Is FBA still worth it? An honest assessment for the 2026/27 season

Last updated: October 2026 · Reading time: approx. 7 minutes

Since 15 October 2026, FBA sellers in Germany have once again been paying the peak-period fee: on average 0.27 euros per item, until 14 January 2027. This is in addition to the 1.5 per cent fuel and logistics surcharge that Amazon has been adding to delivery charges since April. On the other hand, delivery charges for parcels fell by an average of 0.32 euros in December 2025.

So costs have fluctuated in both directions. For some items, FBA is cheaper now than it was in 2023, whilst for others it is more expensive. Anyone who worked out in the spring whether FBA was worthwhile for their product range should check the figures again before the Christmas shopping season. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, but you can work it out quite accurately for your own products.

This article explains which costs you need to compare, for which products FBA remains a sensible option, and when self-fulfilment via a fulfilment partner or Seller Fulfilled Prime offers better value.

Contents

• What has changed regarding FBA costs since 2023
• Which costs should be included in the comparison and which should not
• When is FBA worth it?
• When is it worth using an FBM fulfilment partner?
• Prime without Amazon fulfilment: Seller-fulfilled Prime
• The hybrid model: FBA for top-selling items, external warehouse as a buffer
• Comparison table to be completed
• How to decide whether FBA is worth it ahead of the Christmas shopping season
• Frequently Asked Questions: Is FBA worth it?

What has changed regarding FBA costs since 2023

The first version of this article was published in spring 2023. Since then, Amazon has revised its fee structure on several occasions. For sellers in Germany, the following changes from the last twelve months are particularly significant:

• From 15 December 2025, FBA postage charges for parcels in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK fell by an average of 0.32 euros.
• Since 5 January 2026, the more favourable low-price rates have applied in most categories to items costing up to 20 euros. According to Amazon, this reduces the delivery charge by an average of 0.45 euros for newly eligible items. In some categories, such as beauty, food, books and kitchenware, the threshold in Germany remains at 11 euros. Several categories have also seen a reduction in sales fees.
• Since 17 April 2026, Amazon has been applying a 1.5 per cent fuel and logistics surcharge to FBA dispatch fees; since 2 May 2026, this has also applied to multi-channel dispatch.
• From 15 October 2026 until 14 January 2027, a delivery charge applies in Germany during peak sales periods. Oversized items and low-price items are exempt from this charge.

If you come across a mention of a 3.5 per cent surcharge in articles or forums, please note that this rate applies in the USA and Canada. For Germany and the other European marketplaces, the rate is 1.5 per cent.

What’s more, the monthly storage fees per cubic metre are higher from October to December than during the rest of the year. Anyone who sends their Christmas stock to Amazon early and all at once will pay the higher rate for these goods for three months.

Which costs should be included in the comparison and which should not

Many fee calculators online lump all Amazon costs together. This skews the comparison. The selling fee – that is, the commission on the selling price – is payable whether you use FBA or fulfil orders yourself. It relates to the marketplace, not to logistics, and does not affect your decision.

You should only compare what actually changes depending on the fulfilment option you choose. On the FBA side, these are:

• the postage charge per item based on size and weight, including a 1.5 per cent surcharge and, during peak periods, the peak surcharge
• the monthly storage charge per cubic metre and, where applicable, charges for long-term storage
• Costs for preparation, labelling and transport to the Amazon warehouse
• Costs for returns, where Amazon charges you for them

In contrast, when you handle your own dispatch via a fulfilment service provider, the costs involved include: storage costs, picking and packing per order, packaging materials, parcel service postage and the processing of returns. Our article on fulfilment costs explains which items are included in a fulfilment invoice and what they depend on.

There is one element missing from both columns that is nonetheless worth its weight in gold: the Prime logo. Products without Prime can lose out on visibility and sales on Amazon. If you opt out of FBA, you must either accept this consequence or retain Prime status by using seller-fulfilled orders.

When is FBA worth it?

FBA is most cost-effective for small, lightweight items that sell quickly. The goods are only held in the warehouse for a short time, the storage fee is negligible, and the postage for small parcels is hard to beat. Since January 2026, items costing up to 20 euros in most categories have also benefited from low-price rates, for which no peak season surcharge applies.

FBA remains a sensible option even if Amazon is by far your most important channel and you do not run your own shop with any significant sales volume. In that case, there is no second channel that would benefit from the same stock.

When is it worth using an FBM fulfilment partner?

The calculation usually goes wrong in one of four situations:

• Your goods are bulky or heavy. Oversized items incur high FBA shipping charges and take up a lot of storage space.
• Your items are moving slowly. Every month they spend in the Amazon warehouse costs money, and from October to December the costs are higher than usual.
• You sell through multiple channels. If, as well as Amazon, you supply your own shop, Otto or Kaufland, you’ll usually be better off with a single, centralised stock in one place than splitting your stock between Amazon and a second warehouse.
• Your brand should be visible to customers. FBA does not provide custom boxes, inserts or gift wrapping.

