The online retail giant Amazon will begin implementing a 3.5% fuel and logistics fee for third-party merchants using its platform beginning April 17, as energy costs continue climbing due to the Iran conflict.
The temporary fee will affect numerous sellers who utilize Amazon’s fulfillment services, the company confirmed to The Associated Press via email Thursday.
“Elevated costs in fuel and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” Amazon stated in their email response.
The Seattle-headquartered corporation explained it has been absorbing these cost increases until now, but like other major shipping companies, when expenses stay high, it introduces temporary fees to help offset some of these costs. The company emphasized its charge is “meaningfully” below surcharges imposed by other major shipping providers.
“We remain committed to our selling partners’ success and to maintaining broad selection and low prices for customers,” Amazon stated.
The fuel and logistics fee will impact sellers in the United States and Canada who use Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon service. Beginning May 2, the surcharge will also affect merchants using Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment services.
Amazon becomes part of an expanding group of shipping companies implementing surcharges to offset climbing energy expenses as the Iran conflict continues.
Both United Parcel Service and FedEx have raised their fuel surcharges. The United States Postal Service announced last week it would impose an 8% fuel surcharge affecting packages shipped beginning April 26. The postal service said this surcharge will stay active until January 17, 2027.
