Easy Ship, FBA and self ship differ in who stores, packs, picks up and handles returns. Compare them on total cost per delivered, net-of-returns order, covering shipping or fulfilment fees, storage, packaging, inbound freight, return handling and your own labour. Take rates from your Amazon rate card and seller agreement, because fees change and vary by category, size and weight.
What each model actually covers
The three models split the work between you and Amazon differently, so their fees are not like for like.
- Easy Ship: you store and pack the product at your own location. Amazon's logistics partners pick up and deliver to the customer. You pay Amazon's shipping-related fees.
- FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon): you send stock to Amazon fulfilment centres. Amazon stores, picks, packs and ships, and handles the customer-facing side for those orders. You pay fulfilment, storage and related fees.
- Self ship: you pack and hand over to your own courier partner and manage delivery and returns yourself. You pay your courier and warehouse costs directly, plus Amazon's selling fees.
Programme rules change, so check the current terms in Seller Central before you model anything.
Cost lines to include in every comparison
A fair comparison needs the same lines for all three models. Leave out one and the result tilts.
- Amazon selling fees (referral and closing fees) that apply in each model. Check whether they differ for your category and price band.
- Shipping or fulfilment fee per order, usually driven by weight, size and delivery zone.
- Storage fees (FBA) or your own warehouse and labour cost (Easy Ship and self ship).
- Packaging and labelling or prep costs.
- Inbound freight to Amazon fulfilment centres (FBA only).
- Return and RTO handling, including return shipping and any non-resaleable stock.
- Removal, disposal or aged inventory charges, where they apply.
- GST on fees and any tax collected at source. Confirm current rates with your tax adviser and your settlement report; do not hard-code them.
Where the real differences hide
Headline per-order fees look close. The gaps usually appear in four places.
- Returns: in categories such as apparel and footwear, a high return rate can outweigh a lower outbound fee. Check how each model charges for returns and how damaged returns are treated.
- Weight and size slabs: a product just over a slab boundary can cost much more. Verify the weight and dimensions on your listing, because Amazon may charge on the measured or declared figures.
- Storage and ageing: slow-moving SKUs cost more under FBA. Fast movers dilute storage cost per order.
- Your own overheads: in Easy Ship and self ship, your packing labour, rent and courier disputes are real costs even when they never appear on an Amazon statement.
How to build a per-order cost model
- Pick 10 to 20 SKUs that represent your volume, including your heaviest and your fastest-returning ones.
- Pull the current Amazon India rate card and your seller agreement for each fee line. Note the date you checked.
- Take the last 60 to 90 days of settlement data to get your real return rate and average order weight.
- Cost every line from the list above for each model, per 100 orders.
- Divide the total by the number of orders delivered and kept, not just shipped.
- Re-run the model each time Amazon revises its rate card or your mix changes.
Check fees against what you were actually charged
A model is only useful if the charges match it. Compare the fee lines in your settlement reports against the rate card for each order: shipping fee slab, weight handling, storage and return charges. Typical mismatches include a wrong weight slab, duplicate charges and return fees on orders that should not attract them.
Doing this by hand across thousands of orders is slow. MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle reconciles marketplace sales and settlements, checks commissions and fees against agreed terms, and tracks returns and recovery cases. Myntra Excel reports are reviewed today, and other marketplaces, including Amazon, are in scope discussion, so confirm coverage with the team first.
Which model tends to suit which brand
- Easy Ship often suits brands with their own stock and packing capacity who want Amazon-managed pickup and delivery.
- FBA often suits fast-moving, standard-size products where faster delivery and Amazon-managed fulfilment may lift conversion. Check whether it does for your category.
- Self ship often suits bulky, fragile, made-to-order or low-volume items, or brands with strong courier rates and tight control over quality.
Many brands mix models by SKU. Let the per-order numbers decide, not habit.
Worked example
Illustrative example only. These figures are made-up placeholders, not Amazon rates. Assume 100 orders, a 20% return rate, and a selling price that is the same in all three models. Amazon selling fees are excluded because they are the same here.
| Cost line (per 100 orders) | Easy Ship | FBA | Self ship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outbound shipping or fulfilment | ₹7,000 | ₹5,500 | ₹8,000 |
| Packaging or prep | ₹1,000 | ₹500 | ₹1,000 |
| Storage or own handling | ₹0 | ₹800 | ₹1,200 |
| Inbound freight | ₹0 | ₹600 | ₹0 |
| Returns (20 orders) | ₹1,200 | ₹500 | ₹1,800 |
| Removals or ageing | ₹0 | ₹300 | ₹0 |
| Total | ₹9,200 | ₹8,200 | ₹12,000 |
| Per order | ₹92 | ₹82 | ₹120 |
With real inputs the order can change. A slower-moving SKU would push FBA storage and ageing costs up, and a lower return rate would shrink the return gap.
Questions and answers
Is FBA always cheaper than Easy Ship in India?
No. FBA can lower per-order fulfilment cost for fast-moving, standard-size items, but storage, inbound freight and ageing charges can reverse that for slow movers. Compare total cost per order using your own SKU data and the current rate card.
Where do I find the current Amazon fee rates?
Use the rate card and fee pages in Seller Central, and your seller agreement. Rates vary by category, size, weight and price, and Amazon revises them. Record the date you checked, and do not rely on blog posts for exact figures.
Does the return rate change which model is cheaper?
Yes, significantly. Return shipping, RTO handling and unsellable returns are charged and handled differently in each model. For high-return categories like apparel, model returns separately before comparing the outbound fees.
How can I check whether Amazon charged me correctly?
Match each order's weight slab, shipping or fulfilment fee, storage charge and return fee in the settlement report against your rate card. Flag differences, raise them with Amazon support with order IDs, and track each case until it is recovered.