There is a second peak fee, and it is not storage. Fulfilment costs more from 15 October too.

Key takeaways

• Reporting states holiday peak fulfilment fees apply from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027, at an average increase of $0.32 per unit over non-peak rates.
• The 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge is reported as applying on top of that, so the peak fee and the surcharge compound.
• It covers more than FBA: reporting names Fulfillment by Amazon, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime.
• The window runs two weeks past New Year. Inventory still moving in the first fortnight of January is fulfilled at peak rates.
• This is a separate charge from Q4 storage. The storage rate roughly triples across October to December; this is a per-unit fulfilment increase on a longer window.

The Q4 storage spike gets covered every year. This one does not, and it is charged on every unit you actually sell rather than on the ones that sit — which for a seller having a good peak is the larger number.

01What it is

Reporting states holiday peak fulfilment fees apply again from 15 October 2026 through 14 January 2027, matching the same window as the previous year, at a per-unit increase over non-peak rates averaging $0.32.

Reporting also states the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge is added on top — see the surcharge guide for why a percentage on a fee behaves differently from a flat increase.

It is not FBA-only. Reporting names four programmes: Fulfillment by Amazon, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime. A seller using MCF to fulfil Shopify orders pays it there too.

02Why the dates matter more than the amount

Thirty-two cents is not dramatic. The window is.

It opens 15 October, two weeks before most sellers think of peak as beginning, and before the Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday blocks.

It closes 14 January, two weeks into the following year. Everything you sell in the first fortnight of January — including returns exchanges and the post-Christmas clearance most sellers run to shift peak overstock — is fulfilled at peak rates.

That second point interacts badly with the removal decision. A seller who plans to clear unsold peak inventory through January promotions is discounting and paying peak fulfilment on every unit that moves.

03The full peak cost picture

Put alongside what this site covers elsewhere, four charges rise across the same period and none of them replaces another:

Charge	Window	Reported effect
Peak fulfilment fee	15 Oct – 14 Jan	+$0.32 per unit average
Fuel and logistics surcharge	Year-round	3.5% of the fulfilment fee, applied on top
Peak storage	Oct – Dec	Roughly three times the off-peak rate
Advertising	Prime Day and Q4	CPCs reported up 60–80%

Plus deal and coupon fees where you participate — see the deals guide — and the cash timing covered in the peak season guide.

A seller modelling Q4 on storage alone is modelling one of four.

04The inbound deadlines

Reporting on the 2026 holiday guidance notes Amazon cut inbound windows shorter, which compounds the planning problem: less time to get inventory in, against a fulfilment fee that starts earlier than expected.

For the June Prime Day cycle the published pattern was a deadline of 27 May 2026 for AWD shipments and for FBA shipments with minimal splits — roughly a month before the event. Treat that as the shape rather than the specific date, and confirm current deadlines in Seller Central.

The practical consequence is that the inbound placement decision has a deadline attached in Q4. Minimal splits are quoted with a specific cut-off, and missing it forces you into whichever option remains available rather than the one your arithmetic chose.

05What to do

Add $0.32 plus the surcharge to your Q4 unit economics. Not to your storage model — to your contribution margin per unit sold. It is a different line.

Check whether it applies to your MCF volume. If you fulfil Shopify or other channels through Amazon, this is a cost on that channel too, and it is easy to miss because it does not appear in Amazon marketplace reporting.

Reconsider January clearance. Discounting into peak fulfilment rates until 14 January is expensive. Either clear before Christmas or wait until the window closes — the two weeks in between are the worst of both.

Diarise 15 October, not 1 November. Anything you want fulfilled at standard rates ships before the fifteenth.

Confirm the inbound deadlines early. Reporting describes them tightening, and the placement option you want may have an earlier cut-off than the general deadline.

Frequently asked

When does the peak fulfilment fee apply?

Reported as 15 October 2026 through 14 January 2027, at an average increase of $0.32 per unit over non-peak rates.

Is this the same as the Q4 storage increase?

No. Storage roughly triples across October to December and is charged on inventory held. This is a per-unit fulfilment fee charged on units sold, over a longer window.

Does the fuel surcharge still apply?

Yes. Reporting states the 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge is added on top of the peak fulfilment rates.

Does it affect Multi-Channel Fulfillment?

Yes. Reporting names Fulfillment by Amazon, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime. Orders you fulfil for other channels through Amazon carry it too.

Why does the window run into January?

It is reported as ending 14 January, matching the previous year. The practical effect is that post-Christmas clearance sold in the first fortnight of January is fulfilled at peak rates.

What should I do about January clearance?

Either clear before Christmas or wait until after 14 January. Discounting into peak fulfilment rates combines a lower price with a higher cost on the same unit.

Sources

1. Amazon freezes 2026 holiday seller fees, cuts inbound windows shorter (peak fulfilment 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027; average $0.32 per unit over non-peak; covering FBA, Remote Fulfillment with FBA, Multi-Channel Fulfillment and Buy with Prime; deal fees unchanged), PPC Land accessed 2026-08-08
2. Amazon keeps 2026 holiday fees flat, but sellers must move faster (holiday peak fulfilment window and $0.32 average increase, with a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge added on top), Sourcing Journal accessed 2026-08-08
3. Prime Day 2026 deals: fees, deadlines and submission tips (27 May 2026 deadline for AWD shipments and FBA shipments with minimal splits), BellaVix accessed 2026-08-08
4. Amazon FBA fees 2026: full breakdown (3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge applied to the fulfilment fee from 17 April 2026), AMZ Prep accessed 2026-08-08
5. Amazon FBA storage fee overhaul now live (Q4 standard storage at $2.40 per cubic foot against $0.87 off-peak), Nova Analytics accessed 2026-08-08