I’ll never forget the morning of January 15, 2026. I woke up, grabbed my coffee, and opened my Seller Central dashboard, expecting the usual post-holiday hangover. Instead, I saw a bright red alert: my "Low-Inventory-Level Fee" had triggered on my best-selling SKU.
I was baffled. I had 400 units in stock. "How is that low?" I screamed at my monitor.
It turned out, because I had split my shipments to avoid the other fee (Inbound Placement), my inventory was technically "stranded" in transit for too long, crashing my "Historical Days of Supply" metric below 28 days. I got hit with fees on both ends. It was a $450 mistake before breakfast.
If you are an Amazon seller right now, you know this feeling. The platform isn't just a marketplace anymore; it’s a minefield of "efficiency" metrics.
Here’s where it gets interesting: Amazon isn't trying to punish us. They are trying to compete with the lightning-fast logistics of Temu and Shein while automating their warehouses with AI. But for us, that means the margin for error is effectively zero.
Amazon Seller News Today 2025: The Ghost of Fees Past
To understand where we are in early 2026, we have to look at the train wreck that was late 2025. When searching for amazon seller news today 2025, the headline was always "Fees."
In late 2025, Amazon froze the Referral Fees (which sounded nice) but quietly introduced a labyrinth of operational surcharges. They shifted the cost from "selling" to "shipping."
The "Inbound" Nightmare
The biggest shocker was the Inbound Placement Service fee. You now have two choices:
-
Pay Amazon to split your inventory: You send everything to one warehouse (like ABE8 in New Jersey), and they charge you a per-unit fee to distribute it across the country.
-
Split it yourself: You send 5 smaller shipments to 5 different states. No fee, but your shipping costs to UPS/FedEx double.
Honest Failure: In October 2025, I tried to "game" the system. I chose the "Split it yourself" option to save the $0.30/unit fee. I spent 6 hours packing 5 different boxes. Then, UPS lost the box going to California. Because that box didn't arrive,Amazon flagged my shipment plan as "Non-compliant" and charged me a defect fee plus the inbound fee. I lost about $200 and a full day of work.Lesson: Unless you have a warehouse team, just pay the placement fee. The headache isn't worth the savings.
Amazon Seller News Today 2026: The "No Prep" Era
Now, looking at amazon seller news today 2026, the biggest operational change is the end of FBA Prep Services in the US.
For years, I relied on Amazon to bubble-wrap my glass items. I paid them $0.80 a unit, and they handled it.As of 2026, that service is gone. Amazon wants their robots to pick and pack, not bubble wrap.
This leaves sellers with two options:
-
Do it yourself: Buy bubble wrap and pay your cousin to wrap units in your garage.
-
Use a 3PL (Third Party Logistics): Ship your goods from China to a 3PL in Texas, have them prep it, and then forward it to Amazon.
This change is causing a massive scramble. I called three 3PLs last week, and they are all at capacity. If you haven't secured a prep partner yet, you are already behind.
The "Small Bulky" Tier: A Rare Win
It’s not all doom and gloom. One positive update in the amazon marketplace seller news today cycle is the new "Small Bulky" size tier.
Previously, if you sold something like a yoga block or a thick winter coat, you got hammered with "Large Standard" or "Oversize" fees. In 2026, Amazon carved out this new tier.
-
Result: Fulfillment fees for these items dropped by roughly $2.00 per unit.
(Parenthetical aside: I have a friend selling weighted blankets who was about to quit Amazon. This single change saved her business. She went from losing $1 on every sale to making $1.50 profit overnight.)
Amazon Seller News Today Policy Update: The AI "Rufus" Takeover
If you are ignoring the "Project Cosmo" and "Rufus" news, you are ignoring your customers. Rufus is Amazon's AI shopping assistant. It doesn't just match keywords anymore; it understands "concepts."
Amazon seller news today policy update discussions are dominated by "Semantic Search." In the old days, if a customer searched "warm boots," Amazon looked for the word "warm" in your title. Now, Rufus looks at your reviews. If 50 customers say "these boots are good for snow," Rufus knows they are warm, even if the word isn't in your title.
How to Optimize for Rufus:
-
Structured Data: Fill out every attribute in the backend. If you leave "Sole Material" blank, Rufus ignores you.
-
RAG-Ready Bullets: Write bullet points that answer questions. Instead of "100% Cotton," write "100% Cotton construction ensures breathability during hot summer nights." Rufus can "read" that sentence and answer a customer asking, "Is this good for summer?"
-
Image Text: Rufus reads text on your images. Put key benefits directly on your photos.
The "Return Fee" Trap
We need to talk about returns. The amazon seller news today fees 2025 updates included a nasty surprise: The High Return Rate Fee.
If your return rate is higher than the category average, Amazon charges you a processing fee on every unit sold, not just the returned ones. This is a silent killer.
Opinion Statement: I think this is actually fair. I'm tired of competing with sellers who sell junk products with 20% return rates. This fee forces quality control. However, it sucks if you are in a category like "Dresses" where returns are natural. (Thankfully, Apparel is currently exempt from some of these penalties, but watch this space).
