Overview
- Amazon, which notified sellers Thursday, will add a 3.5% fuel-and-logistics surcharge to Fulfillment by Amazon in the U.S. and Canada on April 17, then extend it to Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment on May 2.
- The surcharge is calculated on sellers’ fulfillment fees rather than item prices and averages about 17 cents per U.S. FBA unit, with the exact amount changing by an item’s size and weight.
- Company representatives describe the fee as temporary and say it will remain in place until conditions improve, linking the move to higher fuel costs as the Iran conflict pushes oil above $100 a barrel.
- Amazon says its rate is meaningfully lower than other carriers, as UPS and FedEx have raised fuel surcharges and the U.S. Postal Service will add an 8% temporary surcharge starting April 26 through January 17, 2027.
- The change hits many third-party sellers who rely on FBA for storage, packing, and shipping, which could lead some to raise prices, and shares showed a modest reaction Thursday with Amazon down about 0.9% while UPS slipped and FedEx was roughly flat.