Shipping and carriers
2026 peak surcharges: USPS, UPS and FedEx dates and amounts in one table
USPS, UPS and FedEx 2026 peak surcharge dates and per-package amounts in one table, with a worked example for 3,000 parcels a month and a note on which regional carriers skip the fee.
Peak surcharges for 2026 are higher than last year at all three national carriers. USPS raises package prices from October 4, 2026 through January 17, 2027. UPS adds demand surcharges from September 27, 2026 through January 16, 2027. FedEx adds them from September 28, 2026 through January 17, 2027. The highest fees run late November to late December. Dates and amounts are in one table below, with the cost for a brand shipping 3,000 parcels a month.
The 2026 peak surcharge table
| Carrier | Surcharge | Amount | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Ground Advantage, commercial, 0 to 3 lb | +$0.40 zones 1 to 4, +$0.55 zones 5 to 9 | Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| USPS | Priority Mail, commercial, 0 to 3 lb | +$0.40 zones 1 to 4, +$0.85 zones 5 to 9 | Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| UPS | Ground Residential and Ground Saver | $0.50, rising to $0.75 Nov 22 to Dec 26 | Oct 25, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 |
| UPS | Next Day Air and all other Air | $1.35, rising to $2.50 Nov 22 to Dec 26 | Oct 25, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 |
| UPS | Additional Handling | $8.75, rising to $11.90 Nov 22 to Dec 26 | Sep 27, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 |
| UPS | Large Package | $96.25, rising to $117.50 Nov 22 to Dec 26 | Sep 27, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 |
| FedEx | Ground Residential and Home Delivery | $0.50, rising to $0.80 Nov 23 to Dec 27 | Oct 26, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $2.55, rising to $4.05 Nov 23 to Dec 27 | Oct 26, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| FedEx | Express services | $1.20 to $1.30, rising to $2.35 to $2.55 Nov 23 to Dec 27 | Oct 26, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| FedEx | Additional Handling | $8.80, rising to $11.85 Nov 23 to Dec 27 | Sep 28, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| FedEx | Oversize | $95.75, rising to $117.25 Nov 23 to Dec 27 | Sep 28, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 |
| GOFO | Peak surcharge | None | 2026 holiday season |
Sources: FedEx, USPS, EasyPost, Reveel.
USPS: a temporary price increase, not a fee line
USPS does not add a surcharge line. It raises the published price of each service for the season. The increase averages about 6% across Ground Advantage, Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express and Parcel Select, per Supply Chain Dive. Last year's averaged 4.9% to 5.8%. The Postal Regulatory Commission approved it and it took effect October 4.
Heavier parcels pay more. Commercial Ground Advantage goes up $0.65 (zones 1 to 4) or $1.05 (zones 5 to 9) at 4 to 10 lb, $1.05 or $1.75 at 11 to 25 lb, and $3.15 or $7.70 at 26 to 70 lb, per DCL. Priority Mail Express at 26 to 70 lb rises $12.55 or $18.20. Flat Rate products go up $0.85, Large Flat Rate Boxes $1.75. For most DTC brands the number that matters is the under 3 lb Ground Advantage band: $0.40 or $0.55 per label. See our USPS carrier page.
UPS: three windows, two fee families
The per-package demand surcharge on Ground Residential, Ground Saver and Air starts October 25. Ground is $0.50 per parcel in the shoulder windows (October 25 to November 21 and December 27 to January 16) and $0.75 from November 22 to December 26. Air is $1.35 in the shoulders and $2.50 at peak.
Size and handling fees start September 27. Additional Handling adds $8.75, or $11.90 at peak. Large Package adds $96.25, or $117.50 at peak. Over Maximum Limits adds $530, or $590 at peak. These stack on the regular accessorial, so a package that already triggers Additional Handling pays both.
Shippers billed for more than 20,000 packages a week fall under a volume-based schedule that runs up to $8.00 per Ground package and $9.35 per Air package. Detail is on EasyPost's 2026 guide. See our UPS carrier page.
FedEx: Ground Economy pays the most per parcel
FedEx dates run one day behind UPS. Handling and size fees start September 28. Per-package demand surcharges start October 26. The peak window is November 23 to December 27 and the program ends January 17, 2027.
Ground Residential and Home Delivery pay $0.50 per parcel in the shoulders and $0.80 at peak. Overnight services pay $1.30 and $2.55. 2Day and Express Saver pay $1.20 and $2.35. Ground Economy pays $2.55 in the shoulders and $4.05 at peak, the highest flat per-parcel peak fee on a small package this year.
Additional Handling adds $8.80, or $11.85 at peak. Oversize adds $95.75, or $117.25 at peak. The Ground Unauthorized Package charge adds $535, or $595 at peak. Shippers over 20,000 residential packages a week move to a weekly volume-based charge of $1.70 to $8.00 on Ground. Cahoot has the year-over-year comparison. See our FedEx carrier page.
Worked example: 3,000 parcels a month
Take a brand shipping 3,000 residential parcels a month, all under 3 lb, in the late November to late December peak window, with USPS labels in zones 5 to 9. Added cost by carrier if every parcel went on one service:
- GOFO: $0. GOFO told Supply Chain Dive in August it is keeping its no-peak-surcharge policy for 2026.
- USPS Ground Advantage: $0.55 x 3,000 = $1,650.
- UPS Ground Residential: $0.75 x 3,000 = $2,250.
- FedEx Home Delivery: $0.80 x 3,000 = $2,400.
- FedEx Ground Economy: $4.05 x 3,000 = $12,150.
Add handling fees for any parcel that trips a size rule. If 2% of those parcels (60 units) trigger Additional Handling at UPS at peak, that is another 60 x $11.90 = $714. Check your cartons with the dimensional weight calculator first.
Regional carriers at peak
GOFO is the one carrier on our roster with a public no-surcharge statement for 2026. Veho and UniUni price by contract. Their live rates sit in the same comparison as the national carriers, so when a regional option is cheaper on a lane it wins the label. Carrier pages: GOFO, Veho, UniUni.
How rate shopping absorbs the surcharge
Every BoxHero label is rate shopped across 12+ carriers. The cheapest option that still meets the delivery date wins. During peak the surcharge is part of the quoted price, so a $0.80 FedEx fee or a $0.75 UPS fee shows up in the comparison and often sends the parcel to USPS or a regional carrier. Postage is passed through at cost, no markup. We charge no peak surcharge on pick and pack or storage. Our 3:30pm ET same-day cutoff does not move at peak.
Three things to do now. Check which SKUs cross 3 lb. Measure cartons that might trigger Additional Handling. Confirm your carrier mix before November 22. The rest of the peak prep list is in our BFCM 2026 ops checklist. The full roster is on /carriers.
