Amazon's referral fee for books is 15% of the total sale price. That number is consistent across new, used, and collectible books sold by third-party sellers on the platform.
But the 15% referral fee is not the only fee charged on a book sale - and understanding what comes alongside it is essential for calculating accurate profit margins.
The 15% Referral Fee: What It Covers
The referral fee is Amazon's commission for providing access to their marketplace, fulfilling payment processing, and connecting you with buyers. It is calculated on the total sale price, which can include shipping if you charge for it. On a $20 book, the referral fee is exactly $3.00.
This fee is charged per transaction, meaning it scales directly with volume. Sell more books, pay more in referral fees. There is no ceiling or cap on this fee for books.
The Per-Item Closing Fee: $1.80
Books belong to Amazon's "media" product category. Media products carry a flat $1.80 per-item closing fee in addition to the referral fee. This is charged on every sale, regardless of the book's price.
This fee catches many new sellers off guard because it does not appear in the same line of the fee schedule as the referral percentage. It is a separate charge, listed under media category fees.
Combined, the base fees on a $20 book are:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| 15% Referral fee | $3.00 |
| Per-item closing fee | $1.80 |
| Base platform fees | $4.80 |
That is 24% of the sale price gone before any fulfillment costs.
Why This Matters More for Books Than Other Categories
The $1.80 closing fee is a flat charge, which means it represents a higher percentage of the sale price on lower-priced books. On a $10 book, the closing fee alone is 18% of the sale price. On a $30 book, it is 6%. If your catalog skews toward lower-priced titles, this fee disproportionately compresses your margins.
Adding FBA: The Third Fee Layer
If you use FBA to fulfill orders (and most sellers do, to access Prime eligibility), a third layer of fees applies. FBA pick-and-pack fees for a standard trade paperback run approximately $3.22 per unit, with additional monthly storage fees of roughly $0.50 to $1.00 per unit.
At that point, a $20 book sale has generated:
- $3.00 in referral fees
- $1.80 in closing fees
- $3.22 in FBA pick and pack
- $0.50 in storage
Total: ~$8.52 in fees, or roughly 42-45% of the sale price.
The Shopify Alternative
Shopify with BooksCloud charges differently and more simply. The platform fee is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on the Basic plan ($39/month). There is no media closing fee and no referral percentage. On a $20 sale, the transaction fee is approximately $0.88 - compared to $4.80 in Amazon base fees before fulfillment.
Understanding the 15% referral fee is the starting point. Knowing what comes with it - the $1.80 closing fee and FBA overhead - gives you the complete picture you need to make an honest comparison between selling channels.