Overview

Amazon Shipping will apply a three‑tier surcharge schedule for the 2025 holiday peak, spanning late October through mid‑January. The new structure replaces a single flat fee with distinct rates that rise and fall in line with shipping demand, meaning sellers must factor these variable per‑package costs into Q4 pricing, inventory planning, and fulfillment decisions.

Key Points

• Three demand‑based windows — The season is divided into early, core, and late periods, each carrying its own surcharge level that mirrors real‑time carrier load.
• Standard‑package fees — Shipments in the early and late windows incur an extra $0.40 per box, while the core window’s rate climbs to $0.60 per box.
• Special‑handling premiums — Items that need extra protection are charged an additional $1.25 in the early/late windows and $1.80 during the core rush.
• Oversized & heavy surcharges — Large parcels attract $3‑$5 extra, with extra‑heavy items reaching up to $5 in the core window.
• Automatic surcharge application — No manual activation is required; the system adds the appropriate fee to every qualifying shipment on the fly.
• Free residential & weekend delivery — Despite the new fees, Amazon Shipping continues to waive residential surcharges and weekend delivery fees throughout the peak period.

How the Three‑Window Surcharge System Works

1. Early window (late Oct – late Nov) — Shipments receive the baseline surcharge ($0.40 for standard, $1.25 for special handling). For example, a seller sending 2,000 standard units on November 5 will see an added $800 in shipping costs.
2. Core window (late Nov – late Dec) — Rates jump to the highest tier ($0.60 for standard, $1.80 for special handling, up to $5 for extra‑heavy). A vendor moving 5,000 heavy‑duty gadgets between Black Friday and Christmas would incur an extra $25,000 in surcharges.
3. Late window (late Dec – mid Jan) — Fees revert to early‑window levels as demand eases. If the same seller ships 1,500 oversized items on January 3, the surcharge drops back to $3‑$5 per item, saving roughly $4,500 compared with the core period.