What triggers Amazon long-term storage fees?
Amazon charges aged inventory surcharges on units stored in a fulfilment centre for more than 181 days. The fee is tiered: 181 to 210 days adds $0.50/cu ft, 211 to 240 days $1.00, 241 to 270 days $1.50, 271 to 330 days $3.90, 331 to 365 days $5.90, and 365+ days $10.90 on top of monthly storage.
How aged inventory is measured
Amazon runs the aged inventory calculation on the 15th of each month. Every unit that has been at a fulfilment centre for longer than 181 days is charged the surcharge for its bracket, in addition to the normal monthly storage fee. The clock starts on the day the unit is received, not the day it was shipped.
How to avoid the surcharge
Three levers work: sell faster (PPC push, price cuts, bundles), remove or dispose before the next 15th, or convert to FBM until sell-through improves. Nova surfaces aged inventory at the SKU level with days-of-cover so you know which units are about to cross each threshold.
- Days 0-180: normal monthly storage only.
- Days 181-210: +$0.50 per cu ft (small penalty, first warning).
- Days 211-270: +$1.00 to $1.50 per cu ft (act now).
- Days 271-365: +$3.90 to $5.90 per cu ft (dispose is usually cheaper).
- 365+ days: +$10.90 per cu ft (almost always worth removing).
Frequently asked questions
Do aged inventory fees replace monthly storage?
No, they stack on top. A unit stored for 200 days pays the normal monthly storage plus the 181 to 210 day surcharge.
Can I move stock to reset the clock?
No. Transferring between Amazon fulfilment centres does not reset the receipt date. Only a removal followed by a fresh inbound reset counts, and that usually costs more than paying the fee.
Does the surcharge apply to Pan-EU inventory?
Yes. Each marketplace calculates aged inventory independently, so a slow SKU in Germany can trigger the fee even if the same SKU turns fast in the US.
See this in Nova
Nova surfaces this metric per SKU in near real time so you can act before your next monthly close catches it.
Try Nova free for 14 daysRelated questions
How much does Amazon FBA cost per unit?
Amazon FBA fulfilment fees range from about $3.06 for a small standard unit under 4 oz to $10+ for large standard, and $30 to $180 for oversize. Add referral fee (usually 15%), monthly storage ($0.87 to $2.40 per cubic foot), and inbound placement fees. A typical standard-size item costs $5 to $8 all in per unit shipped.
How do I find hidden Amazon fees eating my margin?
The fees that hurt most are rarely hidden, they are just scattered across multiple Seller Central reports. Check monthly storage, aged inventory surcharges, low-inventory-level fees, inbound placement fees, returns processing, subscription-and-save discounts, and coupon redemption fees. Rebuilding a per-SKU P&L from the Fee Preview and Payments reports usually reveals a 3 to 8 point margin gap.