Amazon FBA Long-Term Storage Fees: How to Avoid Them in 2025

What Are Amazon FBA Long-Term Storage Fees?

Amazon charges long-term storage fees when your inventory sits in their warehouses for more than 271 days (roughly 9 months). This is separate from monthly storage fees — it's an additional charge designed to push sellers to move old stock or remove it.

I learned this the hard way back in 2019 when I had seasonal products that didn't sell as planned. Amazon hit me with $847 in long-term storage fees on a single inventory cleanup date. That's when I started tracking aging inventory like a hawk.

The fee structure changed in 2024, and understanding exactly when and how much you'll pay can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars per quarter.

When Amazon Charges Long-Term Storage Fees

Amazon assesses long-term storage fees on the 15th of every month. They look at inventory that's been sitting in FBA for 271+ days as of that date.

Here's the timeline that matters:

• Days 1-270: Only monthly storage fees apply (charged around the 7th-15th of the following month)
• Day 271: Your units become eligible for long-term storage fees
• 15th of that month: Amazon calculates and charges the fee based on a snapshot of your inventory

Example: If you shipped 500 units on January 1st and they're still sitting there on September 28th (271 days later), you'll get hit with long-term storage fees on October 15th.

The key detail most sellers miss: Amazon takes the inventory snapshot on the 15th. If you remove units on the 10th, you're safe. If you remove them on the 16th, you already paid.

How Much Amazon Charges for Long-Term Storage

As of 2024, the fee is $6.90 per cubic foot or $0.15 per unit, whichever is greater.

Let's break down what that means with real numbers.

Say you have 200 units of a product that's 12" x 9" x 3" (0.1875 cubic feet per unit):

• Total cubic feet: 200 × 0.1875 = 37.5 cubic feet
• Fee based on volume: 37.5 × $6.90 = $258.75
• Fee based on units: 200 × $0.15 = $30.00
• Amazon charges the higher amount: $258.75

Now compare that to a smaller item like a phone case (0.02 cubic feet per unit):

• 200 units = 4 cubic feet
• Fee based on volume: 4 × $6.90 = $27.60
• Fee based on units: 200 × $0.15 = $30.00
• Amazon charges: $30.00

For small, lightweight products, you'll almost always pay the per-unit minimum. For larger items, the cubic foot calculation kills you.

How to Check Your Inventory Age

Amazon provides an Inventory Age report in Seller Central. This is your early warning system.

Here's how to find it:

1. Go to Reports → Fulfillment
2. Click Inventory Age
3. Download the report (it updates daily)

The report shows columns for inventory aged:

• 0-90 days
• 91-180 days
• 181-270 days
• 271-365 days
• 365+ days

I check this report every Monday morning. When I see units creeping into the 181-270 day column, I know I have about 90 days to make a decision before fees hit.

The report also shows estimated long-term storage fees if you do nothing. That number is based on the current snapshot, so it changes as you sell through or remove inventory.

Strategies to Avoid Long-Term Storage Fees

You have four main options when inventory is approaching the 271-day mark. I've used all of them depending on the situation.

Run a Lightning Deal or Promotion

If the product still has demand but velocity is slow, a short-term discount can clear aging stock before fees hit.

I had 380 units of a kitchen gadget sitting at 240 days. I ran a 7-day Lightning Deal at 25% off. Sold 310 units. Cost me about $4.20 per unit in discount, but I avoided $180 in long-term storage fees and recovered cash.

The math only works if your margin can absorb the discount. If you're already at breakeven, this might not help.

Create a Removal Order

You can have Amazon ship inventory back to you or dispose of it. Removal fees are $0.78 per unit for standard items (as of 2024), which is cheaper than long-term storage fees on most products.

When I removed those 70 units that didn't sell during the Lightning Deal, I paid $54.60 in removal fees. That's still better than paying $6.90 per cubic foot for months.

I usually choose "dispose" unless the product has resale value elsewhere (like Facebook Marketplace or a discount liquidation site).

Liquidate to Amazon Warehouse Deals

If your inventory is in good condition but not moving, you can use FBA Liquidations. Amazon buys your inventory at 5-10% of average selling price and resells it through Amazon Warehouse.

You'll take a loss, but you recover some cash and avoid storage fees. I used this for 150 units of a failed private label product. Got back $320 on inventory that cost me $1,800 to source. Painful, but better than paying monthly storage plus long-term fees for another year.

Stop Sending More Inventory

This sounds obvious, but I've seen sellers (including myself in year one) keep restocking slow SKUs out of habit. If something hasn't sold in 200+ days, stop the next shipment until current stock moves.

I use ReplenFlow to set custom reorder points based on actual velocity. If an ASIN drops below 0.5 units/day for 60+ days, the system flags it and I pause replenishment.

