Return economics inputs

Find your per-return processing fee in Seller Central returns reports. Resale rate is the share of returns you can actually relist as new — damaged or opened boxes usually cannot.

Result

Returns per 100 orders—
Returns per month—
True loss per return—
Monthly return loss—
Enter your numbers and hit Calculate.
Accept the return vs. returnless refund
How the loss is built up
  • Resale recovery = order value × resale rate. This is what a restocked return gives back.
  • True loss per return = order value + processing fee − resale recovery. The fee plus the share of price you cannot recover.
  • Monthly return loss = monthly sales × return rate × true loss per return.
  • Returnless refund = order value + processing fee, fully lost, with no resale recovery at all.
When to choose a returnless refund
  • When resale recovery is near zero: opened, used, expired or damaged units you cannot relist.
  • When the processing fee and your restocking labor cost more than the recovered value.
  • On cheap, low-ticket items where a hassle-free refund lifts feedback and repeat buyers.
  • Keep returnless refunds as a targeted Amazon seller setting — do not switch them on globally without running this comparison.
Benchmark your data before fixing returns: see competitor return-rate estimates and keyword demand with Helium 10.
Full FBA toolkit: FBA Profit Calculator · Product Scorer · ACoS & TACoS Calculator · Size Tier Optimizer · Referral Fee Calculator · Inventory Restock Calculator · Return Loss Calculator · Reverse Pricing Calculator

FAQ – FBA returns cost (short answers)

Is it better to refund without return?

It depends on your resale recovery. Accepting the return costs the refunded price minus what the unit can resell for, plus the return processing fee. A returnless refund costs the full price with nothing coming back. If accepting returns works out cheaper per return, your returned units are worth restocking; if resale recovery is low (damaged, opened, expired or low-value goods), refunding without return avoids the processing fee and your restocking labor.

What is the true cost of an FBA return?

It is not just the refunded order value. The true loss per return equals selling price + return processing fee minus recoverable resale value. Example: a $25 order with a $3 processing fee and a 60% resale rate loses $25 + $3 minus $15 of resale recovery = $13.00 per return — the processing fee plus the share of the price you cannot recover.

What is a returnless refund?

A returnless refund is a refund issued without asking the buyer to ship the item back. Amazon has offered this as a seller setting since 2022 for eligible low-value orders: sellers let customers keep the product, which avoids return processing fees and handling labor on cheap, perishable or easily damaged goods where restocking would cost more than the refund.

How much does Amazon charge to process an FBA return?

Amazon charges a return processing fee on FBA returns, typically equal to the outbound fulfillment fee for that size tier, with reduced rates for some categories and return windows. Enter your actual per-return fee above — find it in Seller Central returns reports, which list the fee charged on each returned unit.

How do I calculate my monthly return loss?

Monthly loss equals units sold per month times the return rate times the true loss per return. True loss per return equals selling price plus return processing fee minus resale recovery. At 100 monthly sales, a 10% return rate and a $13.00 loss per return, the monthly loss is $130.00 — about $1,560 a year, which is often enough to justify a packaging or quality fix.

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