Want your own numbers? The Amazon calculator shows every fee and your profit as you type.
Open the Amazon US fee calculatorFulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) change both your costs and your sales. The cheaper option on paper is not always the more profitable one. Switch between them in the Amazon seller fee calculator to see your own numbers.
What changes with each
With FBA, Amazon stores, picks, packs and ships your products. You pay fulfillment, storage and placement fees. Your listings get the Prime badge automatically.
With FBM, you store stock and ship orders yourself. You pay for labels, packaging and your own time, and you avoid FBA fees. You can still charge buyers for shipping, although the referral fee applies to that shipping charge.
Profit compared
Here is a product costing $5 to buy, with an FBA fee of $4.10 versus a $5.50 label and $0.60 of packaging for FBM.
| Price | FBA profit | FBM profit |
|---|---|---|
| $14.99 | $3.25 | $1.64 |
| $24.99 | $11.75 | $10.14 |
| $39.99 | $24.50 | $22.89 |
| $69.99 | $50.00 | $48.39 |
In this example FBA comes out slightly ahead because the fee is lower than a retail shipping label. The gap reverses when products are heavy, bulky or slow to sell, because FBA’s fees and storage grow faster than carrier rates.
FBA usually wins when
- Products are small, light and sell quickly.
- Prime eligibility clearly lifts conversion in your category.
- You do not have space or time to pack orders.
FBM usually wins when
- Products are heavy, oversized or fragile.
- Stock sells slowly and would pile up storage fees.
- You already have cheap shipping rates through your own carrier account.
- You sell handmade or made-to-order goods.
Many sellers use both: FBA for fast movers and FBM for everything else. For fee details, read the FBA fees guide. If you also sell on other marketplaces, compare with eBay where there are no storage fees at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is FBA or FBM more profitable?
It depends on the product. FBA often wins on small, fast-selling items; FBM often wins on heavy, bulky or slow-moving ones.
Can I use FBA and FBM together?
Yes. Many sellers fulfil some products through FBA and ship others themselves.
Run your next sale through the calculator before you commit.
Open the Amazon US fee calculatorRelated guides
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