If you’ve searched for “FBA restock limits”, you may have found older advice that no longer matches what you see in Seller Central. Amazon has changed how it limits inventory more than once. This guide explains the current approach as Amazon describes it, how to read your limits, and how to plan shipments when space is tight.
Amazon’s policies change, so treat Amazon’s own help pages as the final word. We link to them throughout. Check them before acting on anything here.
From restock limits to capacity limits
Sellers used to deal with weekly restock limits (a cap on units per storage type) and separate storage volume limits. In 2023 Amazon replaced these with monthly FBA capacity limits, measured by volume. Coverage at the time, such as Jungle Scout’s write-up, reported that this took effect from 1 March 2023.
Amazon’s FBA capacity limits help page is the current reference. That page needs a Seller Central login to render, so the points below come from Amazon’s public posts: its forum post Refresher: FBA Capacity Limits & How They Work and its Seller University video on capacity limits:
- Limits are set monthly, with estimates for the following two months so you can plan ahead.
- They’re measured by volume (cubic feet).
- There’s a separate limit for each storage type, such as standard-size, oversize, extra-large, apparel, footwear, aerosol and flammable.
- Individual selling accounts have a fixed 15 cubic feet. New Professional accounts (active in FBA for under 39 weeks) get no capacity limits. Professional accounts active for more than 39 weeks get limits based on Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score and sales performance.
- Open shipments count towards your usage, and if on-hand plus open shipments would exceed your limit, you can be blocked from creating new inbound shipments.
- You can request more capacity through Capacity Manager by setting a reservation fee, which can be offset by performance credits from sales.
Many sellers still call these “restock limits”, so the term lives on in searches, but the number to watch is your capacity limit per storage type in the FBA Capacity Monitor.
Where to find your limits
In Seller Central, the FBA Capacity Monitor shows, per storage type:
- Your current usage (on-hand plus open shipments)
- Your limit for this month
- Estimated limits for the next two months
You can reach it from the FBA dashboard or the inventory performance page. Menu names change, so if you can’t find it, search Seller Central help for “Capacity Monitor”.
Capacity versus what you want to send
Your plan has two numbers: what you want to send to cover demand, and what you’re allowed to have in FBA. The smaller one wins.
Step 1: what you want to send
From FBA replenishment:
Wanted units = Amazon daily demand × (FBA lead time + target cover) + FBA safety stock − FBA available − FBA inbound
Step 2: convert to volume
Volume (cu ft) = units × unit volume
Unit volume in cubic feet = (length × width × height in inches) ÷ 1,728. If you measure in centimetres: (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 28,317.
Step 3: compare against spare capacity
Spare capacity = capacity limit − (on-hand volume + open shipment volume)
Worked example
You sell three standard-size products:
| Product | Wanted units | Unit size (in) | Unit vol (cu ft) | Wanted vol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: phone stand | 600 | 6 × 4 × 2 = 48 in³ | 0.028 | 16.7 |
| B: desk lamp | 200 | 12 × 8 × 6 = 576 in³ | 0.333 | 66.7 |
| C: cable kit | 900 | 5 × 3 × 2 = 30 in³ | 0.017 | 15.6 |
| Total | 99.0 |
Your standard-size limit is 400 cu ft, with 330 cu ft already used by on-hand stock and open shipments. Spare capacity = 70 cu ft. You want to send 99. You’re 29 short.
Prioritising when capacity is tight
When you can’t send everything, rank products by what a cubic foot earns you.
Priority score = (daily units × unit margin) ÷ unit volume
That’s margin per day per cubic foot. Alternatively, rank by days until FBA stockout, sending the most urgent first.
Worked example (continued)
| Product | Daily units | Margin/unit | Unit vol | Margin/day/cu ft | FBA days left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 20 | £4 | 0.028 | 2,857 | 9 |
| B | 5 | £12 | 0.333 | 180 | 20 |
| C | 30 | £2 | 0.017 | 3,529 | 12 |
A and C earn far more per cubic foot and run out sooner. Send all of A (16.7) and C (15.6) = 32.3 cu ft. That leaves 37.7 cu ft for B, which is about 113 units. Send those, and keep the rest of B in your own warehouse to top up next month.
A good plan also keeps enough stock in your own warehouse or 3PL to serve other channels and refill FBA later.
Freeing up capacity
Ways to free up space, many of which Amazon itself suggests in Seller Central guidance:
- Cancel open shipments you won’t send. They use capacity.
- Shift slow sellers out of FBA. Use removal orders for stock that isn’t moving, or sell it through other channels from your own warehouse.
- Improve sell-through on excess stock with promotions.
- Fix stranded inventory (stock without an active listing).
- Send smaller, more frequent shipments rather than one big one, if your inbound lead time allows.
Spot excess before it eats your capacity
Excess units = FBA on hand + inbound − Amazon demand × (FBA lead time + target cover)
If product D has 900 units in FBA, sells 3 a day, and your lead time plus cover is 44 days: 900 − (3 × 44) = 768 excess units. That’s capacity you could use for faster sellers. Ageing stock can also attract aged-inventory surcharges; check Amazon’s current fee pages for thresholds.
How IPI fits in
Amazon describes IPI as one factor in how limits are set for established sellers. The IPI page in Seller Central shows your score and what affects it, such as excess inventory, sell-through, stranded inventory and in-stock rate. The practical message is the same whatever the exact weighting: keep fast sellers in stock, don’t overload FBA with slow sellers, and fix stranded listings.
We cover the score in more detail in our Amazon IPI score guide.
Planning month to month
Because limits are set monthly with estimates ahead, a simple rhythm works:
- When new limits appear, compare them with next month’s wanted volume per storage type.
- If wanted volume exceeds the estimate, decide now which products stay in your warehouse, and whether a Capacity Manager request is worth it.
- Schedule shipments so open-shipment volume doesn’t block you mid-month.
- Size supplier orders so the stock that can’t go into FBA has somewhere to wait.
Frequently asked questions
Are FBA restock limits still a thing?
Amazon replaced restock limits with monthly capacity limits. Many sellers still use the old term. Check the capacity limits help page for the current rules.
Do open shipments count towards my limit?
Yes. Amazon’s capacity limits refresher says usage counts inventory on hand plus open shipments on the way, in cubic feet. On-hand inventory plus open shipments count towards usage.
Do new sellers have capacity limits?
According to Amazon’s refresher post, Professional accounts active in FBA for under 39 weeks don’t receive capacity limits, while Individual accounts have a fixed 15 cubic feet.
Can I pay for more capacity?
Amazon’s Capacity Manager lets you request additional capacity with a reservation fee, which can be offset by performance credits from resulting sales. Read Amazon’s current terms before using it.
How does OmniRestock handle capacity?
FBA transfer suggestions are sized on Amazon demand only and capped by your current FBA limit and the stock available in your source warehouse, so you don’t plan shipments Amazon won’t accept.
Next steps
- Read FBA replenishment from your own warehouse.
- See OmniRestock for Amazon sellers and FBA restock planning.
- Get a free stockout report for your FBA stock, with no card.