UPS 2026 General Rate Increase (GRI)

UPS has announced the General Rate Increase (GRI) of 5.9%, effective December 22, 2025, impacting Ground, Air, and International services. Remember: 5.9% is an average—your real increase will vary by service, weight, zone, and surcharges, and can climb higher once mid-year adjustments are layered in.

Comparing 2025 vs. 2026: What’s Changing

• Ground base rates (1–10 lbs., Zones 2–8): +5.77% average
• Minimum package charge (Zone 2, 1 lb.): $11.32 → $11.99 (+5.9%)

Key Accessorial & Surcharge Increases for 2026

• Additional Handling — Weight: +6.8%
• Additional Handling — Dimensions: +6.98%
• Additional Handling — Packaging: +7.07%
• Large Package Surcharge — Commercial: +8.18%
• Large Package Surcharge — Residential: +6.97%
• Delivery Area Surcharge — Air & Ground (Commercial): +7.14%
• Delivery Area Surcharge — Air & Ground (Residential): +6.5%
• Address Correction (Air & Ground): +7.45%
• Collect on Delivery (COD): +7.14%
• Printer Rental Fee: $3.00 → $9.99 (+233%)
• Remote Area Surcharge: +7.49%
• Ground Residential Surcharge: +6.56%
• Air Residential Surcharge: +6.87%
• Daily Pickup Charge: +8.33%
• Electronic Label: +9.52%

Why This Matters

• Carriers are coaching sales teams to protect the increase.
• Compounded surcharges + rolling adjustments can turn a 5.9% GRI into a double-digit effective increase.
• Without benchmarks, it’s easy to accept concessions that look good on paper but keep total cost high.

What Smart Parcel Shippers Should Do Now

• Know your profile: Dig into weights, zones, service mix, and every surcharge line. Forecast 2026 with conservative buffers for mid-year changes.
• Re-negotiate strategically: Don’t negotiate in the dark. Percent discounts alone won’t neutralize accessorials and minimums.
• Bring in experts: Use market benchmarks, data analytics, and seasoned negotiators to unlock terms you may not realize are negotiable.

Why Ebb Logistics

• No-cost, no-risk contract review: Worst case, we confirm you’re best-in-class. Best case, we uncover meaningful savings.
• 100% client retention: Clients stay because results and relationships compound over time.
• Side-by-side partnership: We strengthen your carrier relationships while improving price, terms, and performance.

Ready to Turn Rate Pressure into Opportunity?

• Contact ebb Logistics today to book your free parcel agreement review and get ahead of the 2026 increases.

Contact ebb Logistics!