Amazon's FBA monthly storage fee for Q4 2026 (October 1 to December 31) is $2.40 per cubic foot for standard-size items and $1.40 per cubic foot for oversize items, up from $0.78 and $0.56 in January to September. That makes Q4 storage about 3.1 times the normal rate for standard-size inventory (208% more) and 2.5 times for oversize (150% more). In dollars, a standard-size 10 x 8 x 4 inch box costs about $0.44 per unit per month to store in Q4, versus $0.14 the rest of the year.
Base monthly rates, US FBA, regular (not dangerous goods) inventory.
Q4 2026 storage rates per cubic foot
| Size | Jan–Sep | Oct–Dec | Q4 vs rest of year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard-size | $0.78 | $2.40 | 3.08x (+208%) |
| Oversize | $0.56 | $1.40 | 2.5x (+150%) |
Amazon bills storage on cubic feet of packaged space, averaged across each day of the month. The fee is charged per cubic foot, not per pound, but weight still sets the size tier: a box within 18 x 14 x 8 inches is standard-size only if its shipping weight (the greater of actual and dimensional weight) is 20 lb or less. Heavier items pay the oversize rate. The Q4 rate covers October, November and December, and each month is billed the following month, so December's storage lands in January.
Keep one cubic foot of standard-size stock in FBA all year and the three Q4 months cost $7.20, more than the other nine months combined ($7.02).
These are base rates. Amazon can also add an aged inventory surcharge on units that have sat in its warehouses too long, and a storage utilization surcharge if you store a lot relative to what you sell. Dangerous goods have their own rates. None of those are in my calculator, so check the current amounts in Seller Central.
Monthly storage cost per unit, by box size
Cubic feet = length x width x height in inches, divided by 1,728. The calculator rounds that to four decimals, then multiplies by the rate for the month and size.
| Box (in) | Cu ft | Size | Jan–Sep | Oct–Dec | Oct–Dec, 1,000 units, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 x 4 x 2 | 0.0278 | Standard | $0.02 | $0.07 | $67 |
| 8 x 6 x 2.5 | 0.0694 | Standard | $0.05 | $0.17 | $167 |
| 10 x 8 x 4 | 0.1852 | Standard | $0.14 | $0.44 | $444 |
| 14 x 10 x 6 | 0.4861 | Standard | $0.38 | $1.17 | $1,167 |
| 18 x 14 x 8 | 1.1667 | Standard | $0.91 | $2.80 | $2,800 |
| 36 x 14 x 6 | 1.7500 | Oversize | $0.98 | $2.45 | $2,450 |
| 24 x 18 x 12 | 3.0000 | Oversize | $1.68 | $4.20 | $4,200 |
Small items barely feel it: a 6 x 4 x 2 inch pouch goes from about 2 cents to 7 cents a month. Oversize space is cheaper per cubic foot and jumps less: the 36 x 14 x 6 inch item takes 50% more space than the largest standard-size box (18 x 14 x 8) but costs less to store in Q4, $2.45 vs $2.80 a unit.
Worked example: 500 pet toys through Q4
Example numbers, not a real product: a dog toy in a 10 x 8 x 4 inch box, 1.25 lb, priced at $24.99 and selling about 150 units a month from October to December. You have 500 units for the holidays.
- Volume: 10 x 8 x 4 = 320 cubic inches. 320 ÷ 1,728 = 0.1852 cubic feet.
- Size: it fits inside 18 x 14 x 8 inches and its shipping weight is under 20 lb (1.25 lb actual, 2.3 lb dimensional), so it's standard-size: $2.40 per cubic foot in Q4.
- Per unit per month: 0.1852 x $2.40 = $0.44448 (vs 0.1852 x $0.78 = $0.144456 from January to September).
- Option A: all 500 arrive by October 1. With steady daily sales, the average on hand is the midpoint of each month (a simplification of Amazon's daily average): 425 in October, 275 in November, 125 in December. That's 825 unit-months x $0.44448 = $366.70.
- Option B: timed batches of 200, 150 and 150, each landing at the start of a month. The average on hand is 125 every month: 375 unit-months x $0.44448 = $166.68.
Both options sell 450 units and carry 50 into January. Batching saves $200.02 in storage and cuts storage per unit sold from $0.81 to $0.37. On a $24.99 price, that's 3.3% of revenue vs 1.5%.
Worst case: holiday sales don't show up and all 500 units sit there October through December. That's 500 x $0.44448 x 3 = $666.72, against 500 x $0.144456 x 3 = $216.68 for the same three months at the January to September rate.
How I plan Q4 inventory
- Ship in timed batches. Send roughly a month of sales at a time and keep the rest with your forwarder, a 3PL or AWD. Those cost money too, so compare them in the calculator's AWD and 3PL sections.
- Leave a buffer. Check-in can be slower in Q4, FBA capacity limits can cap what you send, and Amazon has charged a low-inventory-level fee when standard-size stock runs too low against sales. Check both in Seller Central.
- Clear slow movers now. Storage is billed on the daily average, so every day a unit sits in FBA adds to the Q4 bill, and a unit that leaves in mid-October stops adding Q4 cost for the rest of the quarter. Compare a price cut, a removal order or disposal against the Q4 storage it would still run up. Next year, do this before October 1.
- Count the real cost of overstocking. In the example, each extra unit sitting from October 1 to December 31 costs $1.33 in storage alone, vs $0.43 for three months the rest of the year. Overbuy by 100 units and that's 100 x 3 x $0.44448 = $133.34, plus the cash tied up and any aged inventory surcharge if they linger into next year.
Storage isn't the only Q4 change. Fulfillment fees also rise for the holiday peak, October 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027: the example box goes from $6.31 to $6.72 per unit, including the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge. More in FBA fulfillment fee for a 1 lb item (2026).
Fee data: these rates match the calculator's 2026 data (US base monthly storage fees), checked against Seller Central on September 26, 2026. Amazon changes fees, so always confirm in Seller Central before pricing.
FAQ
How much are Amazon FBA storage fees in Q4 2026?
From October 1 to December 31, 2026, Amazon's base monthly storage fee is $2.40 per cubic foot for standard-size items and $1.40 per cubic foot for oversize items. From January to September 2026 it was $0.78 and $0.56.
How do I calculate FBA storage cost per unit?
Multiply the packaged length, width and height in inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet, then multiply by the monthly rate. A 10 x 8 x 4 inch box is 0.1852 cubic feet, so it costs about $0.44 per unit per month in Q4 and $0.14 from January to September.
When does the Q4 storage rate start and end?
It applies to inventory stored in October, November and December. On January 1 storage goes back to the January to September rate, which was $0.78 per cubic foot for standard-size and $0.56 for oversize in 2026. Check Seller Central for any 2027 fee changes. The separate holiday peak fulfillment fee runs from October 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027.
Do the Q4 rates include the aged inventory surcharge?
No. The $2.40 and $1.40 rates are base monthly storage fees. Amazon can add an aged inventory surcharge and a storage utilization surcharge on top, so check the current amounts in Seller Central.
Check Your Q4 Storage Cost
Enter your box and price. The calculator picks the size tier, applies the storage rate for the current month (the Q4 rate from October to December) automatically, and shows storage next to every other fee.
Run your own numbers in the free calculator →