Landed cost and margin
Every cost per unit, with each estimate marked.
NEW Cap Engine for Amazon sellers
Know if your Amazon product makes money. Before you invest thousands.
Cap Engine is an Amazon FBA launch cost and profit calculator for private-label sellers importing from China: paste an Amazon link to see landed cost, duty, FBA fees, profit and the cash your first order needs.
3 free scans · No credit card required
The reorder deposit is due on day 55 — before your first Amazon payout on day 89.
Cap Engine brings together estimated product costs, live freight pricing when available, import duties, Amazon fees, advertising and cash-flow requirements — so you can understand the investment before placing your first order.
Save your analysis as a project, add real supplier quotes and documents, and refine the numbers as you get closer to ordering.
Why we built it
Two weeks of emails for one number. Then you find out the freight was wrong.
Cap Engine was built by a private-label seller who waited about 14 days for factory and forwarder quotes just to learn whether a product could pay for itself. Most products don’t. You should know that in minutes, not after a deposit.
Inside a Quick Scan
The numbers behind a purchase decision.
See what it may cost to launch, what you may earn, and which assumptions still need a quote or confirmation.
Product summaryEstimates
Market entry check
Demand is spread across several competitors. The top three listings hold 55% of the minimum purchases shown by Amazon.
Demand is spread across several competitors. The top three listings hold 55% of the minimum purchases shown by Amazon.
Normal operations · per unit
Selling price$38.99
Landed cost priced at 500 units$13.84
Ad cost 15% of sales$5.85
Amazon fees estimate$14.67
Profit$4.63
Margin after ads11.9%Target 20% · not reached
Could fall to 7.0% if the higher-duty customs code applies.
Launch
Ads 23.5% of sales · profit $1.41 a unit · margin 3.6%
Ads 23.5% of sales · profit $1.41 a unit · margin 3.6%
Freight by order size
500 unitsLive rate
Shared container (LCL) · 6.5 m³
Freight / unit$3.49
Landed cost$13.84
Profit$4.63
Margin11.9%
1,000 unitsEstimated
Shared container (LCL) · 13.0 m³
Freight / unit$2.83
Landed cost$12.56
Profit$5.40
Margin13.9%
Potential opportunityConditional scenario
If your listing reaches positions 4–5 from month 12
Revenue / month$43,474
Net / month$4,694
Revenue · 12 stabilized months$521,686
Net · 12 stabilized months$56,330
Total stock coverage
3,847 units · about 105 days of sales
Includes a buffer of 1,099 units · about 30 days
3,847 units · about 105 days of sales
Includes a buffer of 1,099 units · about 30 days
Expected monthly sales by first-page position
Positions 1–5 · target1,115 units/monthPositions 1–3 and 4–5 sell about the same in this market
Positions 6–10648 units/month
Launch (first 3 months)324 units/monthMonth 1: 81 · Month 2: 162 · Month 3: 324
A conditional scenario, not a forecast of this order.
Cash timelineEstimates
Day 55 Reorder deposit$1,170
Day 75 Inventory sellable
Day 89 First Amazon payout
Day 120 Cash needed peaks$15,091.25
First order only$9,575
First order paid back
Not reached within the modelled period.
Not reached within the modelled period.
Landed cost · per unit · 500 units
Factory price Estimated$7.80
Freight Live rate$3.49
Customs duty$0.25
Additional tariffs$0.98
Import fees$1.24
Customs processing$0.07
Port fee$0.01
Labels and packagingAssumed included
Landed cost 35.5% of price$13.84
Lines are rounded.
Import dutyLow confidence
4419.19.90.00 · bamboo kitchenware
Estimated customs code
Base duty3.2%
Section 301 suspended0%
Other tariffs12.5%
Total $1.22 a unit15.7%
Alternative codes could raise it: 15.7%–40.8%. One furniture code was considered and not priced.
Order size and cash
Order sizes side by side, with the cash each one needs.
Market and risk
Demand, competition and the assumptions most likely to move the result.
What to confirm next
The questions for your supplier, forwarder and broker.
How it works
From product idea to purchase decision.
01
Paste an ASIN
Pick an Amazon US listing close in size and weight to the product you plan to make. No supplier quote needed to start — the scan estimates one.
02
Read the verdict
Landed cost, margin, order size and cash on one page, in plain English. Every estimate is labelled, with what to confirm.
03
Build the case
Save it as a project, upload supplier quotes and shipping papers, and turn it into an investment memo when you’re ready to order.
