“There’s no such thing as free shipping.” —Abraham Lincoln (probably) If you're
By Scott Needham · November 11, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
“There’s no such thing as free shipping.” —Abraham Lincoln (probably)
If you're an Amazon Seller. The cost of shipping is baked into the selling price.
Because someone does pay to get that package to your door.
I decided to track Amazon’s fulfillment fees for a 2-pound small-oversize example, starting when FBA launched:
• 2006: $5.76
• 2014: $5.76
• 2015: $6.03
• 2016: $6.54
• 2017: $7.24
• 2018: $8.51
• 2019–2020: $8.64
• 2021: $9.04
• Early 2022: $9.32
• April 2022: $9.79
• 2023: $10.15
• 2024–2025: $9.99
• 2026: $8.21
• 2027: $8.18 scheduled
One important detail: Amazon has changed its size tiers. The later figures represent the corresponding product example under newer classifications, rather than an unchanged “small oversize” category.
The interesting part? The cost hasn’t moved in only one direction.
The 2027 figure is about 42% above the launch-year fee, but below the 2023 figure. That's because they introduced placement and low inventory fees.
These are nominal fulfillment fees and exclude storage, inbound shipping, referral fees, and other applicable charges.
For sellers, that’s a reason to check the actual dimensions and fees of your products each year.
A headline about average fee increases won’t tell you what happens to your specific catalog.
What do you think?