Amazon Closing Fee (Media) 2026: $1.80 Per Sale
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Run the numbers →What it is
Amazon charges a flat $1.80 closing fee on every media product sold — books, music, DVDs, video games, software, and video game consoles. It applies on top of the referral fee. Unlike most Amazon fees, this one hasn't changed in years and was not part of the 2026 fee restructuring. It's straightforward: sell a book, pay $1.80.
Media categories subject to the closing fee
| Category | Referral fee rate | Closing fee per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Books | 15% | $1.80 |
| Music | 15% | $1.80 |
| DVDs / Video | 15% | $1.80 |
| Video Games | 15% | $1.80 |
| Video Game Consoles | 8% | $1.80 |
| Software | 15% | $1.80 |
What the fee looks like in practice
$12.99 Used Book (FBM)
Referral: $12.99 × 15% = $1.95
Closing: $1.80
Total Amazon fees: $3.75 (29% of revenue)
$24.99 DVD (FBA)
Referral: $24.99 × 15% = $3.75
Closing: $1.80
Total Amazon fees: $5.55 + FBA fee (22% before FBA of revenue)
$49.99 Video Game (FBA)
Referral: $49.99 × 15% = $7.50
Closing: $1.80
Total Amazon fees: $9.30 + FBA fee (19% before FBA of revenue)
What media sellers miss
The $1.80 closing fee is disproportionately painful on low-price media. At $4.99, the closing fee alone is 36% of the sale price — before referral fee, FBA, or shipping. Media sellers doing high-volume arbitrage or thrift-store sourcing need to model this fee explicitly. Products priced below $6.99 often have negative margin after Amazon fees, even if the COGS is zero.
Frequently asked questions
What is Amazon's closing fee for media? ▾
A flat $1.80 per-unit fee charged on every sale of media products: books, DVDs, music, video games, and software. It applies in addition to the referral fee. It's sometimes called the 'variable closing fee' — originally it could vary, but it's been flat at $1.80 for media since Amazon standardized it.
Does the closing fee apply to non-media products? ▾
No — the $1.80 closing fee is specific to media categories (books, music, video, video games, software, and video game consoles). All other product categories don't have a closing fee. If you're not selling in these categories, this fee doesn't apply to you.
How does the closing fee affect media profit margins? ▾
On a $9.99 used book with a 15% referral fee ($1.50), the $1.80 closing fee adds more than the referral fee. Total Amazon fees on a $9.99 book: $1.50 referral + $1.80 closing = $3.30, or 33% of revenue — before FBA fees or shipping. Low-price media margin is extremely thin.
Does the closing fee apply to FBM (seller-fulfilled) media sales? ▾
Yes — the closing fee applies to both FBA and FBM media sales. It's a per-sale fee, not a fulfillment fee. If you fulfill your own books and sell them on Amazon, you still pay the $1.80 closing fee on each sale.
Are video game consoles subject to the closing fee? ▾
Yes — video game consoles are in the media/video games category and are subject to the $1.80 closing fee. This is in addition to the electronics referral fee (8%) on the console price.
Has the closing fee changed in 2026? ▾
No — the $1.80 closing fee for media has been unchanged for several years and was not modified in Amazon's 2026 fee updates. Unlike FBA fulfillment fees (increased Jan 15) and the new fuel surcharge (April 17), the media closing fee remained flat.
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