What was the gross cost for Amazon in Q1 2021
 more strongly with Prime benefits in 2020, and we think that will have a lasting impact both from the purchase frequency amount they purchase, use of digital benefits, etc. So, we are going to have to build probably for multiple scenarios and any on this upsy world. It's hard to turn that capacity on quickly, so generally means you may have to overbuild to protect the customer experience. On transportation, we made large investments in our transportation network in 2020.
With that work's not done yet. We have a lot of continued expansion. So, we see that over definitely through 2021. I can't quantify it right now.
Only -- I'm only giving guidance through Q1 right now, and we are still working -- through some of the plans as we do this time of year. And then infrastructure will remain a healthy part of our investment as well. We're supporting aid of U.S. business that is growing at a rapid clip both in usage and in revenue.
We're expanding regions globally and have a lot of upside in that area talking with customers on their transition plants to the cloud. So, we definitely do not want to run out of capacity, and we work to not do that. So there could be a risk of forwarding spend in 2021 due to uncertainty, but we'll see them, as we move through the year.
Operator
Our next question comes from Doug Anmuth with JP Morgan. Please, proceed with your question. Doug, your line is open. Please, proceed with your question.
Doug Anmuth -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst
Sorry. I muted. I apologize. Brian, I hope you could talk more about the importance of AMC Yellow Amazon logistics during the holiday season.
If you could talk more about the percentage of packages, perhaps shipped from your fulfillment centers, and then where this can go in the coming years. And then also a quick comment on the COVID costs, you mentioned $2 billion in 1Q. Just curious how you think about it more on a full-year basis with some of the puts and takes that can be there. Thanks.
Brian Olsavsky -- Chief Financial Officer
Yeah. So, yeah for the full year were again $11.5 billion was our gross cost for 2020, $4 billion of that in Q4. We see a step down to closer to $2 billion in Q1 that compares with a $600 million spent last Q1 as the pandemic just started and we start reacting in March and, obviously, this cost escalated in Q2 and Q3. So, if we look at the core components of that right you know there's productivity that a lot of productivity drags from hiring, so many new employees, and also having a physical separation.
That gets better all the time. It was exasperated a bit in Q4 because of all the new hires that we brought on over 170,000 new people that should moderate. That's why one of the reasons that we were -- we see a step down in Q1 versus Q4 volume related and also mix of employees. After that we're going to see again, hopefully, the vaccine gets going.
Everyone gets vaccinated and we return it to normalcy that would be very helpful on a lot of fronts for everybody. And if not, there'll be a continuation of some of these costs. I will say that while we are very transparent, I try to be on the costs that we're seeing specifically around COVID. There are some positive things happening that counteract a bit of that.
That's the least of which is the top line volume. In 2020, we grew 37% and an FX-Neutral basis versus growing 22% in 2019. And the fact that we've been running pretty full out since arguably in April but definitely into May has created operating efficiencies of its own as a counterbalance to the physical separation and the training of new employees. So there's a lot of moving parts in here.
We're able to save about a billion dollars in transportation costs this year, excuse me in 2020 as virtually all travel was shut down and our sales teams found new ways to reach customers. We'll see how that develops over time. Marketing although it got back to probably more healthy levels in Q3 and Q4, definitely was lower in Q2 as we work through some capacity issues and it wasn't fruitful to invest in marketing when you're having trouble hitting exis
 more strongly with Prime benefits in 2020, and we think that will have a lasting impact both from the purchase frequency amount they purchase, use of digital benefits, etc. So, we are going to have to build probably for multiple scenarios and any on this upsy world. It's hard to turn that capacity on quickly, so generally means you may have to overbuild to protect the customer experience. On transportation, we made large investments in our transportation network in 2020.
With that work's not done yet. We have a lot of continued expansion. So, we see that over definitely through 2021. I can't quantify it right now.
Only -- I'm only giving guidance through Q1 right now, and we are still working -- through some of the plans as we do this time of year. And then infrastructure will remain a healthy part of our investment as well. We're supporting aid of U.S. business that is growing at a rapid clip both in usage and in revenue.
We're expanding regions globally and have a lot of upside in that area talking with customers on their transition plants to the cloud. So, we definitely do not want to run out of capacity, and we work to not do that. So there could be a risk of forwarding spend in 2021 due to uncertainty, but we'll see them, as we move through the year.
Operator
Our next question comes from Doug Anmuth with JP Morgan. Please, proceed with your question. Doug, your line is open. Please, proceed with your question.
Doug Anmuth -- J.P. Morgan -- Analyst
Sorry. I muted. I apologize. Brian, I hope you could talk more about the importance of AMC Yellow Amazon logistics during the holiday season.
If you could talk more about the percentage of packages, perhaps shipped from your fulfillment centers, and then where this can go in the coming years. And then also a quick comment on the COVID costs, you mentioned $2 billion in 1Q. Just curious how you think about it more on a full-year basis with some of the puts and takes that can be there. Thanks.
Brian Olsavsky -- Chief Financial Officer
 Yeah. So, yeah for the full year were again $11.5 billion was our gross cost for 2020, $4 billion of that in Q4. We see a step down to closer to $2 billion in Q1 that compares with a $600 million spent last Q1 as the pandemic just started and we start reacting in March and, obviously, this cost escalated in Q2 and Q3. So, if we look at the core components of that right you know there's productivity that a lot of productivity drags from hiring, so many new employees, and also having a physical separation.
That gets better all the time. It was exasperated a bit in Q4 because of all the new hires that we brought on over 170,000 new people that should moderate. That's why one of the reasons that we were -- we see a step down in Q1 versus Q4 volume related and also mix of employees. After that we're going to see again, hopefully, the vaccine gets going.
Everyone gets vaccinated and we return it to normalcy that would be very helpful on a lot of fronts for everybody. And if not, there'll be a continuation of some of these costs. I will say that while we are very transparent, I try to be on the costs that we're seeing specifically around COVID. There are some positive things happening that counteract a bit of that.
That's the least of which is the top line volume. In 2020, we grew 37% and an FX-Neutral basis versus growing 22% in 2019. And the fact that we've been running pretty full out since arguably in April but definitely into May has created operating efficiencies of its own as a counterbalance to the physical separation and the training of new employees. So there's a lot of moving parts in here.
We're able to save about a billion dollars in transportation costs this year, excuse me in 2020 as virtually all travel was shut down and our sales teams found new ways to reach customers. We'll see how that develops over time. Marketing although it got back to probably more healthy levels in Q3 and Q4, definitely was lower in Q2 as we work through some capacity issues and it wasn't fruitful to invest in marketing when you're having trouble hitting exis