As most people know, one of the biggest benefits of shopping online with Amazon Prime is the company’s free shipping policy.
This allows you to purchase larger or heavyweight items—like pet food or even furniture—without having to factor in the cost of shipping. While this may be a huge perk for shoppers, one small business owner says that this model is actually hurting her business.
Not only that, but she’s calling out the rising cost of shipping, which affects anyone looking to send a parcel through the mail.
This really explains where some of those fees come from when you’re ordering from a local business. Yes, even those shipping from within your state.
Small Business Says the Cost of Shipping is Too High
Small business owner shows how expensive it’s become to just send a small envelope package like this
“If you’re wondering why small businesses charge so much for shipping, it’s because that’s how much it costs. This is going to Santa Rosa. I’m in Los Angeles. We are both in… pic.twitter.com/MpDNJ5aN4H
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 9, 2026
An unnamed business owner went viral on X after the popular @wallstreeapes account shared her video. In the short clip, the woman explained why she charges her customers so much for shipping. “If you’re wondering why small businesses charge so much for shipping, it’s because that’s how much it costs,” she said, holding up a thin envelope that she said was going to cost her $5.40 to send to her customer.
“This is going to Santa Rosa. I’m in Los Angeles,” she continued. “We are both in California. This is not leaving state lines.” And while the business owner said she tried to find some more affordable options for the package, which weighed just .5 ounces, this was the only option that would work for her.
The viral post was quickly picked up by several publications, including the Daily Dot.
Commenters Agree That Shipping Is Too Expensive These Days
People jumped into the comments to agree that shipping prices have gone up in recent years. “Shipping costs are one of the several reasons I stopped working my small business in 2023,” one former business owner wrote, saying that the cost to ship and insure her packages was too much for her bottom line.
Another person added that things were only going to get more expensive, thanks to a planned price increase this summer. “Prices are increasing again this month, 4.8 percent, and there is an extra surcharge until 2027,” they wrote. “They are killing small businesses. Everyone expects Amazon free shipping.”
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced plans to increase prices on “some domestic competitive package and service offerings” beginning on July 12, which looks like it will mostly include commercial and hazardous material pricing. The USPS wrote that the increase was proposed to strengthen and modernize the agency, helping generate more revenue and increase customer satisfaction. However, in a time when so many people rely on mail-order services, it seems like the added costs are becoming a burden for small business owners and shoppers alike.