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.
Ground Residential/Home Delivery packages only.
UPS demand surcharge, peak week
$300.00
Extra cost vs. shoulder-period rate (UPS)
$100.00
FedEx demand surcharge, peak week
$400.00
Extra cost vs. shoulder-period rate (FedEx)
$150.00
| Surcharge Type | Standard Rate | Peak Week Rate (Nov 23–Dec 27) |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Handling | $8.25 | $10.80 |
| Large Package | $90.50 | $107.00 |
| Over Maximum Limits | $485.00 | $540.00 |
| Demand — Ground Residential & Ground Saver | $0.40 | $0.60 |
| Demand — Next Day Air / other Air | $1.10 | $2.05 |
Source: UPS — August 28, 2025 Update: UPS Demand Surcharges (retrieved August 7, 2026) — Covers UPS's 2025 season (Sept 28, 2025–Jan 17, 2026), the most recently published schedule as of this page's data refresh. UPS had not yet published a 2026-2027 schedule.
| Surcharge Type | Standard Rate | Peak Week Rate (Nov 23–Dec 27) |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Handling | $8.80 | $11.85 |
| Oversize | $95.75 | $117.25 |
| Ground Unauthorized Package | $535.00 | $595.00 |
| Demand — Ground Residential/Home Delivery | $0.50 | $0.80 |
| Demand — Ground Economy | $2.55 | $4.05 |
| Demand — Overnight | $1.30 | $2.55 |
| Demand — 2Day | $1.20 | $2.35 |
Source: FedEx — Demand Surcharges (retrieved August 7, 2026) — Covers FedEx's 2026 season (Sept 28, 2026–Jan 17, 2027), announced July 22, 2026. That's already the upcoming season, one calendar year ahead of UPS's most recently published schedule above, so the two tables aren't directly comparable year-over-year.
| Packages in Peak Week | Extra Cost (UPS) | Extra Cost (FedEx) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | $20.00 | $30.00 |
| 500 | $100.00 | $150.00 |
| 1,000 | $200.00 | $300.00 |
| 5,000 | $1,000.00 | $1,500.00 |
| 10,000 | $2,000.00 | $3,000.00 |
Sources: UPS — August 28, 2025 Update: UPS Demand Surcharges (retrieved August 7, 2026); FedEx — Demand Surcharges (retrieved August 7, 2026) — Agentis synthesis: the published standard-vs-peak-week rate delta ($0.20/pkg UPS, $0.30/pkg FedEx) multiplied across common weekly BFCM shipping volumes.
How we calculate this
Surcharge figures come directly from UPS's and FedEx's own published peak-season rate documents. UPS's most recently published schedule covers the 2025 season. FedEx has already published its 2026 season. The two schedules are from different calendar years, and we note that rather than blend them together as if comparable. Read our full methodology →
Expert Insight
Everyone braces for BFCM order volume. Fewer merchants model the demand surcharge that shows up on every Ground Residential package during the highest-volume week, regardless of order value. It's the same $0.60 whether the order is $20 or $200. On its own that looks trivial. Multiplied across a real BFCM week's package count, it's a five- or six-figure line item that most margin models never isolate, because it's buried inside a blended 'shipping cost' bucket instead of being tracked as its own seasonal cost driver.
Udi Razmovich, CTO & Co-Founder →No. USPS folds its holiday-season price adjustment directly into the published rate table for the affected period instead of adding a separate surcharge line item. There's no add-on fee to isolate the way there is with UPS's or FedEx's demand surcharges.
Agentis finds margin leaks automatically.
Data last updated August 7, 2026. Browse all Shipping & Fulfillment pages →