What happened
On October 15, 2026, Amazon’s holiday peak fulfillment fees turn on, and they run through January 14, 2027. They cover Fulfillment by Amazon, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment, and Buy with Prime.
Amazon said the peak increase averages about $0.32 per unit over non-peak rates, about the same as last year. On top of that is the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge Amazon started charging in April, which stays in place during peak. Retail Dive reported Amazon’s own examples: a small-standard phone case goes from $2.49 to $2.68, a large-standard t-shirt goes from $6.14 to $6.53, and bigger items rise more. Your ASINs will differ, so check the fee preview in Seller Central for what you actually sell.
Other deadlines sit right next to this one. Amazon Warehousing and Distribution inbound for Black Friday and Cyber Monday is due October 14, FBA with minimal shipment splits is due October 21, and most Amazon-optimized splits are due October 28. Amazon has also warned that capacity limits may run lower as fulfillment centers shift from receiving to shipping. We covered the inbound calendar in our October 28 cutoff post.
What it means for a growing brand
Thirty-two cents doesn’t sound like much until you multiply it by every unit that ships between mid-October and mid-January and then add the surcharge. Website orders filled through Multi-Channel Fulfillment pay the peak fee too. The second hit is capacity: when the Capacity Monitor says no, stock sits ready while peak storage, which started October 1, keeps charging on anything that isn’t selling.
What to do this week
- Pull the fee preview for your top 20 ASINs before October 15, and check that each size tier is still right.
- Raise prices in batches and watch Pricing Health rather than repricing everything at once.
- Send hero and deal SKUs for the October 21 and October 28 windows, and hold the rest back.
- Create removal orders for aged units now. See our post on peak storage starting October 1.
- Have a West Coast home for overflow and removal freight that can also ship your Shopify orders.
Where Ship Depot fits
We’re in Palmdale, California, not a port warehouse. We do Amazon FBA prep, including FNSKU labels, carton work and box contents. We also receive Amazon removals, count what actually arrived, and then store it, rework it, prep it back to FBA, or ship it direct to your customers. Overflow can sit here and go to Amazon as space opens up.
Some ASINs only made sense at off-peak fees, and we’ll tell you that straight. Call 818-510-1499 or get an FBA prep quote.
Argin, Ship Depot