Sellers comparing Easy Ship, Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA / FC), Seller Flex and Self Ship often look only at the courier rate card. On Amazon India, that gives the wrong winner. While the referral commission percentage is identical across every fulfilment channel, the fixed closing fee changes by up to ₹46 per unit depending on who ships the order.
To find the fulfilment method that leaves the highest net contribution profit, you have to add three numbers together on every price band: the channel’s closing fee (from the cards effective 7 September 2026), the weight-handling shipping fee (from the cards effective 16 March 2026), and—for Fulfilment Centre orders—the per-unit pick-and-pack fee (₹17 for a standard unit up to 1 kg, or ₹26 for Heavy & Bulky).
1. The closing-fee gap across Easy Ship, FBA, Seller Flex and Self Ship
Before a single gram of weight is billed, Amazon India charges a closing fee based on the item’s GST-inclusive selling price. Notice how Self Ship carries the highest closing fee in every price band, while FBA and Seller Flex drop significantly in the ₹501–₹1,000 and above-₹1,000 bands:
| Item Selling Price | Easy Ship | Seller Flex | Self Ship | FBA (Std / Mid / Higher) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹0 to ₹300 | ₹2 | ₹7 | ₹20 | ₹14 / ₹21 / ₹27 |
| ₹301 to ₹500 | ₹23 | ₹13 | ₹26 | ₹15 / ₹19 / ₹23 |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | ₹48 | ₹38 | ₹51 | ₹30 (all published groups) |
| Above ₹1,000 | ₹79 | ₹69 | ₹101 | ₹55 (or ₹75 in select lines) |
Two rules stand out immediately:
- Under ₹300, Easy Ship has a ₹2 closing fee. Self Ship charges ₹20 (+₹18 penalty), and FBA charges ₹14 to ₹27 (+₹12 to +₹25 penalty) plus ₹17 pick-and-pack. Below ₹300, Easy Ship is almost impossible to beat on per-order fees.
- Above ₹500, FBA’s closing fee is ₹18 to ₹24 lower than Easy Ship’s. In the ₹501–₹1,000 slab, FBA closing is ₹30 versus ₹48 on Easy Ship. That ₹18 saving alone pays for FBA’s entire ₹17 pick-and-pack fee on a standard 1 kg item.
2. Worked example: ₹799 order (450 g standard parcel)
Take a ₹799 Home Decor listing (0% referral fee under the ₹1,000 rule, 18% product GST, ₹350 ex-GST COGS) weighing 450 g packed, shipped by a Standard STEP seller. Here is the exact ex-GST fee stack and net profit across each channel:
| Channel | Closing Fee | Weight Handling | Pick & Pack | Total Fees (ex-GST) | Net Profit (Margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FBA Regional | ₹30 | ₹39 | ₹17 | ₹86 | +₹241 (30.2%) |
| Seller Flex | ₹38 | ₹51 | ₹0 | ₹89 | +₹238 (29.8%) |
| Self Ship (if courier is ₹50) | ₹51 | ₹50 (own courier) | ₹0 | ₹101 | +₹226 (28.3%) |
| Easy Ship (Standard STEP) | ₹48 | ₹55 | ₹0 | ₹103 | +₹224 (28.1%) |
| FBA National | ₹30 | ₹65 | ₹17 | ₹112 | +₹215 (26.9%) |
On Easy Ship, the weight-handling card is flat across India: ₹55 for the first 500 g at Standard STEP (₹53 at Premium/Advanced, ₹59 at Basic), whether the buyer is in the same city or across the country. On FBA, standard-size shipping splits into Regional (₹39) and National (₹65) at Standard STEP.
Because FBA saves ₹18 on the closing fee in the ₹501–₹1,000 slab (offsetting the ₹17 pick-and-pack fee), FBA Regional beats Easy Ship by ₹17 per order, while FBA National costs ₹9 more than Easy Ship. If at least 35% of your FBA orders ship within the same region, FBA’s blended per-order fee beats Easy Ship in the ₹501–₹1,000 and above-₹1,000 slabs (before monthly storage).
3. The Self Ship trap: what courier rate actually beats Easy Ship?
Many sellers switch to Self Ship because a third-party courier aggregator quotes ₹45 or ₹50 for a 500 g shipment, which looks cheaper than Easy Ship’s ₹55 weight-handling fee. They forget that Amazon raises the closing fee as soon as the order is Self Ship.
| Price Slab | Easy Ship Closing | Self Ship Closing | Closing Penalty on Self Ship | Courier Rate Needed to Beat Easy Ship (Std / Prem) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹0 to ₹300 | ₹2 | ₹20 | +₹18 per unit | Under ₹37 (Std) / Under ₹35 (Prem) |
| ₹301 to ₹500 | ₹23 | ₹26 | +₹3 per unit | Under ₹52 (Std) / Under ₹50 (Prem) |
| ₹501 to ₹1,000 | ₹48 | ₹51 | +₹3 per unit | Under ₹52 (Std) / Under ₹50 (Prem) |
| Above ₹1,000 | ₹79 | ₹101 | +₹22 per unit | Under ₹33 (Std) / Under ₹31 (Prem) |
Above ₹1,000, Self Ship closing jumps to ₹101 per unit—₹22 higher than Easy Ship’s ₹79. On a 500 g parcel, your own courier would have to ship nationwide for less than ₹33 ex-GST just to tie Easy Ship. Self Ship only wins above ₹1,000 when the parcel is heavy or volumetric (for example, 3 kg to 10 kg), where your surface courier’s per-kilogram rate saves more than the ₹22 closing-fee penalty.
4. How STEP levels shift Easy Ship and FBA shipping fees
Moving from Basic STEP to Standard or Premium/Advanced STEP cuts weight-handling charges on every order up to 2 kg:
| Channel & Weight Band | Basic STEP | Standard STEP | Premium / Advanced STEP | Saving (Prem vs Basic) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Ship · First 500 g | ₹59 | ₹55 | ₹53 | ₹6 / order |
| Easy Ship · 500 g to 1 kg | ₹79 | ₹75 | ₹73 | ₹6 / order |
| Easy Ship · 1 kg to 2 kg | ₹116 | ₹112 | ₹110 | ₹6 / order |
| FBA Regional · First 500 g | ₹42 | ₹39 | ₹37 | ₹5 / order |
| FBA National · First 500 g | ₹69 | ₹65 | ₹63 | ₹6 / order |
5. Practical checklist for choosing your fulfilment channel
- Under ₹300: Keep standard-size SKUs on Easy Ship. The ₹2 closing fee and flat national shipping beat both FBA (which adds ₹14–₹27 closing + ₹17 pick-and-pack) and Self Ship (₹20 closing).
- ₹501 to ₹1,000 and Above ₹1,000 (Fast-moving SKUs): Test FBA or Seller Flex. The ₹18–₹24 closing-fee discount vs Easy Ship offsets pick-and-pack and rewards regional inventory placement.
- Heavy / Volumetric Parcels (2 kg+): Compare your own surface courier rate card against Easy Ship in the Merchant fulfilment comparison panel. When courier savings exceed the ₹3 to ₹22 Self Ship closing-fee penalty, Self Ship wins.
Use the free Amazon India profit calculator to compare Easy Ship Standard, Easy Ship Premium and Self Ship side by side on your exact carton dimensions, or check standalone weight-handling quotes on the shipping charges calculator.