FBA inventory storage limits

Amazon has one set of storage limits for each storage type that covers UK inventory and a second set of storage limits that covers inventory across the EU. Before January 1, 2021, there was one set of storage limits that applied across the UK and the EU. For more information, go to Brexit FBA inventory storage limits FAQ.

To better manage fulfilment centre storage space so that products are received and delivered to buyers more quickly, inventory storage limits may be applied.

Storage limits are based on volume, measured in cubic feet and are set for each storage type. Your current and potential storage limits and usage are shown when you expand Storage volume, which you can view in your Inventory Performance dashboard and Shipping Queue.

Individual selling accounts have a set storage limit of 10 cubic feet, and this value does not change. Storage limit increases are not available for Individual selling accounts.

Professional selling accounts may or may not have storage limits, depending on the following criteria:

• Sellers who maintain an Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score at or above the required threshold on either of two score checkpoints will not be subject to storage volume limits for standard-size, oversize, clothing and footwear items.
• New sellers who have been active for less than 26 weeks or sellers who don’t have enough sales data to generate an IPI score during both of the two score-check weeks, will not receive storage limits.

Professional accounts that do have storage limits will still have a minimum of 25 cubic feet for standard-size, oversize, clothing or footwear inventory.

Professional account holders can track their IPI score in the Inventory Performance dashboard. The dashboard provides a hub for optimizing your FBA business, including customised recommendations to grow your sales and reduce costs.

Your IPI score is updated weekly based on your ongoing inventory management. To learn more, go to Inventory performance.

Storage limits are calculated using several factors, including the following:

• Your sales volume, including your sales’ seasonality periods
• Your historical IPI scores
• Available fulfilment centre capacity

Sellers with consistently higher IPI scores will receive higher storage limits, adjusted for sales volume and available capacity. When setting limits for an upcoming quarter, Amazon considers both your recent sales volume and seasonal volume from the last year.

Storage limits are applicable for seven storage types: standard-size, oversize, clothing, footwear, flammable, aerosol and extra-large. To see the storage types for your products and how many cubic feet they occupy, go to Manage Inventory Health and the Manage Inventory Health report.

If you don’t see a storage type when you expand Storage volume, it’s because you have a limit of zero for that storage type.

Flammable and aerosol storage-limit adjustments are handled separately from other storage types. To learn more, go to FBA Dangerous Goods programme (hazmat).

1. Multiply length x width x height in centimetres to get the volume.
   
2. Divide the volume by 28,316.8, which is one cubic foot in centimetres.
   

Example: A unit measuring 100 x 60 x 25 cm divided by 28316.8 = 5.30 cubic feet.

Under the FBA inventory storage limits policy, you will not be able to create a new shipment to Amazon for a storage type until your inventory level drops below your limit for that storage type.

For example, if your current limit for standard-size inventory is 25 cubic feet and you have 26 cubic feet of standard-size inventory at a fulfilment centre, you cannot create a new shipment for standard-size inventory. However, if you are below your storage limit for oversize inventory, you can create shipments of oversize inventory.

If you send more inventory than what your storage limit allows, the extra inventory may be refused at the fulfilment centre. For more information, go to Shipping and routing requirements.

Storage overage fees will be charged if your existing inventory exceeds your storage limit for any storage type on any day within a given month. To learn more, go to FBA inventory storage overage fees.

There are three ways to decrease the amount of inventory you have in a fulfilment centre:

• Sell more inventory. Manage Inventory Health provides recommendations to increase sales.
• Request to have inventory returned to you by creating a removal order.
• Request to have inventory disposed of by creating a removal order.

For more information, go to Remove inventory (overview).

What is the difference between the restock limit and the storage limit?

Restock limits and storage limits are two different capacity limits that you might see applied to your FBA accounts. These limits help us manage the inflow of new inventory (restock limits) and the usage of physical space in our fulfilment centres (storage limits).

Restock limits determine how many units of inventory you can send to fulfilment centres. They are set per storage type, such as oversize products, clothing and footwear, and are based on your past and forecasted sales. Restock limits don’t depend on your IPI score.

If your IPI score is at or above the required threshold, you won’t have an additional storage limit on top of the restock limit. Storage limits are measured in cubic feet and represent the total amount of inventory that you can store in fulfilment centres.

You can view these limits on your Inventory Performance dashboard.

What can I do to increase my storage limit?

Your storage limit is the total amount of inventory that you can store in fulfilment centres. This limit is linked to the inventory performance, as reflected in your IPI score.

At the end of each quarter, a threshold IPI score is determined for the next quarter. If your IPI score is below this threshold, you will have storage limits in the next quarter. If your IPI score is at or above the threshold during the quarterly score checks, you won’t have storage limit in the following quarter. Therefore, it’s essential to plan for the long term and to have an IPI score in the green range, especially at the end of the quarter. A storage volume increase in the current quarter is not possible.

Can I buy more storage space?

No, storage space cannot be purchased.

Can I change the storage type of a product?

No. Storage types are determined by Amazon based on characteristics of a product and help to route items to the correct fulfilment centre.

To view the storage type for your products, go to Manage Inventory Health. If you think there’s a mistake in the storage type for your items (for example, shoes not being classified as footwear but as standard-size), go to Change a product’s category browse node and follow the instructions.

Can I trade space for one storage type with space in for another storage type?

No. Inventory cannot be traded between storage types.

What if I don’t have an IPI score or am a new FBA seller?

Most sellers with Professional selling accounts have an IPI score, but some do not because we don’t have enough data to generate a score. This is usually the case for sellers who are new to FBA or have small quantities of FBA inventory.

After you first receive an IPI score, you won’t be subject to storage limits for two full storage-limit cycles.

You can view the date you received your first IPI score by clicking on Show details under the IPI score colour bar. This will reveal your Historical performance index, and your First IPI score date will be visible above the graph.

Most sellers will receive their first IPI score approximately 15 weeks after their first product is received by FBA.

Go to the Inventory Performance dashboard for recommendations on managing your inventory.

How can I forecast my IPI score?

For each of the factors that influence on-hand inventory, such as excess inventory, sell-through rate and stranded inventory, there is a bulk processing function. Here you can download, maintain and upload updated reports for your assortment through CSV download and upload. You can track the progress of the individual metrics and their development over the last four weeks in Seller Central, but we cannot provide a forecast for the future development of your metrics. We therefore recommend monitoring your actions and logging the progress of the individual metrics in order to be able to assess the effect of your actions.

Why is my Inventory Performance Index (IPI) red when I am light green or yellow in every metric?

The IPI dashboard displays a performance bar for each of the four categories:

• Excellent (dark green)
• Good (light green)
• Fair (yellow)
• Poor (red)

A dark green metric (excellent) does not necessarily compensate for a red, light green or yellow metric. If any of your metrics is below dark green, aim to improve it to dark green.