Amazon Peak-Season Fees Rise as 3.5% Surcharge Applies

Amazon has released its 2026 peak-season fulfillment and inbound schedule.

From Oct. 15, 2026, through Jan. 14, 2027, Amazon will charge peak-season fees for Fulfillment by Amazon, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime orders.

On top of those peak-season fees, Amazon will continue to apply its existing 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge.

Which Amazon Services Are Affected?

Products shipped on or after Oct. 15 will be charged at peak-season rates, regardless of when the seller originally sent the inventory to Amazon.

The fees apply to four services:

Service	Fulfillment model
Fulfillment by Amazon	Amazon stores, picks, packs and delivers inventory.
Remote Fulfillment with FBA	U.S. FBA inventory fulfills orders in markets including Canada and Mexico.
Multi-Channel Fulfillment	Amazon fulfills orders placed through other sales channels.
Buy with Prime	Customers receive Prime delivery on orders placed outside Amazon.

Sellers using Amazon Warehousing and Distribution and automatic replenishment to FBA can continue paying off-peak monthly storage rates through Oct. 31, 2026.

Fees Will Increase by an Average of $0.32 Per Unit

Amazon said the 2026 increase will match the previous peak season, averaging $0.32 per unit.

Actual increases vary by product size and weight.

Product	Size tier	Non-peak fee	Peak-season fee
Mobile device case	Small standard	$2.49	$2.68
T-shirt	Large standard	$6.14	$6.53
Baby cot	Small bulky	$10.21	$11.25
Television	Extra large, 50–70 pounds	$48.57	$51.38

Larger and heavier products generally face higher dollar increases.

Sellers can find more pricing details in Amazon Seller Central.

The 3.5% Surcharge Will Apply to the Higher Rate

Amazon calculates the 3.5% surcharge from the fulfillment fee rather than the product’s selling price.

Total peak-season fulfillment cost = Peak-season fulfillment fee + 3.5% of the peak-season fulfillment fee

Amazon has not announced an expiration date for the surcharge. It will remain in place until further notice because fuel and logistics costs remain elevated.

Holiday Inventory Must Arrive in October

Amazon is advising sellers to deliver inventory early enough to maintain Prime delivery speeds during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The deadline depends on the inbound method:

Inbound method	Amazon arrival deadline
Amazon Warehousing and Distribution	Oct. 14, 2026
FBA with minimal shipment splits	Oct. 21, 2026
FBA with Amazon-optimized shipment splits	Oct. 28, 2026

Cross-border sellers must work backward to account for production, carrier booking, international transportation, customs clearance, U.S. domestic transportation, Amazon delivery appointments and facility receiving.

Amazon Is Adding a Shanghai Inventory Facility

Amazon will open a Global Warehousing and Distribution facility in Shanghai on July 16, 2026.

The location will join Amazon’s Shenzhen facility in serving sellers that source products in China and sell through Amazon in the United States.

Sellers can store U.S.-bound inventory in bulk in Shanghai or Shenzhen before Amazon replenishes U.S. FBA inventory based on demand.

What Sellers Should Do Now

Sellers preparing for Amazon’s 2026 peak season need to manage two timelines: higher fulfillment fees beginning Oct. 15 and inventory deadlines earlier in October.

Because Amazon fulfillment centers will prioritize customer orders in November and December, FBA inbound capacity may tighten later in the season. Sellers should send inventory early.