Free tool

Break-even ACOS calculator.

Find the most you can spend on Amazon ads before a sale loses you money.

First, what is ACOS?

ACOS is the share of your ad-driven sales that went back to Amazon as ad cost.

You spend $20 on ads and those ads bring in $80 in sales. $20 divided by $80 is 0.25, so your ACOS is 25%.

And break-even ACOS?

It is the highest ACOS you can run before an ad sale loses you money.

Your product sells for $20, and after product cost, Amazon fees and shipping you keep $5 before ads. $5 divided by $20 is 25%, so your break-even ACOS is 25%. At a 15% ACOS you still earn a profit. At 35% you lose money on every ad sale.

What you need to fill in the calculator

  • Selling price of one unit.
  • Product cost per unit, with packaging and your share of any inspection fee.
  • Shipping to Amazon and import duty per unit: your freight bill plus any duty, divided by the units shipped.
  • Amazon’s referral fee, a percentage of the price, and the FBA fulfillment fee, a dollar amount per unit. Click each field and the box beside it shows exactly how to find the number.

Every dollar amount is for one unit, not your whole order. Optional: add your ad spend as a percentage of the sale, forecast or actual, to see how it compares to break-even.

What a shopper pays for one unit.

Use the price a shopper pays on your listing today. If you run a regular discount, use the discounted price.

Per unit, not your order total. Supplier price for one unit, plus packaging and your share of any inspection fee.

Only have a total? Divide it here

Per unit, not your total freight bill. Divide the freight and any duty by the number of units shipped.

Only have a total? Divide it here

15% for most categories, including Home and Kitchen, Sports, Toys, Pet and Office. Electronics and computers are 8%, automotive 12%, clothing 17%, and beauty or baby 8% on items $10 or under. Not sure? Use 15. Check yours on Amazon’s selling fees page.

This is the fee for one unit. Open Amazon’s fee estimate page and click “Try the Revenue Calculator.” Then click “Search Amazon Catalog,” enter the ASIN of your product or a similar one, enter your price, and click “Estimate.” The fulfillment fee is in the results. No listing yet? Click “Define product” and enter your size, weight and category.

Forecast or actual. Planning to spend 10% of each sale on ads? Enter 10. With real numbers, enter ad spend divided by ad sales.

About this field

Selling price

Use the price a shopper pays on your listing today. If you run a regular discount, use the discounted price.

Your result

Your break-even ACOS appears once these are filled in:

  • Selling price (per unit)
  • Product cost (per unit)
  • Shipping to Amazon and import duty (per unit)
  • Amazon referral fee
  • FBA fulfillment fee (per unit)

What to do next

Knowing your limit is step one.

The Amazon PPC Clarity Guide shows you how to work out your true costs before you spend, when not to run ads, and what to do with every number after that.

See The Amazon PPC Clarity Guide Not sure which book? Find yours More on ACOS in the glossary