FBA Long-Term Storage Fees – How to Avoid it
Amazon does not want to be a long-term warehouse. The fee structure it introduced in 2026 makes that position impossible to ignore. The old long-term storage fee that kicked in at 365 days and gave sellers almost a full year to react is gone. In its place is a tiered Aged Inventory Surcharge that starts at 181 days, escalates sharply at 271 days, and makes the cost of holding slow inventory brutal at every stage.
Most FBA sellers discover these fees after they have already accumulated. The sellers who avoid them act before the first threshold, not after.
The 2026 Aged Inventory Surcharge Rate Structure
The Aged Inventory Surcharge replaced the old Long-Term Storage Fee structure. Key difference: the surcharge now starts at 181 days, not 365. Sellers have half the time they previously had before fees escalate.
2026 AIS rates (in addition to monthly storage fees, not instead of them):
| Days in FBA | Surcharge Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 181 days | $0 | No surcharge |
| 181 to 270 days | $1.25 per cubic foot per month | Eased from $1.50 in 2025 |
| 271 to 365 days | $5.45 per cubic foot per month | Steep escalation |
| Over 365 days | $6.90 per cubic foot per month | Maximum rate |
These rates are charged in addition to monthly storage fees. A product at 370 days in FBA pays both the regular monthly storage fee and the 365 plus day AIS rate simultaneously.
Monthly storage fees for context:
January through September: $0.78 per cubic foot per month (standard size)
October through December: $2.25 per cubic foot per month (down from $2.40 in 2025)
Total storage cost at 370 days during a non-peak month:
Monthly storage: $0.78 per cubic foot
AIS surcharge: $6.90 per cubic foot
Total: $7.68 per cubic foot per month
A product occupying 0.5 cubic feet at 370 days costs $3.84 per month in storage alone. At 100 units each occupying 0.5 cubic feet: $384 per month in storage on inventory that may already be unsellable at full price.
Dollar Cost Example – One Slow SKU at 370 Days
Product: standard size supplement, 0.1 cubic feet per unit, 100 units sent to FBA in January 2026, 20 units sold by July 2026, 80 units remaining.
Fee timeline for 80 remaining units:
| Period | Days in FBA | Monthly Storage | AIS Surcharge | Total Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Jun 2026 | 0 to 180 days | $0.78 × 8 cu ft = $6.24 | $0 | $6.24 |
| Jul 2026 | 181 to 210 days | $0.78 × 8 cu ft = $6.24 | $1.25 × 8 cu ft = $10.00 | $16.24 |
| Oct 2026 | 271 days | $2.25 × 8 cu ft = $18.00 | $5.45 × 8 cu ft = $43.60 | $61.60 |
| Jan 2027 | 365 plus days | $0.78 × 8 cu ft = $6.24 | $6.90 × 8 cu ft = $55.20 | $61.44 |
The fee jump from month 6 to month 9 is dramatic. Monthly storage cost goes from $6.24 to $61.60 per month on the same 80 units. A product that was marginally worth keeping at month 5 is clearly not worth keeping at month 9.
The FBA Fee Calculator includes storage cost per unit in the full P&L so you can see how storage fees affect margin before sending inventory and while monitoring it monthly.
The 14th of Month Rule – The Most Important Date Most Sellers Miss
Amazon assesses the Aged Inventory Surcharge on the 15th of each month based on an inventory snapshot taken on that date. Units present in the fulfillment center on the 15th pay the surcharge. Units removed before the 15th do not.
The critical implication: submitting a removal order by the 14th of the month stops that month’s AIS from applying to those units, even though the physical removal may take several additional weeks.
This creates a monthly action window. Sellers who monitor inventory age weekly and submit removal orders by the 14th of the month before the surcharge threshold is hit avoid the fee entirely on those units.
The 270 day intervention point: Do not wait until day 365. The fee jump at day 271 from $1.25 to $5.45 per cubic foot is the most expensive single threshold in the AIS structure. Sellers who identify slow SKUs at day 180 to 200 have 70 to 90 days to run a promotion, reduce price, or submit a removal order before the 271 day rate kicks in.
Set a calendar alert for each inbound shipment at 150 days from the received date. That gives you 30 days of buffer before the first surcharge threshold and 120 days before the steep escalation at day 271.
Removal vs Liquidation vs FBM – The Exit Decision
When a slow SKU is approaching a fee threshold, three exit options exist. Each has a different cost and recovery profile.
Option 1: Removal order
Amazon returns inventory to your address or a specified 3PL at a removal fee of $0.97 to $1.64 per unit for standard size. You receive the physical inventory and can sell it through other channels, bundle it, or dispose of it yourself.
Best when: you have a second sales channel (website, eBay, Etsy) where the product can sell at or near full price, or when the product has long shelf life and can be re-sent to FBA later under a replenishment strategy.
