Getting inventory out of FBA
You have three ways to clear stock from Amazon's network, and they are priced differently:
- Removal — units are shipped back to an address you nominate.
- Disposal — units are destroyed. Fees match removal exactly.
- Liquidation — Amazon sells the stock through wholesale channels and returns roughly 5–10 cents on the dollar, avoiding removal fees.
Fees are billed per unit as processed, not per order. Batching 400 units into one removal order costs the same as four orders of 100.
2026 removal & disposal rates
| Size tier | Shipping weight | Fee per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Small standard | 0–0.5 lb | $1.04 |
| Small standard | 0.5–1 lb | $1.53 |
| Large standard | 0–1 lb | $2.23 |
| Large standard | 1–2 lb | $2.83 |
| Large standard | 2–4 lb | $3.77 |
| Large standard | 4–10 lb | $5.04 |
| Large standard | 10+ lb | $5.04 + $0.20/lb above 10 |
| Large bulky | 0–1 lb | $3.12 |
| Large bulky | 1–2 lb | $4.30 |
| Large bulky | 4–10 lb | $10.04 |
| Extra-large | Starts at | $14.32+ |
The break-even calculation
Removal is a one-off cost. Leaving stock in place is a recurring one. The comparison is therefore not "is removal expensive" but "how many months until leaving it costs more".
Take 500 small standard units at 0.05 cubic feet each, sitting at 280 days — inside the 271–300 day band at $5.45 per cubic foot:
| Removal fee (500 × $1.04) | $520.00 one-off |
| Aged surcharge per month (25 cu ft × $5.45) | $136.25 / month |
| Base storage per month (25 cu ft × $0.78) | $19.50 / month |
| Total cost of leaving it | $155.75 / month |
| Break-even | 3.3 months |
So if the stock will not clear within about three months, removal is already the cheaper path — before counting the capital tied up. And it gets worse rather than better: at 365 days the surcharge rises to $6.90 per cubic foot, pulling break-even down to under three months.
Work out your own figures with the aged inventory surcharge calculator.
Choosing between the three
| Situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| Sellable elsewhere — own site, eBay, wholesale | Removal |
| Seasonal stock you will send back next year | Removal, then store cheaply yourself |
| Damaged, expired or unsellable | Disposal |
| Sellable but not worth the freight back | Liquidation |
| Low value per unit, high removal fee relative to value | Liquidation or disposal |
Avoiding the decision entirely
Removal fees are a symptom. Paying them regularly means inventory is being ordered faster than it sells, which is a planning problem rather than a fee problem.
- Reorder against real velocity. The restock calculator sets the reorder point from lead time and daily sales rather than from a freight minimum.
- Watch age bands before they step up. The expensive jump is at 271 days; acting at eight months is far cheaper than acting at ten.
- Discount early and deep enough to actually clear. A markdown that does not move stock costs more than a bigger one that does.
- Track cost by purchase lot. FIFO costing shows which specific batch is ageing, rather than hiding it in a blended average.
See stock age and slow movers across your whole catalogue with SellerGuards inventory intelligence. For every other Amazon charge, see the complete guide to Amazon seller fees.