The e-commerce giant said the new fee will begin on April 28 and will be imposed as inflation has worsened significantly in recent months.
“In 2022, we expected a return to normalcy as Covid-19 restrictions eased around the world, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges,” Amazon wrote in a memo provided by the company to CNN. “It’s unclear whether these inflationary costs will rise or fall, and how long they will last.”
Amazon’s rate hikes for sellers could translate into higher costs for consumers as companies look to pass the rising costs on to their customers.
Amazon said in its memo that the company has tried to minimize the impact of inflation.
“Like many, we have experienced significant cost increases and absorbed that where possible to reduce the impact on our retail partners,” Amazon said. “When we increased rates, we were focused on addressing ongoing costs and making sure our rates were competitive with other service providers.”