Margin Intelligence

Shipping & Fulfillment

Carrier surcharges, peak-season fee stacking, and shipping-threshold math, synthesized from published carrier rate cards into per-package and per-order cost figures.

How much do carrier peak surcharges actually add during BFCM?

Agentis analysis of UPS's and FedEx's own published 2025-2026 peak-season surcharge schedules shows a standard residential Ground package's demand surcharge nearly doubles during the highest-volume week: from $0.40 to $0.60 at UPS, and from $0.50 to $0.80 at FedEx. USPS publishes no equivalent add-on surcharge.

Does a $4.99 flat shipping rate cover what USPS actually charges?

Agentis analysis of USPS's own published Ground Advantage pricing confirms rates start at $7.90 at a Post Office location. A merchant charging a flat $4.99 shipping fee absorbs at least $2.91 of that cost per order before any packaging or handling, an amount that comes straight out of gross margin on every single sale, not just the unprofitable ones.

What does defaulting every order to Priority Mail instead of Ground Advantage actually cost?

Agentis analysis of USPS's own published rates confirms Priority Mail starts at $11.00 per package versus Ground Advantage's $7.90, a $3.10 premium for a 2-3 day delivery estimate that carries no money-back guarantee. Defaulting every order to Priority Mail instead of Ground Advantage costs an extra $1,550 a month on 500 orders, without a single dollar of that showing up as a line item most merchants track.