Expedite fee: An expedite fee is an extra charge for delivering an order faster than the standard lead time, paying for the queue jumping, overtime or idle capacity it needs.
When a buyer needs parts sooner than your normal lead time, something else has to give. Another job waits, someone works late, or a machine is held free in case rush work comes in. An expedite fee charges for that.
It is usually a percentage of the order or a multiplier on the price, sometimes with a fixed minimum. Some shops offer two or three speeds, each with its own surcharge.
Example: a standard order of €200 ships in 7 working days. The shop offers 3-day delivery at +40% and next-day at +100%. The buyer who needs parts tomorrow pays €400; the one who can wait pays €200.
A common mistake is to set the fee from cost alone. The real cost of a rush job includes the delay it causes to other orders, and a buyer with a stopped production line values speed far more than the overtime it costs you. That makes expedite fees one of the places where value-based pricing fits naturally.
The other mistake is offering rush delivery when the shop is already full. An expedite option only makes sense when capacity planning shows there is room to deliver it. Read lead time pricing for how to set the tiers.
Go deeper: Lead-time pricing: how to price rush and economy orders