Monthly storage cost by size tier and season, plus the aged-inventory surcharge that now begins at 181 days. Shows what holding stock too long actually costs against what selling it through would.
Storage is billed on daily-average volume, so faster sell-through directly reduces the charge.
Rates reflect the published US 2026 rate card: $0.78 per cubic foot standard and $0.56 oversize from January to September, rising to $2.40 and $1.40 in Q4. Aged-inventory surcharges begin at 181 days and are shown as mid-band estimates — Amazon adjusted these during 2026, so confirm current figures in Seller Central.
The aged-inventory surcharge begins at 181 days, not the 271 or 365 days still quoted in older guidance, and escalates to roughly $6.90 per cubic foot per month past a year. On a standard-size unit that is close to ten times the base rate, at which point removal or liquidation is usually cheaper than holding.
In the other direction, the low-inventory-level fee applies when a standard-size product drops below roughly 28 days of supply, raised to about 35 days for high-velocity items in 2026. Together they define a window: hold more than six months and you pay aging penalties, hold less than about five weeks and you pay velocity penalties.
Storage cost rarely appears as a line anyone reviews. The free audit allocates it back per ASIN, alongside fees, returns and advertising.