Operator guide
The Amazon Aged-Inventory Surcharge in 2026, Explained
Amazon moved the goalposts and most content has not caught up. The aged-inventory surcharge now bites at 181 days, not the 271 or 365 you will still read on stale blog posts. If you plan POs against the old numbers, you are paying a fee you think does not exist yet. Here is exactly how it works in 2026 and how to keep units out of it.
The short answer
The aged-inventory surcharge is an extra monthly fee Amazon charges on FBA units that have been in a fulfillment center for 181 days or more. It is charged on top of normal monthly storage fees, it steps up the longer a unit sits, and Amazon bills the greater of a per-cubic-foot or a per-unit amount. The old long-term storage fee at 271 to 365 days is gone. The trigger is now 181 days.
How it works in 2026
It starts at 181 days
Any unit stored 181 days or longer is in scope. That is roughly three months earlier than the long-term storage fee it replaced. The single biggest 2026 mistake is treating 271 or 365 days as the danger line. It is not. Plan to clear inventory well before the six-month mark.
It stacks on storage fees
The surcharge is a separate line item, not a replacement. A unit aged past 181 days pays the standard monthly storage fee and the aged-inventory surcharge in the same billing cycle, every cycle, until it sells or is removed.
It steps up the longer units sit
Amazon prices the surcharge in age bands. It is modest in the first band past 181 days and climbs sharply through the higher bands, with the steepest jump after the 271-day mark and a top band for inventory aged well over a year. Amazon assesses it on a mid-month inventory snapshot and charges the greater of the per-cubic-foot or per-unit calculation. The exact per-band rates live in your Seller Central fee schedule and Amazon revises them, so pull the current figures there rather than trusting a third-party table (including this one) for the precise dollar amount.
It compounds with the rest of the 2026 regime
The surcharge does not sit alone. FBA capacity is capped at roughly five months of forecasted sales, and the low-inventory-level fee hits when days of supply fall below 28. You are squeezed from both sides: send too much and units age into the surcharge, send too little and you trip the low-inventory fee or stock out.
How to avoid it
The surcharge is a planning failure, not a billing surprise you can appeal. Four moves keep units out of it:
- Order to a real reorder point. Size POs from actual velocity and full lead time so you are not shipping six-plus months of cover in one go. See the reorder point guide.
- Right-size safety stock. Hold the smallest buffer that prevents a stockout, not a comfort pile that ages out. See the safety stock guide.
- Watch your inventory-age buckets. Track how many units sit in each age band so you see the 181-day cliff coming weeks out, not on the invoice.
- Act early on at-risk units. Run a price drop, bundle, or removal order while there is still margin to protect. Waiting until day 180 means you are choosing between the surcharge and a fire sale.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Amazon aged-inventory surcharge start in 2026?
At 181 days. Inventory that has been in an Amazon fulfillment center for 181 days or more is charged the aged-inventory surcharge. That is roughly 90 days earlier than the old long-term storage fee, which most older guides still describe as starting at 271 or 365 days.
Is the aged-inventory surcharge on top of monthly storage fees?
Yes. It is a separate line item charged in addition to your normal monthly FBA storage fee, not instead of it. A unit aged past 181 days pays both the monthly storage fee and the aged-inventory surcharge every month it stays.
How is the surcharge calculated?
Amazon assesses it on a monthly inventory snapshot (taken mid-month) and charges the greater of a per-cubic-foot rate or a per-unit rate, with the rate stepping up the longer a unit has been stored. Exact rates per age tier are published in your Seller Central fee schedule and Amazon adjusts them, so verify the current numbers there before modeling a SKU.
How do I avoid the aged-inventory surcharge?
Do not send more than you can sell before 181 days. Order to a reorder point and safety stock sized from real velocity, watch your inventory-age buckets, and act on at-risk units early with a price drop, bundle, or removal order while there is still margin to protect. The surcharge is an inventory-planning problem, not a fee you negotiate.
See your surcharge exposure before Amazon charges it
Inventory Hero buckets every SKU by age, flags units approaching the 181-day line, and projects your surcharge exposure while you can still act, so you run the promotion instead of paying the fee.
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