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FedEx, UPS and USPS peak season surcharge calculator
See the FedEx and UPS 2026-27 demand surcharge dates and per-package rates by window, the USPS holiday price adjustment by product, weight and zone, and estimate what the season adds at your volume.
Source: FedEx, UPS and USPS published 2026-27 peak schedules · FedEx, UPS and USPS 2026-27 peak schedules, published August and September 2026 · Free, no signup
Same service, other carrier, per package at peak
| Window | Dates | Packages | Per package | Service charges | Size charges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-season | Sep 28 to Oct 25 | 20,000 | — | $0 | $27,950 | $27,950 |
| Early season | Oct 26 to Nov 22 | 20,000 | $0.50 | $10,000 | $27,950 | $37,950 |
| Peak | Nov 23 to Dec 27 | 25,000 | $0.80 | $20,000 | $44,125 | $64,125 |
| Late season | Dec 28 to Jan 17 | 15,000 | $0.50 | $7,500 | $20,963 | $28,463 |
| Season | Sep 28 to Jan 17 | 80,000 | — | $37,500 | $120,988 | $158,488 |
FedEx size and handling demand charges, per package
| Charge | FedEx name | Before and after peak | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional handling | Demand additional handling | $8.80 | $11.85 |
| Oversize / large package | Demand oversize charge | $95.75 | $117.25 |
| Unauthorized / over maximum | Demand ground unauthorized package | $535.00 | $595.00 |
FedEx tiered residential schedule, peak window, qualifying high-volume shippers
| Weekly volume vs June baseline | Ground residential, per package | Air residential, per package |
|---|---|---|
| >105-125% | $1.70 | $3.05 |
| >125-150% | $2.40 | $3.75 |
| >150-200% | $2.70 | $4.05 |
| >200-300% | $3.35 | $4.70 |
| >300-400% | $5.60 | $6.95 |
| >400% | $8.00 | $9.35 |
Demand surcharges apply on top of the year-round surcharge of the same name and on top of fuel, and they are not discounted by your incentive. The FedEx figures are from the FedEx demand surcharges page dated Jul 22, 2026; the UPS figures from the UPS 2026-27 demand surcharge schedule. FedEx Ground Economy is a contract-only service. The tiered schedule replaces the flat residential charge during the peak window for shippers who qualify, and eligibility is historical: the UPS schedule tests whether qualifying volume exceeded 20,000 packages in any week after October 2025, aggregated across affiliated accounts. The tier is measured against a June baseline, or against 30 August to 26 September where that period averaged below 80% of June, which is why it is shown rather than calculated. The percentages above are yours to set; measure them from a season's worth of invoices. USPS runs a different kind of season; choose it above to see its tables.
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Send your agreement and last season’s invoices. We will show what demand surcharges cost you by service, whether any were billed outside the published windows, and what to negotiate before next season.
What is peak surcharge calculator?
Peak season demand surcharges are per-package charges FedEx and UPS add between late September and mid January, on top of the year-round surcharge of the same name and on top of fuel. Both carriers run four windows: size and handling charges from 27 or 28 September, per-package service charges from 25 or 26 October, five weeks of higher rates from 22 or 23 November to 26 or 27 December, then a lower rate again until 16 or 17 January. Shippers billed more than 20,000 packages a week move to a tiered residential schedule based on their own June volume. USPS runs one window instead, October 4, 2026 to January 17, 2027, adding a fixed amount per package to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select by weight band and zone group, from $0.40 to $20.80.
Worked example
A shipper sending 5,000 FedEx Ground residential packages a week pays $0.50 a package for the four weeks from October 26, $0.80 for the five peak weeks from November 23, and $0.50 for the last three weeks to January 17. That is $10,000, $20,000 and $7,500: $37,500 for the season in per-package charges alone, before any size charges.
Published rates, not your agreement
The estimate multiplies weekly volume by the published rate for each window. It does not know your baseline volume, so the tiered schedule for shippers above 20,000 packages a week is shown rather than calculated. It assumes even volume across the season, and any peak terms in your agreement are not applied.
Source: FedEx, UPS and USPS published 2026-27 peak schedules. FedEx, UPS and USPS 2026-27 peak schedules, published August and September 2026.
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