On February 1, 2027, stock that has sat in Amazon's warehouses for more than 180 days gets more expensive to hold. Stock under 180 days does not. The new Amazon aged inventory fee replaces several separate charges with one age-based rate, and the gap between young and old units is large.
If you run a brand with a few dozen SKUs, some of them will cross the 180-day mark between now and February. That gives you less than 12 weeks to decide what to sell, what to pull and what to reorder.
This post covers what Amazon has confirmed, what the rates look like, who pays more, and a checklist you can work through before the deadline.
What is changing with Amazon's storage fees?
Amazon announced its 2027 US referral and FBA fee updates on November 5, 2026. Most changes take effect January 15, 2027. The storage changes come later, on February 1.
From February 1, according to Amazon's announcement, three things happen:
- The storage utilization surcharge is eliminated.
- The aged inventory surcharge is removed and combined with monthly storage fees into a single age-based rate.
- The low-inventory-level fee is assessed on a new basis (more on that below).
Amazon says the result is flat or lower fees for inventory that turns in under six months, and higher fees for aged inventory.
Fulfillment fees are a separate matter. Amazon says they rise by $0.19 per unit on average (about 0.8% of average selling price) from January 15, 2027, and some go down. We'll cover those in a later post. This one is only about storage.
How much is the new Amazon aged inventory fee?
Amazon's announcement confirms the structure but not the rate card. The figures below come from Goat Consulting's write-up, dated November 9, which says it draws on Amazon's fee pages. Treat them as a guide and check the current figure in Seller Central before you make decisions.
These are monthly storage fees per cubic foot, off-peak (January to September):
| Inventory age | Standard-size | Bulky and oversize |
|---|---|---|
| 0-180 days | $0.78 | $0.56 |
| 181-270 days | $2.78 | $2.56 |
| 271-365 days | $6.68 | $6.46 |
| 366-455 days | $7.68, or $0.78 + $0.30 per unit, whichever is greater | $7.46, or $0.56 + $0.30 per unit, whichever is greater |
| 456+ days | $8.68, or $0.78 + $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater | $8.46, or $0.56 + $0.35 per unit, whichever is greater |
From October to December, Goat Consulting lists an add-on of $1.62 per cubic foot for standard-size and $0.84 for bulky and oversize.
The same source says the fee is assessed per FNSKU at the end of the month, on daily average volume, and charged between the 7th and 15th of the following month.
Look at the jump from the first row to the second. Standard-size stock goes from $0.78 to $2.78 per cubic foot once it passes 180 days. That is the cliff to plan around.
Who pays more and who pays less?
It depends on how fast your stock turns.
Who pays less or the same
- Anything under 181 days old. Amazon says inventory that turns in under six months sees flat or lower fees.
- Anyone who was paying the storage utilization surcharge. It goes away on February 1.
- Per Goat Consulting, FNSKUs that are auto-replenished at least 70% from Amazon Warehousing and Distribution pay the 0-180 day rate regardless of age.
Who pays more
- Anyone holding stock between 181 and 330 days. Goat Consulting gives an example: standard-size stock aged 181 to 210 days goes from $1.28 (the 2026 base fee plus the aged surcharge) to $2.78 per cubic foot.
- Sellers of clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry and watches. Per the same source, these categories lose their exemption for 181 to 270 days and pay $1.78 per cubic foot for standard-size.
Who sees no change
Per Goat Consulting, inventory aged over 365 days pays the same as in 2026. If you already have very old stock, the new fee is not the problem. The existing charges are, and clearing that stock is overdue.
How the new low-inventory-level fee works
This one catches sellers who respond to storage fees by cutting stock too hard.
Today the low-inventory-level fee is assessed on trailing 30-day and 90-day sales. From February 1, Amazon says it applies only when your inventory falls below 28 days of supply. It is based on actual shipments in the four weeks before and after the assessment date.
So the fee looks at what you really shipped, not a trailing average. Amazon says this targets SKUs that need replenishment and reduces fees triggered by unexpected demand spikes or end-of-season products.
Amazon hasn't published a worked example in the announcement we read, so we won't guess at the dollar amount here.
What to do before February 1
Here is the order we'd work in.
- Pull your aged inventory data by FNSKU. Use the inventory age or aged inventory reporting in Seller Central. Menu names change, so look for the report that shows units by age.
- Flag every SKU that will be 181+ days old on or before February 1. Work backward: a unit received in early August will cross 180 days around the start of February. Add a column for units that will still be on hand by then.
- Decide for each flagged SKU: sell, liquidate or remove. Do this by January, not February. Removal and liquidation take time, so leave room.
- Set a review trigger at 150 days. Going forward, every SKU gets a review before it hits the 180-day line, not after.
- Check the margin on any discount. Amazon's Fee Change Comparison dashboard in Profit Analytics and the Revenue Calculator let you test scenarios before you commit.
- Plan restocks against the 28-day line. Keep enough stock to stay above 28 days of supply around your biggest sales weeks, without overbuying to be safe.
For clearing slow movers, a coupon is one tool, and our guide covers when the fee is worth it. If a product sells slowly in FBA but still sells, FBM may be a better home for it.
Mistakes to avoid
Discounting without checking margin
Clearing stock at a loss to dodge a storage fee can cost more than the fee. Work out the per-unit cost of holding versus selling before you cut the price.
Leaving removals to the last week
We haven't confirmed Amazon's removal timelines or order costs, so we won't quote any. Assume it takes longer than you expect, and start in early January at the latest.
Overcorrecting into the low-inventory fee
Aged stock is a signal that you overbought. The fix is better forecasting, not running lean to the point you fall under 28 days of supply. Our post on FBA sourcing mistakes covers how overbuying happens in the first place.
Treating the rates as final
The rate table above is from a third party. Confirm it against Amazon's own fee pages before you build a liquidation plan around it.
What we'd do
If we were running your account this week, we'd do three things. Export the age data and list every SKU crossing 180 days by February 1. Rank those by units on hand and margin. Then give each a January action date and a 150-day trigger going forward.
That is a short job, and it is far cheaper than finding out in March. Our inventory management service includes restock plans and fee alerts for exactly this.
FAQ
When does Amazon's new storage fee start?
February 1, 2027, according to Amazon's announcement. Most other 2027 fee changes, including the average $0.19 per unit fulfillment fee increase, start earlier, on January 15, 2027.
Is the storage utilization surcharge going away?
Yes. Amazon says it eliminates the storage utilization surcharge effective February 1, 2027. The aged inventory surcharge is also removed and folded into a single age-based monthly storage fee.
What triggers the Amazon low-inventory-level fee in 2027?
Inventory below 28 days of supply. From February 1, Amazon assesses it using actual shipments in the four weeks before and after the assessment date, instead of trailing 30-day and 90-day sales.
How do I find aged inventory in Seller Central?
Use the inventory age or aged inventory reporting in Seller Central, and check it by FNSKU. We haven't confirmed the exact menu path for this post, and Amazon moves reports around, so search Seller Central for "inventory age" if you can't find it.
If you'd rather hand inventory planning to someone, get in touch and we'll look at your aged stock with you.
