Beginning next month, some items on Amazon might cost more -- and you can thank a combination of inflation and the holiday season.
Amazon is introducing a "Holiday Peak Fulfillment Fee" to help cover the cost of fulfilling and shipping orders for third-party sellers. The surcharge kicks in October 15 and lasts until January 14.
"As we look ahead and prepare for the busy holiday shopping season, we expect greater utilization of our fulfillment network. Across the supply chain, this creates increased operating costs during this holiday peak period," Amazon said in an announcement to sellers.
According to Amazon, the average surcharge will be about 35 cents per item, though the exact amount varies by size and weight. The fee will apply to sellers that use Amazon's fulfillment services, which stores, packs and ships products.
While the fee is not directly applied to items, a seller may choose to pass on the surcharge to customers by raising prices.
This is the first time Amazon is implementing an added holiday surcharge, according to CNBC.
"This is not a decision we made lightly," Amazon said. "The entire industry sees increases in fulfillment and logistics costs during the holiday peak period due to the concentrated volume of shipments."
The company said it previously absorbed the cost increases, but "seasonal expenses are reaching new heights."
"As a result, we decided that similar to other carriers, we will implement a holiday peak fulfillment fee that applies during a timebound period each year," it said.
The holiday fee comes months after Amazon hit sellers with a 5% fuel and inflation fee, the first in the company's history -- an average of 24 cents per item. The retailer explained the charge, saying it expected a "return to normalcy as COVID-19 restrictions around the world eased, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges."
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