Overview

Amazon Italy has introduced a lower referral‑fee rate for clothing items priced at €15 or less, taking effect in early 2026. The adjustment is designed to protect thin margins on budget apparel and to keep sellers from moving to low‑cost rivals such as Temu, Shein and Vinted that have been gaining ground across Europe.

Key Points

• New fee tier for sub‑€15 apparel — Items priced at €15 or below on Amazon.it now qualify for a reduced commission percentage.
• Scope limited to clothing — The fee cut applies exclusively to the clothing category on the Italian marketplace; other categories remain unchanged.
• Competitive response — The move directly counters fast‑fashion platforms that typically charge sellers lower or flat fees for inexpensive garments.
• Historical fee level — Prior to the change, the standard referral fee for clothing across European Amazon sites hovered around 15.45 %.
• Potential pricing shift — Sellers may find it profitable to price more products within the €15 bracket to capture the lower fee while boosting conversion rates.
• Watch for EU rollout — Amazon often pilots changes in a single market before expanding; similar reductions could appear on Amazon.de, .fr, .es or .co.uk if the Italy test succeeds.

How the Referral Fee Reduction Works

1. Identify eligible SKUs — Any clothing listing with a sale price of €15 or less on Amazon.it is automatically placed in the new fee tier.

   • Example: A €12 graphic tee that previously incurred a 15.45 % fee will now be charged the reduced rate.

2. Apply the lower percentage — Amazon replaces the standard 15.45 % commission with the newly announced lower rate (the exact percentage disclosed in the seller‑central update).

   • Example: If the reduced rate is 8 %, the €12 tee’s referral fee drops from €1.85 to €0.96, improving the seller’s gross margin.