Quick answer
From 1 October to 31 December 2026 Amazon charges its highest FBA storage rates of the year. In Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and Ireland, standard-size storage rises from €27.54 to €52.20 per cubic metre a month; in the UK it rises from £0.76 to £1.51 per cubic foot. On top come the storage utilisation and aged inventory surcharges, a festive peak fulfilment fee in Germany and the UK from 15 October, and an inbound deadline of 21 October (28 October in the UK) for Black Friday Week.
October opens the most expensive quarter of the year for stock that sits in Amazon’s fulfilment centres. For three months, every cubic metre of slow-moving stock costs almost twice as much, and the busiest weeks bring extra fees and earlier deadlines. These are the figures from Amazon’s European rate card and its peak season announcement, what they mean if you sell on Amazon’s European stores, and what to do before the deadlines pass.
Key dates for Q4 2026
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October | Peak monthly storage rates start | All European stores |
| 15 October | Festive peak fulfilment fee starts | Amazon.de and Amazon.co.uk |
| 21 October | Inventory must have arrived to keep the Prime badge during Black Friday Week | EU fulfilment centres |
| 28 October | The same deadline for the UK | UK fulfilment centres |
| 18 November | Last day to submit Black Friday Week deals | All European stores |
| 27 and 30 November | Black Friday and Cyber Monday | — |
| 31 December | Last day of peak storage rates | All European stores |
| 14 January 2027 | Festive peak fulfilment fee ends | Amazon.de and Amazon.co.uk |
How much does FBA storage cost from October to December 2026?
Amazon charges a base monthly fee per cubic metre (per cubic foot in the UK) that depends on product size, category and time of year. These are the rates in Amazon’s European rate card effective 1 July 2026.
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and Ireland (€ per m³ per month)
| Product type | Jan–Sep | Oct–Dec | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard-size: clothing and accessories, eyewear, footwear, rucksacks and handbags | 19.99 | 29.23 | +46% |
| Standard-size: all other categories | 27.54 | 52.20 | +90% |
| Oversize | 21.78 | 34.49 | +58% |
| Dangerous goods, standard-size | 30.00 | 50.51 | +68% |
| Dangerous goods, oversize | 27.50 | 43.89 | +60% |
UK (£ per cubic foot per month)
| Product type | Jan–Sep | Oct–Dec | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard-size: clothing and accessories, eyewear, footwear, rucksacks and handbags | 0.62 | 0.82 | +32% |
| Standard-size: all other categories | 0.76 | 1.51 | +99% |
| Oversize | 0.55 | 0.87 | +58% |
| Dangerous goods, standard-size | 0.74 | 1.30 | +76% |
| Dangerous goods, oversize | 0.70 | 1.11 | +59% |
You pay in the currency of the country where the stock is stored: pounds in the UK and euros in the countries of the first table. Sweden has its own table in Swedish kronor.
How is the monthly storage fee calculated?
Amazon uses the average daily volume your units take up during the calendar month, measured with each unit packed and ready to ship to the customer.
A simple example: a 30 × 20 × 10 cm box takes up 0.006 m³. From January to September it costs about €0.17 a month in the euro stores (0.006 × €27.54); from October to December, about €0.31 (0.006 × €52.20). With 2 m³ stored on average, the monthly bill goes from €55.08 to €104.40, before any surcharge. In the UK the same box is 0.21 cubic feet: about £0.16 a month, then £0.32.
What is the storage utilisation surcharge?
It is added to the base fee when you hold a lot of stock compared with what you sell. On the last day of each month, Amazon divides your average daily stored volume by your average daily shipped volume over the past 13 weeks. If that ratio is above 22 weeks, you pay the surcharge on the whole volume of that size tier. The ratio is calculated separately for standard-size and oversize products and leaves out clothing, eyewear, shoes and bags.
| Ratio (weeks) | DE/FR/IT/ES standard-size (€/m³) | DE/FR/IT/ES oversize (€/m³) | UK standard-size (£/ft³) | UK oversize (£/ft³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 22 | — | — | — | — |
| Over 22, up to 28 | 14.85 | 4.29 | 0.42 | 0.12 |
| Over 28, up to 36 | 27.05 | 7.92 | 0.78 | 0.25 |
| Over 36, up to 44 | 37.61 | 13.37 | 1.04 | 0.45 |
| Over 44, up to 52 | 46.55 | 17.33 | 1.41 | 0.62 |
| Over 52 | 76.87 | 23.10 | 2.29 | 0.81 |
In the euro stores, the surcharge applies to stock in Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It doesn’t apply to new sellers (first shipment to a fulfilment centre less than 52 weeks ago), Individual selling accounts or sellers with less than 25 cubic feet of daily volume. In the worst case, a standard-size product in Q4 pays €52.20 + €76.87 = €129.07 per cubic metre a month.
How much is the aged inventory surcharge from 241 days?
Units that have been in a fulfilment centre for a long time pay their own monthly surcharge, on top of storage. These are the bands as Amazon lists them:
| Inventory age (days) | DE/FR/IT/ES/IE (€/m³ per month) | UK (£/ft³ per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 241–270* | 47.99 | 1.18 |
| 271–300 | 125.16 | 3.14 |
| 301–330 | 129.92 | 3.26 |
| 331–365 | 135.98 | 3.41 |
| 365–455 | 227.63, or €0.20 per unit if greater | 5.71, or £0.20 per unit if greater |
| Over 455 | 261.97, or €0.25 per unit if greater | 6.14, or £0.25 per unit if greater |
* The 241–270 band doesn’t apply to clothing and accessories, footwear, rucksacks and handbags, luggage, jewellery and watches.
