Amazon Shipping has released its 2026 peak season rates, giving shippers a clearer picture of what demand surcharges will add to shipping costs through the holiday season. For businesses that use Amazon alongside UPS or FedEx, comparing these fees now can help identify where each carrier makes the most sense as volumes increase.
Here’s what the new Amazon shipping peak season surcharges look like, what stays the same during peak, and how to plan across all three carriers.
What Are the New Amazon Shipping Surcharge Rates?
Amazon's peak surcharge applies during three windows this year. The amount depends on the period and the package type, and each Amazon surcharge fee stacks on top of your contracted rate rather than replacing it. The 2026 schedule is:
Fee type | Oct 25 – Nov 21, 2026 | Nov 22 – Dec 26, 2026 | Dec 27, 2026 – Jan 16, 2027 |
Per-package demand surcharge | $0.50 | $0.75 | $0.50 |
Additional Handling Fee | $8.75 | $11.90 | $8.75 |
Large Package Fee | $96.25 | $117.50 | $96.25 |
Extra Heavy Package Fee | $530 | $590 | $530 |
The per-package charge applies during all three peak windows. Packages that meet Amazon's criteria for additional handling, large package, or extra heavy package fees will also incur the higher peak-season amounts.
What Stays the Same During Amazon's Peak Season?
Outside of the surcharge Amazon has announced, the rest of the shipping experience doesn't change:
No additional residential surcharges
No weekend delivery fees
Seven-day delivery, subject to local availability
End-to-end tracking with photo on delivery, predictive windows, and customer notifications
Simple claims filing and dedicated support seven days a week
The 2026 peak pricing also has a different structure from some of the approaches used by FedEx and UPS.
Amazon has not announced a separate volume-specific surcharge for higher-volume shippers.
For now, the per-package demand surcharge and the applicable size- and handling-related fees are based on the shipment and package characteristics rather than the shipper's overall volume.
How Should You Plan for Amazon Surcharges This Peak Season?
FedEx and UPS have already announced their own demand surcharges for the 2026–2027 peak season, so shippers using more than one carrier should plan for all three together.
Here are a few ways to prepare regardless of which carriers you use:
Create a free Lojistic account to verify contracted rates, surcharges, and fees before peak volume hits.
Track surcharge trends with a surcharge summary view instead of catching them after the invoice arrives.
Compare carrier costs side by side to see where Amazon, FedEx, or UPS makes the most sense for a given shipment.
Diversify your carriers so a capacity crunch on one network doesn't stall your whole operation.
Get Ahead of Peak Season Surcharges
There are several ways we can help you stay on top of peak season shipping costs. With Lojistic, you can bring your carrier rates, surcharges, and shipping data into one place, compare Amazon with UPS, FedEx, and other carriers, and see where your shipping mix may be costing you more during peak.
You can reach out to our team if you need help evaluating your peak season options, or check out our pricing to see how Lojistic can help you manage shipping costs across carriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amazon's 2026 peak surcharge windows run October 25 to November 21, November 22 to December 26, and December 27, 2026 to January 16, 2027.
Yes. Amazon is applying a per-package demand surcharge of $0.50 to $0.75 depending on the window, along with higher additional handling, large package, and extra heavy package fees during those same dates.
The per-package demand surcharge applies to all shipments during the peak windows. The handling and size-related fees only apply to packages that already meet those criteria the rest of the year.
Author
Christine Basile
Christine Basile
Director, Rate Services
Christine Basile brings over two decades of hands-on experience in shipping and supply chain operations, with a career spanning 3PL, shipper, and carrier-aligned organizations. She has held strategic leadership roles at Apple, Kenco Group, AutoZone, and RR Donnelley, where she negotiated and managed contracts totaling over $1.3 billion in annual shipping spend.
Her background in building scalable shipping strategies, leading RFPs, and implementing enterprise-wide cost control initiatives makes her a trusted advisor to shippers of all sizes navigating an increasingly complex logistics environment.
As Director of Rate Services at Lojistic, Christine applies her deep expertise to help clients reduce costs, streamline operations, and optimize performance across their shipping networks.