Amazon Seller Central News Today October 2025: The Tariff Shock
Let's rewind briefly to the amazon marketplace seller news today October 2025. This was when the sourcing world panicked. News broke about potential 100% tariffs on certain Chinese imports.
While the full policy is still fluctuating, the "de minimis" exemption removal (where packages under $800 entered the US tax-free) has squeezed dropshippers hard. If you are sourcing from China, your margins likely tightened by 15-20% in the last 6 months.
My Strategy: I started diversifying my sourcing to Vietnam and Mexico. It took me 4 months to find a factory, but the stability is worth it. If you are 100% dependent on China, you are gambling with your livelihood.
Diversification: Why I Use Closo
With fees rising and Amazon becoming more hostile to small mistakes, I realized I couldn't keep 100% of my inventory in FBA. It was too risky. I needed to move my "slow movers" to other platforms like Poshmark and eBay to liquidate them and get cash back.
This is where Closo saved me. I use the Closo 100% Free Crosslister to take my Amazon inventory photos and descriptions and blast them onto Poshmark and Mercari. Instead of paying Amazon "Aged Inventory Surcharges" for items sitting in their warehouse for 12 months, I create a "Removal Order," have the items sent to my house, and use Closo to list them on eBay.
Closo Demand predictor is another tool I’ve been testing. It helps identify which brands are trending on resale markets,which actually informs my Amazon sourcing. If I see "Carhartt" spiking on Poshmark via the demand predictor, I know to look for workwear opportunities on Amazon.
Comparison: 2024 vs. 2026 Fee Structure
Here is a breakdown of how the costs have shifted over the last two years.
The "Keep It" Policy: A Double-Edged Sword
Another massive update in amazon seller news today recency 3 (the latest wave of policy changes) is the "Returnless Refund" expansion. Amazon now allows (and encourages) you to let customers keep the item if the return shipping cost is higher than the item value.
-
Pro: You save on return shipping fees.
-
Con: Scammers know this.
I have a cheap $15 item. I turned on "Returnless Refunds" to save money. Within a week, my "return" rate on that item doubled. Customers realized they could complain, get their money back, and keep the product.Uncertainty Admission: I honestly don't know the right move here yet. I turned it off for now. I’d rather pay the return fee than train customers to scam me.
Amazon Seller News Today 2026: The "Inbound Defect" Crackdown
If you are lazy with your shipping plans, Amazon is coming for you. The amazon seller central news today 2026 feeds are full of sellers crying about "Inbound Defect Fees."
If you say you are sending 100 units, and you send 102, Amazon charges you. If you say you are sending 100 units, and you send 98, Amazon charges you. If you put the label on the wrong side of the box... charges.
The tolerance has dropped. You used to have a 5% buffer. Now it feels like 0%.Tool Recommendation: I use a scale that connects to my shipping software (Station) to ensure weights are exact. Do not guess.
Common Questions I See
People always ask me... Is FBA still worth it in 2026?
Yes, but only for "High Velocity" items. If you have an item that sells 5 units a month, FBA will eat you alive with storage and low-inventory fees. FBA is now designed for items that move. For slow movers, switch to FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) or sell on eBay using the Closo 100% Free Crosslister.
Common question I see... How do I avoid the Low-Inventory Fee?
You have to maintain 28 days of supply. The trick is "upstream storage." Don't send everything to Amazon. Keep bulk stock at a 3PL (like AWD - Amazon Warehousing & Distribution) and "drip feed" it into FBA. Amazon waives the fee if you use their AWD service (auto-replenishment).
People always ask me... Will the 100% Tariff happen?
We can't control politics. But we can control our supply chain. If you are importing from China, you need to be building a cash reserve now to pay those duties if they stick. Don't wait until the bill arrives at the port.
Conclusion
The headline for amazon seller news today isn't "Apocalypse." It's "Professionalism." The days of throwing spaghetti at the wall and becoming a millionaire are over. Amazon is tightening the screws to force efficiency.
If you want to survive 2026:
-
Audit your Inventory: Get rid of anything older than 6 months.
-
Secure a 3PL: You need a prep partner now that Amazon has exited that game.
-
Optimize for Rufus: Rewrite your bullets to be informative, not just keyword-stuffed.
-
Diversify: Don't let Amazon hold 100% of your wealth.
I managed to survive the 2025 fee hikes by pivoting to the "Small Bulky" tier and aggressively cutting my slow-moving SKUs. It was painful, but my business is leaner and more profitable now.
If you are sitting on stagnant inventory, stop paying storage fees. Create a removal order today. Then, use the Closo Seller Hub to learn how to flip that dead stock on other platforms.
For a deeper dive into how to manage fees across different marketplaces, check out this guide on Poshmark Fees 2025.
And if you are ready to stop being dependent on one algorithm, the Best Cross Listing Software 2025 is your roadmap to freedom.