Your product file
The first scan starts the decision. Your product file keeps it current.
Save the initial estimates, then add supplier quotes, freight offers and documents as you get them. Confirm the extracted facts and see how the margin and cash plan change before you commit to an order.
D1
Scan the idea
The first numbers, from the listing alone. Everything that’s an estimate says so.
Factory price · estimateFreight · live rateCustoms code · estimate
D5
Supplier sends a quote
Upload the invoice or quote. Cap Engine reads the price and quantity — $7.57 for 499 pieces — and your margin updates the moment you confirm it.
Factory price · from your document
D9
Packing list arrives
Cartons, weight and volume — 6.83 m³ — replace the scan’s guess, and freight is re-priced for the real shipment.
Shipment size · confirmedFreight · re-priced
D12
Forwarder and broker reply
Add the freight quote and confirm the customs code. Duty, tariffs and import fees lock in.
Customs code · confirmedImport fees · confirmed
D18
Decide, with the evidence attached
See what’s still open, record the go-ahead, and export the investment memo with every document behind it.
Ready to orderMemo exported
Product file
Sampling
Bamboo kitchen organizer
Verified so far4 of 5
Factory priceFrom your invoice
Shipment size & weightFrom packing list
Sea freightProvider rate card
Customs codeConfirmed
Product certificateStill needed
History
Packing list read · freight re-pricedDay 9
Supplier invoice read · price confirmedDay 5
First Quick Scan savedDay 1
Evidence vault
Every document behind the decision. In one place.
Organised by product
Quotes, freight, customs papers, test reports and certificates, each in its own place.
Originals kept, untouched
Each file is stored as uploaded, fingerprinted, with who added it and when. Only your workspace can open it.
An investment memo
Print or save the decision as a PDF, every figure marked as estimated or calculated.
Alerts before things expire
Quotes and certificates go stale. You’re told before a decision rests on old paperwork.
Evidence vault
Bamboo kitchen organizer
Supplier quotes & invoices
2 files · invoice read, price confirmed
Shipping & freight
Packing list, freight quote
Customs & duty
Customs code confirmation
Testing & certificates
Product test report
Company & brand
Business registration, trademark search
Shipment proof
The same bamboo organizer, shipped.
The scan’s per-unit costs beside the paid factory, freight, customs and duty bills for a 499-unit sea shipment. An illustration, not an accuracy rate.
See the full breakdownPer unitScanPaid
Factory price$7.80$7.57
Freight, door to door$3.49$3.53
Landed cost$13.84$13.69
Compliance
Know the paperwork before the shipment is stuck at the border.
Each scan lists the US import and Amazon rules that may apply to the product, with their sources, so you can ask your supplier for the right documents before you order. Matched from the listing; confirm each one.
Compliance & certifications
Bamboo kitchen organizer · US import + Amazon US
Wood and plant-material import declaration (Lacey Act)REQUIRED
Country-of-origin label on the productREQUIRED
California chemical warning (Proposition 65)CHECK
Rules as of 26 Sep 2026 · confirm each one
Trademark search
Check the brand name before you print it on 2,000 boxes.
Search US federal trademark records for the brand you plan to use, or look up the brand on a competitor's Amazon US listing by its ASIN. Cap Engine lists similar marks with their class and whether each is registered, pending or abandoned, so you can spot a conflict before you pay for packaging and a logo. A trademark search uses one scan, the same as a new product analysis. A screening, not legal advice — confirm with a trademark attorney before you file.
Trademark searchEXAMPLE
Planned brand · Brightleaf · Potential matches · 3
BRIGHT LEAF HOMEClose match · Class 021 · Same class as your productREGISTERED
BRITELEAFSimilar name · Class 020BEING EXAMINED
BRIGHTLEAFESimilar name · Class 003ABANDONED
Who it’s for
Built for the moment before the money leaves your account.
FIRST PRODUCT
You’re about to bet your savings
See every cost you didn’t know existed, how many units to start with and how much cash you really need — before your first factory deposit.
GROWING CATALOGUE
You have ten ideas and cash for two
Scan the shortlist, compare margins and cash side by side, and put your money behind the products that pay back fastest.
PARTNERS & INVESTORS
Someone else has to say yes
Hand over an investment memo with the numbers, the risks and the evidence behind them, instead of a spreadsheet and a promise.
Tested on a real shipment
One shipment: the model beside the paid invoices.
