The quarter in which the year's revenue is generated is also the one in which the most money is spent without realizing it. And 2026 brings two new developments that need to be managed. Before Let the season begin: the high-season surcharge on logistics and a new delivery standard for self-shippers.
Both have a specific date, and both are prepared in September. November is late: in November, you just sell.
The peak surcharge: when, how much, where
Amazon fulfillment rates rise for peak season: from October 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027. The January 15th We're back to our regular rates. These three months cover Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and New Year's sales: that is, the bulk of your sales.
On the subject of size, the numbers must be read carefully, depending on the market they concern:
- in the United States the average increase communicated is $0.32 per unit, in line with the previous year;
- in Europe the high season surcharge is applied by the shops United Kingdom and Germany, with some exclusions: oversized products, items registered with Low-Price FBA and certain orders delivered to other EU countries;
- in Italy, from 17 April 2026, a higher rate will apply to logistics fees fuel and logistics surcharge, which is added to the current rates.
To put it bluntly: Before you do the math, open your marketplace's fee table. It is the only source that counts on your account, and that is the same reason why in the article on commissions 2026 I stated which numbers were American.
The bill needs to be recalculated now, not in December.
Thirty-two cents seems like nothing. Out of fifty thousand units, they are sixteen thousand euros that come out of the margin of the best quarter.
The problem is not the amount: it is when you realize it. Those who adjust prices in September absorb the premium into their strategy; those who notice it by reading the December statement pay for it out of pocket, because then adjusting prices in the middle of the season means losing position precisely on good days.
How to do the calculation, in practice:
1. Take the top twenty products by revenue. The quarter is decided on those.
2. Add the surcharge to the current logistics rate, not at the theoretical margin: unit for unit, on the volume you expect to sell.
3. See which products fall below your set margin threshold. You have three options for those: raise the price now, reduce the cost of packaging and volumetric weight, or knowingly accept a lower margin in exchange for volume.
4. Check the size ranges. A two-centimeter-narrower package can lower the price of the product and be worth more than the entire price premium.
Self-shippers: the new standard from September 30th
Those who manage their own shipments have a second deadline, and it does not concern costs but the right to sell.
From the September 30, 2026 Amazon requires a Business Hour Delivery Rate equal to or greater than 90% on shipments managed by the seller to the Amazon Business customers. The metric measures, on a moving window of 14 days, the share of deliveries made within the business customer's opening hours.
What happens if you don't get there: Amazon will send a notification on September 30th with instructions on how to return; If the threshold is not reached by October 30th, FBM offers may be deactivated for Business customers. FBA and retail offers are unaffected.
The levers indicated for recovery are concrete: reliable couriers, management and transit times set to true, automatic processing time management, automated shipping settings, and shipping purchases through Amazon. The measure is primarily active in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, but the tightening of FBM delivery metrics also affects other European marketplaces.
September's moves
Please revise your prices by the end of September. Not in October: price changes take days to be absorbed, and October 15th is already well into the season.
Don't fill the warehouse "just in case". In the most expensive quarter, stationary goods pay twice: logistics premiums and storage at their peak. They are replenished in weeks of coverage, as I wrote when talking about IPI and warehouse costs.
Check the stated handling times. It's the most common mistake made by those who ship themselves: optimistic times set two years ago and never touched again, which hold up in the summer but don't in December.
Decide now what you will not sell. In a quarter where each unit costs more, low-margin products should not be pushed: they take away space, capital, and attention from those who make profits.
In two lines: Starting October 15th, each unit shipped by Amazon will cost more until mid-January, and starting September 30th, self-shippers will have to pay the 90% business hours delivery fee for Business customers. These are both things that can be fixed in September with a spreadsheet, or paid in December.
If you want to get to Q4 with your prices already redone and your warehouse cleaned, write to meIt is the half-day's work that decides the quarter.
Sources
– Holiday 2026: same fees, same eligibility, earlier deadlines, Seller Central forum
– 2026 Holiday Peak FBA fulfillment fees: AMZ Prep
– Amazon peak fulfillment fee: modeling Q4 2026 landed costs across EU marketplaces, Flex Logistics
– Rate Card Europe: FBA fees effective July 1, 2026 (Amazon PDF)
– New Amazon Business Hour Delivery Rate rule starts Sept 2026: My Amazon Guy
– Amazon 90% Business Hour Delivery Rate hits FBM sellers Sept 30: Nova Analytics
The dollar amounts refer to the US market. For Amazon.it and other European marketplaces, the fee schedule and communications in your Seller Central apply.