- Amazon Announces 3.5% Fuel and Logistics Surcharge for Customers in and Near the United States
- Two-step approach introduces changes on April 17 and May 2
- It’s unclear if the company plans to remove the surcharge when possible.
Amazon has confirmed the introduction of a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for sellers amid a global rise in fuel and shipping costs – and with sellers likely to pass the costs on to buyers, it could mean your online shopping could become even more expensive.
The company said in a statement that it was forced to pass these costs on to sellers after absorbing them for so long.
“Like other major carriers, when costs remain high, we apply temporary surcharges to our processing fees to recoup some of the actual cost increases we experience,” Amazon wrote.
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War in Iran drives up Amazon fuel and logistics costs
Even though the impacts have been widely felt for several weeks, Amazon is still waiting as long as it can, introducing a 3.5% surcharge from April 17.
It will apply to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fulfillment fees in the United States and Canada, as well as remote fulfillment with FBA from the United States to Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.
Starting May 2, purchases with Prime in the United States and Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) in the United States and Canada will also be affected by the price increase.
The company also noted that the surcharge will be charged on a product’s fulfillment cost, not its sale price, so it’s not always the most expensive products that will see the biggest increase in monetary value. “On average, this equates to $0.17 per unit for FBA in the United States,” Amazon wrote.
Although Amazon linked the surcharge to the war in Iran, nowhere in the notice does the company use the word “temporary” — or any other word to that effect.
TechRadar Pro asked the company if the surcharge would likely be removed once fuel costs stabilize, but we didn’t get an immediate answer.
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