Open Seller Central, go to Reports, find the Fee Preview report under the Fulfilment by Amazon reports, choose the file format and download it. For an audit, match each SKU's estimated referral, closing and fulfilment fees against your agreed terms and the fee lines in your settlement report, then investigate the SKUs where the difference is material.
What the Amazon fee preview report tells you
The fee preview report is an account-level file that lists, for each product, the fees Amazon estimates it will charge per unit. Depending on your account, this typically covers the referral fee, closing fee where applicable, and fulfilment-related fees such as weight handling for FBA items. The estimates are built from your catalogue data: category, price, dimensions and weight.
It is a forecast, not a bill. In an audit, treat the preview as the expected side and the settlement report as the actual side. Coverage and column names differ between FBA, Easy Ship and self-ship accounts, so check what your own download contains before building a template.
How to download the report from Seller Central
- Log in to Seller Central for the Indian marketplace with a user role that can view reports.
- Open the Reports menu and go to the Fulfilment by Amazon reports. Menus get rearranged, so if you cannot see it, search for Fee Preview in the search bar.
- Select Fee Preview and request or download the file in the format offered.
- Open it in Excel using the data import option and set SKU and ASIN columns as text, so long codes are not altered.
- Save it with the download date in the file name.
Download it on a fixed day each month. Estimates change when Amazon revises its rate card or when your catalogue data changes, and an old file becomes poor evidence.
Columns worth checking in the file
Headings vary, so map them once and reuse the mapping. Look for:
- Identifiers: SKU, ASIN and product name.
- Category or product group: this drives the referral fee.
- Price used: the selling price on which the estimate is based.
- Dimensions, weight and size tier: these drive fulfilment and weight handling fees.
- Estimated fee components: referral, closing, fulfilment and any others listed.
- Total estimated fee per unit: the number you will compare with actual charges.
Do not assume any rate from memory or from an old blog. Confirm the current rate card and your seller terms on Seller Central before judging a fee as wrong.
Step-by-step: audit the preview against your terms
- Clean the file. Keep one row per SKU and remove inactive listings.
- Add an expected-fee column. Calculate it from the current rate card for the category and price band, plus any agreed terms.
- Compare with the preview estimate. Flag rows where the two differ.
- Check the inputs. Compare category mapping, weight and dimensions with your own product master. Wrong catalogue data is a common cause of wrong fees.
- Rank by impact. Multiply the per-unit variance by last month's units sold and start with the largest.
This tells you whether the estimate itself is right. It does not yet tell you what was actually charged.
Match the preview with actual settlement charges
Download the payments or settlement report for the same period from the Payments section. Group fee lines by SKU or order: referral, closing, fulfilment, weight handling and other deductions. Then work out the actual fee per unit and compare it with the preview.
Keep fees before tax on both sides. How GST and TCS appear on fee lines should be confirmed with your tax adviser and the latest Amazon documentation.
- Often legitimate: price changes, promotions, returns-related fees, or a catalogue update after the preview date.
- Worth disputing: a size tier or weight that does not match the product, a category that does not match the listing, or a fee that contradicts your agreed terms.
Raise disputes and keep it routine
For confirmed errors, raise a case in Seller Support with the SKU, order IDs, the settlement lines, a photo or spec sheet showing true weight and dimensions, and the rate card clause you rely on. Keep a log of case number, amount claimed, amount recovered and date.
Repeat monthly. If you manage many SKUs or channels, MarketplaceMetrics by Fundle reconciles sales and settlements, checks fees against agreed terms and tracks recovery cases. Myntra Excel reports are reviewed today, and other marketplaces such as Amazon are a scope discussion.
Worked example
Illustrative example only. These figures are made up to show the method and are not Amazon rates.
| SKU | Preview fee per unit | Actual fee per unit | Variance per unit | Units | Total variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SKU-A | ₹120 | ₹150 | ₹30 | 200 | ₹6,000 |
| SKU-B | ₹90 | ₹90 | ₹0 | 150 | ₹0 |
| SKU-C | ₹60 | ₹64 | ₹4 | 300 | ₹1,200 |
SKU-A is the priority. On checking, the catalogue weight is higher than the real packed weight, which pushes it into a costlier fee band. Correct the data, raise a case with the evidence, and ask for a refund of the excess. SKU-C's gap may come from a price change during the month, so verify that before disputing.
Questions and answers
Is the Amazon fee preview report the same as my settlement report?
No. The fee preview report shows estimated per-unit fees based on your catalogue data. The settlement or payments report shows what was actually charged on orders. An audit needs both, with the preview as the expected figure and the settlement as the actual.
Where do I find the fee preview report in Seller Central?
It is usually under Reports, in the Fulfilment by Amazon reports. Menu names and locations change, so use the Seller Central search bar for Fee Preview if you cannot find it. Availability can depend on your account type.
How often should I run a fee audit with this report?
Monthly is a practical routine, and also whenever Amazon revises its rate card or you change catalogue data in bulk. Download the report on a fixed day and keep dated files, so you can show what the estimate was at the time.
Can I dispute fees using only the preview report?
Rarely. The preview is an estimate, so it is weak evidence alone. Support it with settlement lines, order IDs, product specifications and the rate card or agreement clause. Confirm the latest terms on Seller Central before raising a case.