Apparel & Accessories FBA Fees
Referral fee 17% (higher than most categories). Apparel storage uses a separate fee schedule and FBA returns processing fees apply.
Apparel & Accessories uses a 17% referral fee rate — the highest of any major category. The premium reflects the higher cost-to-serve of apparel sales: returns rates are 10-30%, returned items often arrive damaged or used, and Amazon's warehouse handling for hanging garments is more complex.
Apparel also pays a per-return processing fee on top of standard fees, which is unique to this category and footwear. Sellers need to model expected return rate into margin math — a 25% net margin on initial sale can become 5% net margin after factoring in returns processing.
Fulfillment fees for apparel are mostly small standard or large standard. Heavy outerwear and shoes can push into larger tiers. The biggest operational consideration in apparel is variation management — most clothing SKUs have many variations (size, color), and managing the variation tree well is critical for visibility and review accumulation.
Referral fee
Fulfillment fee tiers
| Tier | Fee (USD) |
|---|---|
| Small standard (≤ 1 lb) | $3.43 |
| Large standard (1-3 lbs) | $5.60 |
| Large standard (3-20 lbs) | $7.05 |
Storage fees
Category-specific fees and gotchas
- FBA Apparel returns processing fee applies to every return.
- Higher base referral fee (17% vs 15% for most categories).
Fee data is approximate and updated for early 2026. Always verify current rates against the official FBA fee schedules in Amazon Seller Central before making pricing or sourcing decisions.