- Amazon announces 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for customers in the US and nearby
- The two-stage approach introduces changes on April 17 and May 2
- It’s unclear if the company plans to remove the supplement when possible
Amazon has confirmed the introduction of a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge for sellers amid rising global fuel and shipping costs – and with sellers likely to pass the cost on to buyers, it could mean your online shopping could be even more expensive.
The company said in a statement that it has been forced to pass those costs on to vendors after absorbing them for so long.
“Like other major carriers, when costs remain high, we implement temporary surcharges on our fulfillment fees to recover a portion of the actual cost increases we experience,” Amazon wrote.
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The Iran war increases Amazon’s fuel and logistics costs
Although the effects have been widely felt for a number of weeks, Amazon is still holding out as long as it can, introducing the 3.5% surcharge effective April 17.
It will be applied to fulfillment fees across Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) in the US and Canada, as well as Remote Fulfillment with FBA from the US to Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
Starting May 2, Purchases with Prime in the US and Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) in the US and Canada will also be affected by the price increase.
The company also noted that the surcharge will be billed against the fulfillment cost of a product, not its sale price, so it’s not always the most expensive products that will see the biggest increase in dollar value. “On average, this equates to $0.17 per unit for US FBA,” Amazon wrote.
While Amazon has linked the supplement to the Iran war, nowhere in the announcement does the company use the word ‘temporary’ – or any other word to that effect.
TechRadar Pro has asked the company if the surcharge is likely to be removed once fuel costs stabilize, but we did not get an immediate response.
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