Amazon adds fuel surcharge for sellers as energy costs climb

SEATTLE — Amazon is implementing a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on fees charged to third-party sellers, highlighting how increasing energy costs are impacting retail supply chains and marketplace economics.

The surcharge will take effect on April 17 for sellers using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in the U.S. and Canada. The company said the move reflects ongoing cost pressures linked to the persistent conflict involving Iran, which has increased oil prices and disrupted global shipping flows.

“Elevated costs in fulfillment and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” Amazon said in a notice to sellers. “We have absorbed these increased costs so far. However, similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, we implement temporary surcharges…to recover a portion of the actual cost increases.”

The fee will be based on fulfillment charges rather than the cost of goods sold. Usually, Amazon states the surcharge is about 17 cents per unit for FBA shipments, although it varies depending on product size and weight.

The move brings Amazon more in line with logistics competitors that have already adjusted their pricing due to fuel price fluctuations. The United States Postal Service recently suggested a temporary 8% price hike on certain package services, while UPS and FedEx have increased fuel surcharges in recent weeks.

USPS makes transportation-related, time-limited price change

Although temporary, the price adjustment will serve as an important bridge to a permanent pricing mechanism that reflects market conditions for competitive products.

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Amazon emphasized that its surcharge remains “meaningfully lower” than those imposed by major carriers, framing the adjustment as a partial cost recovery measure rather than a full pass-through.

However, the change emphasizes the size and setup of Amazon’s marketplace model. With over 60% of items sold on the platform coming from independent sellers, the company has considerable flexibility to pass additional operating costs onto the sellers rather than the consumers.

For retailers and brands operating on Amazon, the additional fee adds another margin consideration during a time when transportation and input costs remain unpredictable. It also emphasizes the broader industry trend of dynamic pricing models linked to fuel and logistics conditions, a pattern increasingly common across parcel, postal, and third-party fulfillment networks.