The same organizer as the scan above, shipped. A 499-unit bamboo kitchen order, shipped by sea from China to an Amazon warehouse, compared line by line with the factory, freight, customs and duty bills.
15¢
per unit · $13.84 model / $13.69 paid · illustration
15¢ from the paid cost.
An illustration, not an accuracy rate.
Per unitScanPaid
Factory price$7.80$7.57
Freight, door to door$3.49$3.53
Import services$1.24$1.32
Duty & fees$1.30$1.27
Landed cost$13.84$13.69
Priced at 500 units; the order contained 499. Lines are rounded to the cent.
Pricing
Choose a plan when you’re ready to scan more.
Your first 3 product scans are free. No credit card required. Free scans are for the lifetime of your account and don’t renew. A new product analysis or a trademark search uses one scan. Updating a saved project, adding documents and re-opening results are free.
Single report
$19once
One product, fully analysed.
- 1 scan
- Project, documents and memo
- No subscription
5-scan pack
$59once
For a shortlist. Use them whenever.
- 5 scans
- Scans never expire
- $11.80 per scan
Seller
$49/ month
For sellers sourcing every month.
- 10 scans a month
- Projects, alerts and memos
- $4.90 per scan
Pro
$99/ month
For catalogues and agencies.
- 30 scans a month
- Everything in Seller
- $3.30 per scan
Prices in US dollars. Any sales tax or VAT that applies is shown at checkout before you pay.
Free tools
Free calculators for one piece at a time.
Import duty checker
Find your HTS code and the duty and tariffs on a product made in China.
FBA fee calculator
Size tier, fulfillment and referral fees, storage and profit per unit.
Landed cost calculator
Factory price plus freight, duty, MPF, HMF and import fees, per unit.
CBM calculator
Shipment volume, W/M and how full a 20ft, 40ft or 40HC container would be.
ACoS calculator
ACoS, ROAS, TACoS and the break-even ACoS your margin allows.
HMF & MPF calculator
The harbor maintenance fee and merchandise processing fee on one customs entry.
Questions sellers ask
How much does it cost to launch an Amazon FBA product?
It depends on the product and the size of the first order. Add the factory price, freight, import duty, Amazon’s fees and launch advertising, and remember that the factory and the freight are paid weeks before the first sale. A scan adds these up for one product and shows the cash your first order needs.
How do I calculate landed cost from China?
Add the factory price, freight to the US, import duty and customs fees, and the cost of getting the goods into an Amazon warehouse, then divide by the units in the shipment. The free landed cost calculator does this per unit, and the FBA fee calculator adds Amazon’s fees and your profit.
What import duty applies to my product?
It depends on the product’s customs code (its HTS code) and where it was made. Goods from China can owe extra tariffs on top of the base rate. The free duty checker suggests a likely code and shows the rate that applies.
Is Cap Engine free?
Your first 3 scans are free and need no credit card. The duty checker, FBA fee calculator and landed cost calculator are free to use. More scans start at $19 for a single report.
Do I need a supplier quote before I scan?
No. The scan estimates a factory price from the product itself, and labels it as an estimate. When your real quote arrives, upload it and the numbers update.
How accurate is it?
Every figure says whether it is calculated or estimated. We don’t publish an accuracy rate; the shipment on this page is an illustration. Replace estimates with your own quotes before you order, and every figure reprices.
Which marketplaces does it cover?
Amazon US, for products made overseas and shipped to US Amazon warehouses.
What counts as a Quick Scan?
One product, fully analysed: costs, freight, duty, fees, order size, cash and market checks. A new product analysis or a trademark search uses one scan. Updating a saved project, adding documents and re-opening results are free.
What happens after my free scans?
Everything you’ve already scanned stays open, editable and exportable, and your 3 free scans don’t renew. To scan more, buy a single report ($19) or a 5-scan pack ($59), which never expire, or subscribe to Seller ($49/month, 10 scans a month) or Pro ($99/month, 30 scans a month). Updating a saved project, adding documents and re-opening results stay free.
Can I cancel a monthly plan?
Yes. Monthly plans have no minimum term and you can cancel at any time from Billing. Your plan and its remaining scans last until the end of the month you’ve paid for. Unused monthly scans don’t roll over. The single report and the 5-scan pack are one-off purchases.
Is my data private?
Your scans, projects and documents belong to your workspace, and uploaded files are stored as you sent them. See the privacy notice for the details.
Make the decision before you make the deposit.
Scan your next product idea before you message a single factory. Create an account and your first three are free.
Start with 3 free scans