2026 US Rate Card Update · Free Tool

Know what Amazon returns
actually cost you.

Amazon's FBA high-return-rate fee has been in effect since June 1, 2024: once your return rate crosses your category's threshold, every excess return is charged. Estimate your monthly exposure and annualized loss under the updated 2026 US rate card — before the charge shows up on your settlement report.

Calculate my return fees

No sign-up required. Rates reflect Amazon's published 2026 US rate card (amazon.com marketplace).

Returns Processing Fee Calculator

For the Amazon US marketplace (amazon.com). Model one SKU. Calculations run locally in your browser; calculator inputs are not collected. Visits are counted anonymously.

Units shipped in the measurement month. Fewer than 25 units/month is exempt from the fee.

Returns received within 3 months of shipment ÷ units shipped. Amazon attributes returns on this rolling window.

Apparel & Shoes have no threshold — every return is charged, but at a lower per-unit rate card.

Returns per month—
Chargeable units (above threshold)—
Fee per returned unit—
Estimated monthly returns processing fee—
Estimated annualized loss—
Calculation assumptions
  • Fee = chargeable units × rate-card fee for your size tier, where chargeable units = (return rate − category threshold) × units shipped, rounded up.
  • Apparel & Shoes: no threshold; all returns are charged from the apparel rate card.
  • Exemptions not modeled: fewer than 25 units shipped/month, FBA New Selection (first 20 returns waived), returns caused by Amazon's own errors.
  • All rates and thresholds apply to the Amazon US marketplace (amazon.com) only. The fee has applied since June 1, 2024; figures reflect the rate card updated effective January 2026.
  • This is the returns processing fee only. It excludes refunds, sunk outbound fulfillment fees, refund admin fees, and unsellable inventory — your true cost per return is typically 3–5× the processing fee.
  • Amazon measures return rate on a 3-month rolling window; recent months are provisional.

Frequently asked questions

The short version of how the fee works on Amazon US.

What is the Amazon returns processing fee?
A per-unit charge Amazon deducts when your return rate exceeds the threshold for your product category. It applies to every category except Apparel and Shoes, which are charged on every return at a lower rate. The fee is billed between the 7th and 15th of the third month after shipment, which is why most sellers never connect it to the SKUs that caused it. The fee itself has applied to all categories since June 1, 2024 — it is not a new 2026 fee. What changed on January 15, 2026 is the rate card: the per-unit amount now uses a dedicated schedule by size tier and shipping weight, instead of being equal to the FBA fulfillment fee.
What does the "Frequently Returned Item" badge do to my sales?
When an ASIN's return performance is elevated relative to category norms, Amazon can display a "Frequently returned item" badge on the listing. Agency analyses report conversion drops of 20–50% on badged listings — typically far more costly than the fee itself. The effect compounds: lower conversion depresses organic rank, which raises ad dependency and TACoS. Important: the fee threshold and the badge are two separate mechanisms. The threshold is a billing rule that drives this calculator's math; the badge is a product-page display decision based on Amazon's own return-performance criteria, and Amazon does not publish exact badge trigger levels. Treat a return rate that is both above threshold and elevated for your category as the real alarm line, not just the fee.
How can I lower my return rate?
Most excess returns are expectation problems, not quality problems. The highest-leverage fixes are listing-side: real dimensions next to a familiar object, size charts for anything worn or fitted (including phone cases and covers), 10+ images showing actual use and scale, video (shown to cut "not as described" returns by 23–31%), and a monthly review of your return-reason data to map causes to specific listing elements. A practical monitoring rule: set an internal alert at 80% of your category threshold — that gives you roughly a 30-day window to act before fees trigger.
Are there exemptions?
Yes — three. Products shipping fewer than 25 units in a month are exempt that month. FBA New Selection waives the first 20 returned units for new-to-FBA parent ASINs (within 180 days of first inventory receipt). Returns caused by Amazon's own fulfillment errors don't count toward your return rate at all. None of these help an established ASIN running above threshold, which is the situation most sellers are actually in.