The Removal Deadline Math

Here's the critical timeline to avoid paying fees:

• Amazon charges on the 15th of each month
• Removal orders take 1-14 days to process (usually 3-5 days for disposal)
• You need to submit the removal order by the 1st of the month to guarantee it processes before the 15th snapshot

I learned this timing the hard way. I submitted a removal order on October 12th thinking I was safe. Amazon didn't process it until October 17th. Still got charged for those units on the 15th.

Now I set a calendar reminder for the 25th of every month to check the Inventory Age report and submit removals if needed.

What About Aged Inventory Surcharge?

Amazon also has an aged inventory surcharge that's separate from long-term storage fees. This applies to inventory that's been in FBA for 181+ days.

The surcharge is:

• $0.50 per cubic foot per month for inventory aged 181-210 days
• $1.00 per cubic foot per month for inventory aged 211-240 days
• $1.50 per cubic foot per month for inventory aged 241-270 days
• $6.90 per cubic foot per month for inventory aged 271+ days (this is the long-term storage fee)

So even before you hit the 271-day mark, you're already paying extra monthly fees once you pass 180 days.

On a practical level, this means slow-moving inventory starts hurting your bottom line much earlier than most sellers realize. The 271-day threshold isn't the starting line — it's the finish line where things get really expensive.

Real Example: Seasonal Product Gone Wrong

In 2021, I launched a Halloween-themed product in July. Shipped 1,200 units to FBA on July 15th.

October sales were solid — moved 680 units. But I had 520 units left on November 1st.

Here's what happened:

• November-December: Sold 85 more units
• January 1st: 435 units still sitting in FBA
• Day 180 (January 11th): Aged inventory surcharge starts
• Day 271 (April 12th): Long-term storage fee zone
• April 15th snapshot: 402 units remaining

Total fees paid:

• Aged inventory surcharge (Jan-Apr): ~$210
• Long-term storage fee (April 15th): $278
• Total: $488 in extra fees for inventory I should've removed in December

I finally submitted a disposal order on April 20th. Paid $313.56 to dispose of the remaining units. Should've done it in January and saved the surcharges.

Lesson: Seasonal products need aggressive post-season cleanup. Don't wait for them to sell organically.

How to Build a Monthly Review Process

I check three things on the 1st of every month:

1. Inventory Age report — identify anything in the 181-270 day range
2. Sales velocity — calculate units/day for aged inventory (if it's below 1 unit/day, it's a problem)
3. Removal deadline — submit orders by the 1st to beat the 15th snapshot

For sellers with 50+ SKUs, this takes about 30 minutes. For sellers with 500+ SKUs, you need a system. That's why I built ReplenFlow — it automatically flags aged inventory and calculates whether a removal order or promotion makes more financial sense.

You can also do this manually in Excel. Export the Inventory Age report, add a column for daily velocity, and sort by "days of supply remaining." Anything with 180+ days of supply is a removal candidate.

Don't Wait Until Day 270

The biggest mistake I see sellers make is treating 271 days as a hard deadline and doing nothing until day 260.

By that point, you're in reactive mode. You're stuck choosing between a desperate discount (that kills margin) or paying the fee.

Instead, set triggers at:

• Day 120: Flag slow movers and consider small promotions
• Day 180: Decide whether to discount aggressively or prepare for removal
• Day 240: Submit removal orders or commit to a clearance sale

This gives you time to make smart decisions instead of panicked ones.

FAQ

What happens if I remove inventory on the 16th of the month?

You'll still pay the long-term storage fee for that month. Amazon takes the inventory snapshot on the 15th, so anything sitting in FBA on that date gets charged even if you remove it the next day. Always submit removal orders by the 1st of the month to ensure processing before the snapshot.

Can I avoid long-term storage fees by sending inventory to a different fulfillment center?

No. The 271-day clock is tied to the ASIN and your Seller Central account, not the physical warehouse location. Moving inventory between Amazon fulfillment centers doesn't reset the age counter.

Do long-term storage fees apply to FBM inventory?

No. Long-term storage fees only apply to inventory stored in Amazon's FBA warehouses. If you're fulfilling orders yourself (FBM), you don't pay any Amazon storage fees, but you're responsible for your own warehousing costs.

Is there a way to see upcoming long-term storage fees before they're charged?

Yes. The Inventory Age report in Seller Central includes an "Estimated Long-Term Storage Fee" column that shows what you'll pay if inventory remains in FBA through the next fee assessment date (the 15th). Check this report weekly to catch problems early.

What's the difference between long-term storage fees and aged inventory surcharges?

Aged inventory surcharges start at 181 days and increase every 30 days ($0.50, $1.00, $1.50 per cubic foot per month). Long-term storage fees kick in at 271 days and cost $6.90 per cubic foot per month. Both charges stack, so old inventory gets expensive fast.

Should I always remove inventory before it hits 271 days?

Not always. If the product is selling 5+ units per day and you'll clear inventory within 30 days, paying one month of long-term storage fees might be cheaper than removal fees plus restocking later. Run the math on your specific situation — sometimes it's worth paying the fee if velocity is strong.