Amazon book minimum prices by Media Mail weight

The formula

Minimum total = (closing fee + postage + packaging + target profit) ÷ (1 − referral rate), rounded to the cent.

The referral fee is a percentage of the price itself, so each dollar you add to the price adds to the fee too. Dividing by (1 − 15%), or 0.85, finds the price where what's left after the referral fee covers everything else.

Worked example, 1 lb at $1.00 profit: ($1.80 + $4.39 + $0.35 + $1.00) = $7.54; $7.54 ÷ 0.85 = $8.87. Check: at $8.87 the referral fee is $1.33, and $8.87 − $1.33 − $1.80 − $4.39 − $0.35 = $1.00.

Target profit here is what's left after Amazon's fees, postage and packaging. It still has to cover what you paid for the book and your time, and it's before income tax. This is general information about fees and postage, not tax or business advice; check with a tax pro about how your own profit is taxed.

To use other inputs (a different packaging cost, a floor, or another platform's percentage), use the minimum-price builder. To see what a sale nets at a set price, use the Amazon media fee calculator.

When to rebuild your floors

These minimums move when Media Mail or Amazon's media fees change.

• Media Mail last changed on Jul 12, 2026, when 1 lb went from $4.47 to $4.39 (USPS Notice 123, Jul 12, 2026 edition; tracker entry). With today's Amazon fees, the 1 lb minimum at $1.00 profit would be $8.96 at the old price; it's $8.87 now.
• The holiday prices that started Oct 4, 2026 don't touch Media Mail (tracker entry on the holiday prices).
• A Postal Regulatory Commission rule allows at most one price increase above a small (de minimis) threshold per fiscal year (October through September) on market-dominant products, which include Media Mail, from Mar 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 2030 (tracker entry on the once-a-year rule).
• On Aug 21, 2026, the commission said USPS may file in October 2026 for a January 2027 increase (tracker entry on January 2027). The commission's rate-authority table, updated Oct 14, 2026, puts the most USPS can raise Package Services, the class that includes Media Mail, at 2.105% on average (PRC rate authority). That limit applies to the class average; USPS can raise individual prices, including Media Mail, by more or less. No January 2027 filing had been found as of Oct 14, 2026.

The USPS change tracker and the Media Mail rate table are updated when prices change.

Questions

Is the Amazon minimum price the item price or the total?

The total. Amazon charges its 15% referral fee on the item's total price, which it says "includes its list price, as well as shipping costs." So the tables above give the total (item price plus the shipping you charge). If your repricer's minimum applies to the item price only, subtract the shipping you charge, as in the item-price table.

Why divide by 0.85 instead of adding 15%?

Because the referral fee grows with the price. Adding 15% to $7.54 of costs and profit gives $8.67. At that price the referral fee is $1.30, which leaves $0.83 profit, not $1.00. Dividing by 0.85 gives $8.87: the referral fee is $1.33 and $1.00 is left.

Do the Individual plan fee and the Professional plan fee belong in the minimum?

The Individual plan's $0.99 per item sold does, because you pay it on every sale. It adds $1.16 to $1.17 to each minimum (the last column of the first table). The Professional plan's $39.99 a month doesn't change with each sale, so it isn't in the formula. On these two fees alone, the Professional plan costs less once you sell 41 or more items a month (41 × $0.99 = $40.59).

Do the USPS holiday prices change these minimums?

No. The temporary prices that run from Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 cover Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select. Media Mail isn't part of them; see the tracker entry on the holiday prices.

Does every book qualify for Media Mail?

Books of at least 8 pages qualify, along with CDs, DVDs and the other items on USPS's Media Mail list. Video games and computer drives don't. USPS can open Media Mail packages to check what's inside.