Break-even calculation: If 500 units would cost $800 in AIS over the next 3 months, paying $600 in removal fees makes sense if you can recover more than $0 on the removed inventory.
Option 2: FBA Liquidations program
Amazon sells your aged inventory to wholesale liquidators and returns 5 to 15 percent of the average selling price to you. No removal fee. The recovery rate is low but the process is immediate.
Best when: the product has no remaining sales channel value, cannot be re-sent to FBA profitably, and the removal cost exceeds what you would recover by taking the inventory back.
Not best when: you can sell the inventory yourself for significantly more than 5 to 15 percent of ASP. Liquidation should be the last resort, not the default.
Option 3: FBM conversion
Switch the slow ASIN from FBA to Fulfilled by Merchant. Remove the inventory from FBA, store it yourself or at a 3PL, and fulfill orders manually. Stops FBA storage fees immediately. Loses Prime badge and Prime shipping eligibility.
Best when: the product sells slowly enough that FBM fulfillment cost per order is manageable, and the Prime badge is not the primary driver of the ASIN’s sales velocity.
For the full FBA vs FBM cost comparison including storage, see Amazon FBA Size Tiers for the size tier context and Amazon FBA Fees Explained for the complete fee structure.
The Prevention Checklist – What to Do Before Inventory Ages
Avoiding the AIS entirely is better than managing it after it starts. These five actions prevent most aged inventory situations.
Action 1: Set inbound quantity limits.
Send no more than 90 to 120 days of supply per inbound run. Sending 12 months of inventory in one shipment to save on inbound shipping cost is the most common cause of aged inventory. The inbound shipping saving is real. The AIS cost at month 6 almost always exceeds it.
Action 2: Set restock triggers at 35 days of supply.
The low inventory threshold shifted from 28 to 35 days in 2026. Restock triggers calibrated to 28 days are now triggering the low inventory fee. Update reorder points to 35 days minimum, 45 to 60 days for high-velocity SKUs with long supplier lead times.
Action 3: Monitor the Inventory Age report monthly.
In Seller Central: Reports → Fulfillment → Inventory Age. Filter for units approaching 150 days. Any unit at 150 days with low recent sales velocity is a candidate for promotion or removal planning before the 181 day threshold.
Action 4: Run promotions at 150 to 180 days.
A 15 to 25 percent price reduction or a Lightning Deal submission at day 150 generates velocity that can clear slow inventory before the first surcharge threshold. The promotional margin loss is almost always less than the AIS cost at day 181 and above.
Action 5: Clear before Q4.
The Q4 storage rate of $2.25 per cubic foot applies from October 1. Units approaching the 181 day threshold in Q4 pay both Q4 storage and AIS simultaneously. Clear any units approaching 150 days before October 1 to avoid the combined fee stack during the highest-cost storage window of the year.
Rates verified June 19, 2026. See changelog.
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Check My Savings →FAQ
Q: When do Amazon FBA long-term storage fees start in 2026?
A: The Aged Inventory Surcharge starts at 181 days in 2026, not 365 days. Rates are $1.25 per cubic foot per month from 181 to 270 days, $5.45 per cubic foot per month from 271 to 365 days, and $6.90 per cubic foot per month beyond 365 days. These surcharges are charged in addition to regular monthly storage fees of $0.78 per cubic foot January through September and $2.25 per cubic foot October through December.
Q: How do I avoid FBA long-term storage fees?
A: Send no more than 90 to 120 days of supply per inbound run. Monitor the Inventory Age report monthly and set alerts for units approaching 150 days. Run promotions or price reductions at 150 to 180 days to generate sell-through velocity before the surcharge threshold. Submit removal orders by the 14th of the month to stop that month’s surcharge from applying. Clear slow inventory before October 1 to avoid the Q4 storage rate and AIS stacking simultaneously.
Q: What is the deadline to avoid a monthly FBA aged inventory surcharge?
A: Submit your removal order by the 14th of the month. Amazon assesses the Aged Inventory Surcharge on the 15th based on an inventory snapshot taken that day. Units with a removal order submitted by the 14th are not included in that snapshot even though physical removal takes additional weeks. Missing the 14th by one day means paying another full month of surcharge on those units.
Q: Should I use FBA Liquidations or submit a removal order for aged inventory?
A: Remove and sell through other channels if you have a second sales channel where the product recovers more than 5 to 15 percent of the average selling price. Use FBA Liquidations when there is no remaining sales channel value and removal cost exceeds what you would recover. FBA Liquidations returns 5 to 15 percent of ASP with no removal fee. Removal costs $0.97 to $1.64 per unit for standard size but you receive the physical inventory to sell yourself. Use the FBA Fee Calculator to model the cost of holding versus removing at your specific inventory volume and storage rate.