CALCULATOR · RATES CHECKED OCT 20, 2026
Amazon, Walmart and Shopify fees and margin per unit
Amazon vs Walmart vs Shopify fees differ in what they charge for, so the same product earns a different margin on each channel. Amazon charges a referral fee and fulfillment fees. Walmart charges a referral fee calculated on the total price including shipping. Shopify charges a plan fee and payment fees, while you pay for shipping and apps. Enter one product's numbers to see fees and contribution margin per unit side by side.
What it calculates: Amazon vs Walmart vs Shopify fees per unit
For each channel: fees per unit, contribution margin per unit in dollars and as a share of price, plus break-even ACoS, the highest advertising cost of sales at which an ad-driven sale still covers its costs. Contribution margin here means price minus landed cost minus channel fees and ad spend, before your overheads.
The inputs
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Sale price
and landed cost per unit: product, freight and duty to get one unit into sellable stock.
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Unit weight and dimensions
set the WFS weight band and storage cubic feet.
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Category
sets the referral rate on Amazon and Walmart. Defaults to 15%; change it to your category's rate.
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Amazon FBA fulfillment fee per unit
an Example input. Look up your product's fee in Amazon's Revenue Calculator or Fee Preview and enter it.
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Peak period toggle
Amazon's holiday peak fee runs Oct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027 and averages about $0.32 a unit (Supply Chain Dive, Jul 13, 2026). Enter your product's actual peak fee if you have it.
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Months in storage and cubic feet
for Amazon, enter your storage rate from Seller Central; for WFS, the calculator applies $0.75 per cubic foot a month.
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Walmart New-Seller Savings toggle
for sellers in Walmart's program, 20% off referral fees on the first $50K of GMV, 30% from $50K to $500K and 40% above (Walmart, updated Sep 2, 2026; the offer lasts until Jan 31, 2027).
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WFS surcharges
apparel +$0.50, hazardous materials +$0.50, retail price under $10 +$1.00.
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Shopify plan and payment setup
Basic, Grow, Advanced or Plus; Shopify Payments or a third-party gateway.
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Shipping cost per Shopify order
, monthly app spend and orders (to spread app cost per order), return rate and cost per return and ad spend per unit or TACoS.
Rates loaded
| Line | Rate | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon referral fee | 15% in many categories, with a $0.30 minimum in most; 3% to 45% depending on category and price band | Sell on Amazon pricing, checked Oct 20, 2026 |
| Amazon FBA fees | Entered by you; fees rose an average $0.08 a unit on Jan 15, 2026 | Amazon, Oct 15, 2025 |
| Amazon fuel and logistics surcharge | 3.5% of FBA fulfillment fees from Apr 17, 2026, about $0.17 a unit on average | Digital Commerce 360, Apr 2026 |
| Walmart referral fee | Set by the category Walmart assigns at item setup: 15% for Everything Else; each category has its own rate; charged on the total sales price including shipping | Walmart Marketplace Learn, updated Mar 9, 2026 |
| WFS fulfillment | $3.45 (1 lb or less), $4.95 (2 lb), $5.45 (3 lb), $5.75 + $0.40 a lb over 4 lb (4 to 20 lb). Items under 1 lb: unit weight plus 0.25 lb of packaging, rounded up. Items of 1 lb or more: the greater of unit weight and dimensional weight (L × W × H ÷ 139) | Walmart Marketplace Learn, updated May 27, 2026 |
| WFS storage | $0.75 per cubic foot a month; October to December, an extra $1.50 for stock stored more than 30 days | same |
| Shopify plan | Basic $39, Grow $105, Advanced $399 a month billed monthly; Plus from $2,300 | Shopify pricing, Oct 20, 2026 |
| Shopify Payments online rate | 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic), 2.7% + 30¢ (Grow), 2.5% + 30¢ (Advanced), 2.25% + 30¢ (Plus) for standard cards; premium cards cost more | same |
| Third-party gateway fee | 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced), 0.2% (Plus) | same |
Amazon's storage rates are entered by you from your Seller Central fee page until we confirm the 2026 rate card there.
The formula and method
- Fees per unit (each channel) = referral or payment fee + fulfillment fee + surcharges + storage share + returns share + ad spend per unit
- Contribution margin per unit = price − landed cost − fees per unit
- Contribution margin % = contribution margin ÷ price
- Break-even ACoS = contribution margin before ads ÷ price
Worked example
Illustrative · sample figures. A $30 product with an $8 landed cost, weighing 0.7 lb (0.95 lb with packaging, so the WFS 1 lb band). Free shipping to the buyer on Walmart; storage, returns and ads left out.
| Line | Amazon FBA | Walmart WFS | Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Referral or payment fee | $4.50 (15%) | $4.50 (15%) | $1.17 (2.9% + 30¢) |
| Fulfillment or shipping | $4.00 (Example FBA fee) | $3.45 | $6.00 (Example shipping) |
| Surcharge or apps | $0.14 (3.5% of $4.00) | $0 | $0.50 (Example apps per order) |
| Contribution margin before ads | $13.36 | $14.05 | $14.33 |
| Margin % | 44.5% | 46.8% | 47.8% |
| Break-even ACoS | 44.5% | 46.8% | 47.8% |
In the peak period, add Amazon's peak fee for your product to the FBA line. With an average $0.32, plus the 3.5% surcharge on it, the Amazon margin before ads drops to about $13.03.
Limitations
- Amazon FBA fees depend on size tier, weight and price band. The calculator uses the fee you enter.
- Category rates vary on every channel, and some have tiers above a price threshold. Check your category.
- Shopify's monthly plan fee is a fixed cost, not a per-unit fee, so it is excluded from margin per unit.
- Taxes, chargebacks and promotions are not included.
Under every result: this estimate uses the figures you enter and published rates. It is not an audit, an offer or a promise of savings, sales or profit.
Which channel has the lowest fees?
It depends on the product. Walmart has no monthly fee and charges referral on the total price including shipping; Amazon charges referral plus FBA fees; Shopify charges a plan fee and payment fees but leaves shipping and apps to you. Run your product through all three.
What is break-even ACoS?
The ad cost of sales at which an ad-driven sale makes nothing after costs. It equals contribution margin before ads divided by price. If your pre-ad margin is 30%, any ad sale above a 30% ACoS loses money on that sale.
Why does the Walmart weight band look higher than my product weight?
For items under 1 lb, WFS adds 0.25 lb of packaging and rounds up, so a 0.8 lb item bills at 1 lb. For items of 1 lb or more, WFS uses the greater of unit weight and dimensional weight, which is length × width × height in inches ÷ 139, so a light item in a large box can land in a higher band (Walmart, updated May 27, 2026).
See all free calculators.
Sources9 sources
- 01sell.amazon.comProfessional plan $39.99 a month; referral fee table: 15% in many categories, $0.30 minimum in most, from 3% (Watches, portion above $1,500) to 45% (Amazon Device Accessories); checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 02sellingpartners.aboutamazon.comOct 15, 2025; FBA fees up an average $0.08 a unit from Jan 15, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 03digitalcommerce360.com3.5% surcharge from Apr 17, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 04supplychaindive.compeak fee Oct 15, 2026 to Jan 14, 2027, average $0.32; Jul 13, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 05marketplacelearn.walmart.comupdated Mar 9, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 06marketplacelearn.walmart.comupdated May 27, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 07marketplacelearn.walmart.comupdated Sep 2, 2026; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 08marketplace.walmart.comno setup or monthly fees; rates by category and product type; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 09shopify.comchecked Oct 20, 2026Primary
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