Amazon India has begun charging a flat Rs 5 marketplace fee on every customer order, marking its entry into the growing list of e-commerce and quick commerce platforms implementing similar charges to support operational expenses.
The fee, applicable to all customers—including Amazon Prime members—aims to bolster the company’s efforts to maintain a seamless shopping experience, Amazon noted in a recent blog post. However, the fee will not be applied to certain categories such as gift cards, digital services like mobile recharges and bill payments, or through platforms like Amazon Now, Amazon Business, and Bazaar.
With this move, Amazon joins rivals Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Zepto, and Blinkit, all of which have introduced fixed order fees over the past year. Flipkart, owned by Walmart, levies a Rs 3 fee on orders under Rs 10,000. Its quick commerce service, Flipkart Minutes, charges Rs 9 per order, while its fashion arm, Myntra, applies a Rs 20 fee.
Food delivery platforms and quick commerce players such as Zomato, Swiggy, Instamart, and Zepto have adopted similar charges, with fees ranging between Rs 4 and Rs 30 depending on location and service tier.
Notably, Amazon clarified that the new fee will not appear as a separate line item on pay-on-delivery orders or prepaid purchases that already include additional fees such as exchange or promotional charges. Instead, it may be bundled into the overall cost.
Industry analysts suggest these marketplace and handling fees represent a significant revenue stream for platforms. “With consumers increasingly prioritizing speed and convenience, especially in quick commerce, there is growing acceptance of modest additional charges,” one expert commented. “Amazon was among the last to implement such a fee.”
In an effort to remain competitive, Amazon has also ramped up its delivery capabilities. The company’s primary e-commerce platform now offers one-day delivery in many areas, while Amazon Fresh continues to promise delivery within two hours in select cities. Its new service, Amazon Now, is specifically designed to challenge the fast-growing quick commerce sector.