Amazon sellers are facing new FBA surcharges, making it critical to optimize shipping strategies. This episode breaks down the financial impact of the 3.5% FBA fee increase and, more importantly, provides a clear, actionable method to offset these costs by optimizing inbound shipping to Amazon fulfillment centers, potentially saving sellers significant money per unit.
Key takeaways
Understand the new Amazon FBA surcharge, which is 3.5% on FBA fees in the US and Canada, adding $0.15-$0.35 per unit to your costs.
Utilize "optimized inbound shipping" by creating shipment plans with five or more identical boxes containing the same ASINs to different fulfillment centers, dropping your placement fee to zero.
While optimized inbound shipping might incur slightly higher overall shipping costs, the per-unit savings from the eliminated placement fee (ranging from $0.35 to $1.35 or more) significantly outweigh this.
If outsourcing to a prep center, inquire about their capability to accommodate optimized inbound shipping strategies, as this is a key selling point and a way to save costs.
Regularly review and adapt your pricing strategy to account for increased FBA fees; don't just absorb the costs, pass them on to maintain your profit margins.
A coaching client messaged us this week ready to abandon his method. A few bad matches, a couple wrong orders, and a new surcharge from Amazon and suddenly the grass looks greener everywhere else. We've seen this movie before. In this episode, we do the math on Amazon's new 3.5% FBA surcharge, show you the free lever most sellers ignore, and talk about why the people who win this game aren't the ones who found the perfect strategy, they're the ones who stopped restarting the clock. Special guest at the conclusion of today's show, Jeff Schick of JeffSchick.com answers the question: "Can Jeff help me with trademarks and LLC eastablishment?" Use coupon code "MISTAKE" to get your first month of services for only $1 with Jeff and his team! Watch this episode on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/X8bUXTEJseM Show note LINKS: 3pmercury.com/friends - The best pricing on 3pMercury software! ProvenAmazonCourse.com - The comprehensive course that contains ALL our Amazon training modules, recorded events and a steady stream of latest cutting edge training including of course the most popular starting point, the REPLENS selling model. The PAC is updated free for life! SilentJim.com/kickstart - If you want a shortcut to learning all you need to get started, then get the Proven Amazon Course and go through Kickstart. TheProvenConference.com - Learn more about our upcoming August 2026 event! The longest running annual event for
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Understand the new Amazon FBA surcharge, which is 3.5% on FBA fees in the US and Canada, adding $0.15-$0.35 per unit to your costs.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Utilize "optimized inbound shipping" by creating shipment plans with five or more identical boxes containing the same ASINs to different fulfillment centers, dropping your placement fee to zero.
What does this episode say about finance & fundraising?
While optimized inbound shipping might incur slightly higher overall shipping costs, the per-unit savings from the eliminated placement fee (ranging from $0.35 to $1.35 or more) significantly outweigh this.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
If outsourcing to a prep center, inquire about their capability to accommodate optimized inbound shipping strategies, as this is a key selling point and a way to save costs.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Regularly review and adapt your pricing strategy to account for increased FBA fees; don't just absorb the costs, pass them on to maintain your profit margins.
