Amazon Cuts FBA Fees and Simplifies Rate Cards for European Sellers in 2025
Starting Jan 1 2025 Amazon will lower FBA fulfillment fees, cut oversize tiers from 28 to 17 with a base‑rate + per‑kg model, add a weight‑based envelope tier, drop the heavy‑item referral‑fee floor to £20/€20, and expand the aged‑inventory surcharge to 241‑270 days; the returns‑processing surcharge is postponed to Jun 1 2025.
Overview
Amazon will roll out a comprehensive set of fee adjustments for sellers using Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) across its European marketplaces beginning January 1 2025 and continuing through mid‑year. The changes focus on lower fulfilment charges, a streamlined oversize pricing model, and several ancillary fee tweaks. Sellers should pay close attention because while many cost components drop, storage and inventory‑age surcharges rise, affecting overall profitability.
Key Points
- Reduced fulfilment fees — Average parcel and oversize fulfilment rates fall across all European sites.
- Oversize tiers cut in half — The number of weight‑size bands shrinks from 28 to 17, moving to a base‑rate‑plus‑per‑kilogram formula.
- Weight‑based envelope tier — A new small‑envelope category replaces the previous dimension‑only pricing, offering steadier fees for lightweight items.
- Lower minimum referral fee — Heavy non‑sortable items now trigger a £20/€20 floor instead of the former £25/€25 threshold.
- Aged inventory surcharge broadened — Extra fees apply to stock held 241‑270 days, not just items older than 271 days.
- Returns‑processing fee delayed — The surcharge for high‑return‑rate products will start on June 1 2025 rather than January 1.
How the New FBA Fee Structure Works
- Consolidated oversize bands — Amazon merges the previous 28 weight‑size combinations into 17 broader bands.
- Example: A 12 kg, 150 cm item that previously fell into a 14‑band tier now fits into a single 10‑kg‑plus band, charged a flat base fee plus a per‑kilogram increment.
- Base‑rate + per‑kg pricing — Each oversize band carries a fixed base amount (e.g., €4.00) plus a set charge for every kilogram above the band’s minimum (e.g., €0.55/kg).
- Example: A 20 kg package in the 15‑kg band incurs €4.00 + (5 kg × €0.55) = €6.75 total fulfilment cost.
- Small envelope weight tier — Instead of measuring length, width, and height, Amazon now charges based solely on weight up to 0.5 kg.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
The new 17‑band oversize pricing and lower referral‑fee floor can reduce costs for bulk sellers, while the earlier aged‑inventory surcharge and delayed returns fee create new cost risks. Sellers must adjust pricing, inventory, and packaging strategies before the Jan 1 and Jun 1 2025 effective dates to protect profitability.
Key Takeaways
- Oversize bands reduced from 28 to 17 with a base‑rate + €0.55 per kg (example: €4.00 + €0.55/kg).
- Heavy non‑sortable items now have a minimum referral fee of £20/€20 instead of £25/€25.
- Aged‑inventory surcharge now applies to items stored 241‑270 days, adding €0.30 per cubic foot.
- Returns‑processing fee for high‑return items starts on June 1 2025, not Jan 1.
Recommended Actions
- →Run the new cost model in Seller Central > Reports > Fulfillment > Fee Preview for all >5 kg or >100 cm SKUs.
- →Download the Inventory Age Report (Seller Central > Inventory > Inventory Age) and create a removal plan for items approaching 240 days.
- →Update product listings to use the envelope tier for items ≤0.5 kg via Seller Central > Catalog > Add Products > Pricing.
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