Watch the calendar: stock you sent in February and haven’t sold crosses 241 days between late September and late October, right as peak storage rates start.
Festive peak fulfilment fee in Germany and the UK
From 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027, Amazon adds a festive peak fee to the FBA fulfilment fee in two stores:
| Store | What it covers | Average fee |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon.de | Small and standard parcels fulfilled via local and Pan-EU FBA, the European Fulfilment Network and Remote Fulfilment from the UK to the EU | €0.27 per unit |
| Amazon.co.uk | Small and standard parcels and large and extra-large envelopes fulfilled via local FBA and Remote Fulfilment from the EU to the UK | £0.12 per parcel item; £0.07 per large or extra-large envelope item |
It doesn’t apply to oversize items, Low-Price FBA or items delivered to buyers in other EU countries, so orders on Amazon.es, Amazon.fr or Amazon.it don’t pay it. Your Amazon.de sales do, including those fulfilled from Pan-EU stock or through the European Fulfilment Network. The 1.5% fuel and logistics surcharge applies on top. You can preview the fee in Seller Central with the Revenue Calculator and the FBA Fee Preview report.
When does stock have to arrive for Black Friday Week?
To keep the Prime badge during Black Friday Week, your inventory has to arrive at Amazon’s European facilities by 21 October 2026 (28 October for the UK). Arrive is the key word: creating the shipment or dispatching it isn’t enough.
Amazon says its fulfilment centres focus on receiving shipments in September and October and on customer orders in November and December, so inbound delivery slots are limited. If you expect higher volume, you can bid for extra space with Capacity Manager. Extra space costs money, and stock that doesn’t sell keeps paying storage after the season.
What do Black Friday Week deals cost?
Fees for Best Deals, Lightning Deals and Prime Exclusive Discounts are the same as on Prime Day:
| Store | Upfront fee | Variable fee | Cap on the variable fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | £12 per promotion | 0.75% of promotional sales | £600 |
| Germany | €16 per promotion | 0.75% of promotional sales | €1,000 |
| France, Italy and Spain | €10 per promotion | 0.5% of promotional sales | €300 |
Prime Exclusive Discounts now need a product rating of at least 3.5. Black Friday Week deals must be submitted by 18 November.
Remove, dispose of or liquidate unsold stock?
It depends on the weight and value of each unit. These are the per-unit fees for standard-size items:
| Unit weight | Local return to seller | Disposal |
|---|---|---|
| 0–200 g | €0.50 · £0.49 | €0.74 · £0.74 |
| 201–500 g | €0.79 · £0.71 | €1.19 · £1.15 |
| 501 g–1 kg | €1.80 · £1.57 | €2.73 · £2.28 |
| Over 1 kg | €2.32 + €0.87/kg · £2.03 + £0.80/kg | €3.74 + €1.41/kg · £2.73 + £0.88/kg |
Getting a unit back costs less than destroying it in every weight band. Liquidation is the third option: Amazon charges a 15% referral fee on the gross recovery value plus a processing fee by size and weight (for a standard-size unit up to 200 g, €0.42 or £0.37). If the product still sells, moving it to a warehouse outside Amazon and sending it back in smaller batches can cost less than months of surcharges.
Q4 checklist
- Run the inventory age report in Seller Central and flag everything that is, or will be, over 241 days before 31 December.
- Check your storage utilisation ratio by size tier. If you are close to 22 weeks, slow down replenishment of slow sellers.
- Count back from 21 October (28 October in the UK): transport, prep, delivery appointment and receiving all have to fit.
- Recalculate margins on what you sell on Amazon.de and Amazon.co.uk with the festive peak fee and the 1.5% surcharge.
- Decide product by product: discount, remove, liquidate or dispose of. Compare each option with the storage you will pay until January.
- Create removal orders early: units keep paying storage until they leave the fulfilment centre.
- Send less, more often, and keep the rest of your stock outside Amazon: you are charged on average daily volume.
- Check product ratings before Prime Exclusive Discounts (3.5 minimum) and submit Black Friday Week deals before 18 November.
- Review packaging dimensions: a tighter box lowers the volume and can change the size tier.
Frequently asked questions
When does peak FBA storage start in Europe?
On 1 October. The higher monthly rates apply in October, November and December; in January the January–September rates return.
How much does FBA storage cost in Q4 2026?
In Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and Ireland, €52.20 per cubic metre a month for standard-size products (€29.23 for clothing, eyewear, footwear, rucksacks and handbags) and €34.49 for oversize. In the UK, £1.51 per cubic foot for standard-size products and £0.87 for oversize.
Does the festive peak fulfilment fee apply on Amazon.es, Amazon.fr or Amazon.it?
No. In 2026 it applies only in Germany and the UK, from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027, and not to items delivered to buyers in other EU countries.
What is the FBA inventory deadline for Black Friday 2026?
Stock must arrive at Amazon’s European facilities by 21 October 2026 (28 October in the UK) to keep the Prime badge during Black Friday Week.
Do new sellers pay the storage utilisation surcharge?
Not for the first 52 weeks after their first shipment to a fulfilment centre. Individual selling accounts and sellers with less than 25 cubic feet of daily volume don’t pay it either.
Is it cheaper to remove or dispose of FBA inventory?
Removing it. For a standard-size unit up to 200 g, a local return to seller costs €0.50 (£0.49 in the UK) and disposal €0.74 (£0.74).
ax Prep Center
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Discover ax Prep Center →Sources: Amazon, Rate Card Europe, fees effective as of 1 July 2026 (PDF), pages 21 and 23; Amazon Seller Forums, ‘Peak season 2026: Inventory dates, peak fees, deal cutoffs and promotions’ (14 July 2026). Figures checked on 7 October 2026.