With multi-channel fulfilment, Amazon can indeed fulfil orders from other channels using FBA stock. However, since May 2026, the fuel surcharge has also applied to these orders, and the parcels arrive at the customer’s address in Amazon-branded packaging.

Prime without Amazon fulfilment: Seller-fulfilled Prime

With „Prime through Sellers“, known internationally as Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP), you retain the Prime logo whilst still dispatching items from your own warehouse or that of your fulfilment partner. The programme was closed to new participants between 2020 and October 2023 and has since resumed accepting new sellers.

It’s not easy. Before your account is activated, there’s a trial period during which you must already meet the Prime delivery commitments. After that, Amazon continuously monitors whether you dispatch and deliver on time. This must work even on a Monday in December, when parcel services are at their busiest. SFP is therefore particularly worthwhile if you have a warehouse that adheres to fixed cut-off times and works with parcel services that provide reliable collections even during the peak season.

The hybrid model: FBA for top-selling items, external warehouse as a buffer

You don’t have to choose between one or the other. A common solution is to use FBA for fast-moving bestsellers, whilst the rest are dispatched in-house. The entire stock is held by an external service provider, which restocks Amazon in smaller batches.

This has two advantages. You only pay the higher storage fees in the fourth quarter for the quantity that is actually going to be sold soon. And if Amazon limits the amount you can store, the rest isn’t sitting in your office but is ready for dispatch in the warehouse. For Black Friday week 2026, stock must arrive at Amazon’s European fulfilment centres by 21 October in order to be eligible for the Prime label promotions.

For this model, Warehousing1 arranges fulfilment partners who prepare goods in accordance with Amazon’s specifications and forward them to Amazon (Pre-FBA), as well as handling FBM and SFP orders. Our guide shows you how to check your warehouse capacity ahead of Black Friday: Capacity checklist for the peak season.

Comparison table to be completed

Work through the following table for your five best-selling items and for two slow-moving items. You can find the figures for FBA in the current fee schedule and in the fee preview report in Seller Central; the figures for FBM can be found in your service provider’s quote. For an initial estimate of the fulfilment costs, our Fulfillment Cost Calculator.

Cost item per unit sold	FBA	FBM via fulfilment partners
Delivery / Postage	FBA dispatch fee according to size category + 1.5 % surcharge	Postage according to the courier service’s rates
Peak surcharge (15 October to 14 January)	Peak-time charge (excluding oversized items and low-price items)	where applicable, the parcel service’s peak-period surcharge
Picking and packing	included in the delivery charge	Pick & Pack + Packaging Materials
Storage	Storage charge per m³ × volume × duration of storage (higher in Q4)	Storage costs per pallet/bay × length of storage
Preparation and transport	Preparation, labelling, transport to the Amazon warehouse	Delivery to the warehouse
Returns	pro rata based on the returns rate	Returns processing on a pro rata basis according to the returns rate
Not included in the comparison	Sales fee, basic fee for the seller’s account	the same for both

If FBM is only just ahead for a particular item, the Prime logo usually indicates FBA or SFP. If FBM is clearly ahead, it’s worth giving it a go with a small selection of your range.

How to decide whether FBA is worth it ahead of the Christmas shopping season

Making a complete switch in the middle of the peak season is rarely a wise move. It’s better to draw up a list of your key items now and decide on two things: which stock is to be sent to Amazon by 21 October and which you will keep in an external warehouse. You should then plan the full transition for January, when the peak season fee no longer applies and returns from the Christmas sales have been processed.

Ultimately, a comparison with a specific quote will show whether FBA is worthwhile for your product range. If you’d like to know how much FBM or SFP would cost for your items, we’ll obtain quotes from suitable fulfilment partners on your behalf: Pre-FBA, FBM and SFP with Warehousing1.

Frequently Asked Questions: Is FBA worth it?

Is FBA 2026 still worth it?

For small, lightweight and fast-moving items, the answer is often yes, especially as postage charges were reduced in December 2025. For bulky, slow-moving goods or those sold across multiple channels, handling dispatch yourself via a fulfilment partner is often more cost-effective.

How much will the FBA peak fee be in 2026?

It applies to deliveries within Germany from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027 and averages 0.27 euros per item. Oversized items and low-price items are excluded. The exact amounts for each size category can be found in Amazon’s fee schedule.

How much is the fuel surcharge for FBA in Germany?

1.5 per cent on FBA dispatch fees, effective from 17 April 2026. For multi-channel fulfilment, this has applied since 2 May 2026. The frequently cited figure of 3.5 per cent applies to the USA and Canada.

What is the difference between FBA and FBM?

With FBA, Amazon stores and dispatches your goods. With FBM, you handle this yourself or engage a fulfilment service provider. The sales fee payable to Amazon applies in both cases.

Can I get the Prime logo without FBA?

Yes, via „Prime through Sellers“ (Seller-Fulfilled Prime). You must pass a trial period and consistently meet the Prime delivery commitments, even during peak season.

When is the best time to switch from FBA to FBM?

After the peak season, i.e. from mid-January onwards. Regular charges will then apply again, and you’ll avoid delivery bottlenecks whilst moving your stock.