FBA · Beginner · 5 min read · 7 steps
How to create an FBA removal order, and when to liquidate instead
Every FBA seller ends up with a few units that overstayed their welcome: slow sellers, customer returns with crushed boxes, the color nobody wanted. Leaving them in a fulfillment center costs storage. Pulling them out costs a removal fee. The trick is knowing which bill is smaller and which exit to pick.
Here is the full removal order flow in the order Seller Central asks for it, the current US fee table, and the fine print that decides whether your boxes come home in one piece.
Part 01
Step by step
7 steps, in the order Seller Central asks for them.
- 01Pick the exit before you pick the units
Seller Central offers four methods: Ship-to address returns inventory to you, Return-to address sends it to a designated recipient such as your manufacturer or a third-party warehouse, Donate/Recycle handles it at the fulfillment center, and Liquidations sells it to a liquidator for a share of its value.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
- 02Open the Create removal order form
On Manage Inventory, Remove Unfulfillable Inventory or Fix stranded inventory, tick the items and choose Create removal order from the Action on selected menu. Or open the Recommended Removal report and click Begin removal process. That report only lists inventory facing upcoming long-term storage fees.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
- 03Enter an address Amazon will actually ship to
Removals can't go to US territories, PO, APO, FPO or DPO boxes, or another fulfillment center, and they can't be used to ship customer orders, gifts or promotional items. Check it twice: the address locks the moment you submit.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center, Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview
- 04Name the order, or let Amazon number it
Type a custom removal order ID or leave the field blank for an automatic one. Write it down either way. You'll search by it on Manage Orders, and Selling Partner Support asks for the Batch ID on bulk removals.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
- 05Set fulfillable and unfulfillable quantities
Enter how many sellable and unsellable units to remove. Neither can exceed what's available. Sellable units stay buyable until Amazon pulls them, so close the listing first if you don't want any more orders on them.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center, Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview
- 06Review, then Confirm
Check the order ID, method, address and items, then click Confirm. A message reading Removal order has been placed means it worked. You can cancel only while the order sits in Planning status, which usually lasts a few hours. Liquidation orders can't be canceled at all once confirmed.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center, Seller Central Help, FBA Liquidations
- 07Track it and be ready to receive everything
Go to Orders, Manage Orders, search the order ID, open it, then View all shipped units and View Tracking Details. Accept every unit at once on delivery, photograph any damage unit by unit, and file damage claims within 60 days of delivery.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
Part 02 Calculator
Try the numbers: Remove, dispose or liquidate calculator
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Part 03
The picture
The same facts, drawn. Each chart links to the Amazon page it comes from.
All four start from the same Create removal order form.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceFrom Amazon's 2026 rate card. Above 2 lb, add $1.06 for each pound past 2. Disposal uses the same numbers.
Source: Seller Central Help, FBA removal order fees
Data desk by XENA IntelligenceSource: Seller Central Help, FBA removal order fees
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePasses
- You, at your own address
- Your warehouse
- Your supplier or manufacturer
- Your distributor
Bounces
- PO, APO, FPO or DPO boxes
- US territories
- Another Amazon fulfillment center
- Customers, gifts or promotional items
From Amazon's removal order restrictions. Non-transportable dangerous goods can only be disposed of.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview
Data desk by XENA IntelligencePart 04
Tricks the help page buries
The lines in Amazon's own documentation that most sellers scroll past.
- 1Storage fees stop when the order is created
Amazon doesn't charge storage on units while a removal order is processing. If the order is canceled, those units start incurring storage fees again.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview, Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
- 2Beat the holiday queue
Removals are processed first in, first out. They usually take 10 to 14 business days, but can stretch to 90 days or more in peak periods, and changing the address doesn't speed anything up. Submit before the rush.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
- 3Fees now land unit by unit
Since March 1, 2026, removal and disposal fees are charged as each unit is removed or disposed of, not when the whole order finishes. Payments, Transaction View shows the charges.
Sources: Seller Central Help, FBA removal order fees, Seller Central Help, FBA disposal order fees
- 4Freight has its own rules
Big removals ship on pallets by freight carrier. Pallets go to a dock or similar facility, need a signature, and any extra service like inside delivery is billed to you by the carrier.
- 5Check the cheaper exits first
Before paying to remove, look at Amazon Outlet deals, Sell as Used and FBA Liquidations. All three are Amazon's own ways to recover some value from excess or returned stock.
Part 05
Questions sellers ask
Tap a question to open it.
How much does an Amazon FBA removal order cost?
In the US, standard-size units cost $0.84 each up to 0.5 lb (from January 15, 2026), $1.53 up to 1 lb, $2.27 up to 2 lb, and $2.89 plus $1.06 per pound above 2 lb. Oversize and special handling units run from $3.12 to $14.32 plus $1.06 per pound above 10 lb.
How long does an Amazon removal order take?
Amazon typically processes removal orders in 10 to 14 business days, then the carrier needs time to deliver. During peak periods such as the holidays, processing can take 90 days or more. Orders are handled first in, first out, and changing the destination address won't move yours up the queue.
Source: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
Can I cancel an FBA removal order?
Only while it shows Planning status on Manage Orders, which usually lasts a few hours. Search the removal order ID, confirm the status, and click Cancel this order. Once it's Processing you can't cancel. Liquidation orders can't be canceled after you confirm, and required removals can't be canceled at all.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center, Seller Central Help, FBA Liquidations
Can Amazon send a removal order to a PO box or another warehouse?
Amazon ships removals only to you, your warehouse, your supplier or your distributor. It won't ship to PO, APO, FPO or DPO boxes, US territories or another Amazon fulfillment center. For addresses outside the United States, Amazon points sellers to international return providers. The address can't be changed after you submit.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview, Seller Central Help, Remove inventory from a fulfillment center
Is it better to liquidate or dispose of FBA inventory?
Often liquidate, if the item qualifies. Liquidators pay about 5% to 10% of the average selling price, minus a 15% referral fee and a per-item processing fee. Amazon says the net can be negative but may still beat disposal, which costs the full disposal fee. Dangerous goods and recalled items can't be liquidated.
Sources: Seller Central Help, FBA Liquidations, Seller Central Help, Value-recovery services
Do I pay storage fees while my removal order is processing?
No. Once a removal order is created, Amazon stops charging storage fees on those units until it completes. Liquidation orders also stop monthly storage fees and aged-inventory surcharges from the day you submit. If Amazon cancels the order, the units go back to incurring storage fees.
Sources: Seller Central Help, Remove inventory overview, Seller Central Help, FBA Liquidations
Sources
Every fact above comes from these Amazon pages, opened on . Amazon updates them; if a step looks different in your account, trust Seller Central.