Amazon slaps U.S. sellers with 5% fuel and inflation surcharge

Amazon will add a fuel and inflation surcharge to the fees it collects from third-party sellers in the US.

The company said in a notice to sellers that the fee will go into effect in about two weeks and is subject to change.

The surcharge will apply to all product types, such as non-apparel, apparel, dangerous goods, and Small and Light items.

With inflation and oil prices on the rise, Amazon is trying to offset some of its own costs by passing fees along to sellers.

Fees are collected from sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon. Merchants pay to have their inventory stored in Amazon's warehouses and to use the company's supply chain and shipping operations.

According to a report from Jungle Scout, 89% of Amazon sellers used the platform in the year 2021.

An Amazon spokesman said in an email to CNBC that they expected a return to normal in 2022.

The fuel and inflation surcharge is 24 cents per unit, which is less than the fuel surcharge of 42 cents and the FedEx fee of 49 cents.

Amazon has a multi-billion dollar returns problem.