan mixes those types, Amazon may send it to more than one location even on minimal splits, and each shipment pays the minimal-split rate.
- New sellers who send their first shipment within 90 days of listing get $400 in credits toward this fee.
- Peak deadlines. For Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday 2026, Amazon asked for minimal-split shipments to arrive by 21 Oct and Amazon-optimized ones by 28 Oct.
- Add it to landed cost. Divide the winning option's total by the units and add it to the product's cost. In WooCommerce, go to Products, edit the product and update Cost of goods in Product data > General (where your version shows it). In Shopify, open the product from Products and update its cost per item.
Questions people ask
What is the Amazon inbound placement fee?
A per-unit fee for sending FBA inventory to fewer locations than Amazon would choose. In 2026 it runs from $0.14 to $1.90 per unit for standard-size items on minimal splits, and up to $6.50 for large bulky.
How do I avoid the inbound placement fee?
Choose Amazon-optimized shipment splits, which have no fee. You need at least five identical cartons or pallets per item, and you ship to every location Amazon assigns.
When is the inbound placement fee charged?
45 days after Amazon receives the shipment, based on the units actually received.
Why is my rate higher than the low end of the range?
The rate depends on the inbound location and capacity. Shipments to locations in the West can cost more than elsewhere.
Does the fee apply to extra-large items?
No. Amazon's fee page says the inbound placement service fee doesn't apply to extra-large products.
Related tools
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Emmanuel Asika
Shopify & WooCommerce developer, Dublin
I build and fix online stores: new builds, migrations, speed, SEO and the custom bits apps can't do.
Last reviewed 30 September 2026.
Sources: Amazon: FBA inbound placement service fee · Amazon: 2026 US referral and FBA fee changes summary · Amazon news: Holiday 2026 fees and deadlines · WooCommerce: Adding a product