UPS 2027 rate increase: what the 5.9% average hides
The short version
- UPS’s 2027 increase averages 5.9% net, effective December 21, 2026, two weeks before FedEx’s 5.9% on January 4, 2027.
- UPS Ground cells rise 5.40% to 6.17%. Weight drives most of the variation, not zone: 6.13% at 1 to 5 lb, about 5.9% from 6 to 70 lb, 5.50% at 71 to 100 lb and 5.40% above 100 lb, the same in every zone.
- Domestic air services average 4.33% to 5.30% across their tables, but 1 to 5 lb packages rise 4.96% to 6.92%.
- Residential, delivery area, signature, Additional Handling and pickup charges rise about 8.5% to 9.5%. Commercial Large Package Surcharges rise 11.7% to 15.4% and Package Shield 17.1%.
- The Additional Handling minimum billable weight rises from 40 lb to 50 lb. On a long, light Ground package it can add more to the bill than the rate increase does.
UPS raises its published Daily Rates by an average net 5.9% on December 21, 2026. The average is a poor guide to any one shipper’s 2027 budget. We compared UPS’s 2026 and 2027 Daily Rate tables cell by cell: Ground averages 5.67% across all 1,050 weight and zone cells, but 6.13% on 1 to 5 lb packages and 5.40% above 100 lb, and every domestic air service shows the same split by weight. Most domestic surcharges rise 8.5% to 9.5%, well above the headline, and commercial Large Package Surcharges up to 15.4%. A separate change, the minimum billable weight for packages that qualify for Additional Handling by size rising from 40 lb to 50 lb, combines with the rate increase to raise the transportation charge on a long, light package 25.2% and its total before fuel 17.7%.
What changes on December 21
| Change | What it does |
|---|---|
| Daily Rates | Ground, Air and International package rates rise an average net 5.9% |
| Surcharges and other charges | Most domestic charges rise about 8.5% to 9.5%; commercial Large Package Surcharges 11.7% to 15.4% |
| Additional Handling minimum billable weight | Rises from 40 lb to 50 lb for packages that qualify by size |
| Area surcharge ZIP codes | UPS’s delivery area and remote area ZIP code list changes |
| ZIP-to-zone assignments | The ZIP codes assigned to certain rate zones change |
| UPS My Choice for Business reschedule | A $9.99 charge where there was none |
Two other dates sit around it. UPS replaced its domestic fuel surcharge tables on November 2, 2026, and FedEx’s 5.9% increase follows on January 4, 2027.
How the UPS rate tables moved, service by service
We matched every published cell in the two guides, 1 to 150 lb in zones 2 to 8, and averaged the percentage change with each cell weighted equally. These are not projections for any one shipper, who ships more at some weights and zones than others, but they show where the increase sits.
| Service | All cells | 1–5 lb | 6–20 lb | 21–50 lb | 51–100 lb | 101–150 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | 5.67% | 6.13% | 5.93% | 5.91% | 5.66% | 5.40% |
| UPS 3 Day Select | 4.48% | 6.92% | 5.24% | 4.90% | 4.33% | 3.90% |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | 4.44% | 6.13% | 5.67% | 5.00% | 4.01% | 4.00% |
| UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. | 5.30% | 6.71% | 6.51% | 5.50% | 5.22% | 4.75% |
| UPS Next Day Air Saver | 5.02% | 6.22% | 5.67% | 5.36% | 4.67% | 4.86% |
| UPS Next Day Air | 4.70% | 6.50% | 6.00% | 5.00% | 4.58% | 4.07% |
| UPS Next Day Air Early | 4.33% | 4.96% | 5.05% | 4.52% | 4.33% | 3.93% |
Calculated by ebb Logistics from the 2026 UPS Daily Rate and Service Guide and the 2027 UPS Daily Rates preview, effective December 21, 2026: simple averages of the percentage change in every matched cell, 1 to 150 lb, zones 2 to 8, 1,050 cells per service. Zones are held fixed: UPS also changes the ZIP codes assigned to certain zones on December 21, and a lane that moves to a higher zone rises more than these figures show.
Ground is the cleanest case. Every zone rises by the same 5.67% on average, so weight, not distance, drives most of the variation in the matched cells: a 1 lb zone 2 package goes from $11.99 to $12.70 (5.9%), a 1 lb zone 5 package from $14.10 to $14.97 (6.2%), and a 96 lb zone 3 package from $70.00 to $73.78 (5.4%). Below about 75 lb almost every Ground cell rises 5.9%, a handful of light cells, from 1 to 6 lb, rise 6.0% to 6.2%, and from about 76 lb up the cells rise 5.4%. FedEx’s 2027 Ground table has the same shape, with 1 to 5 lb packages rising 6.49%; our FedEx 2027 article has that comparison.
The air services average less than 5.9% across their tables because their heavy cells rise only about 4%. That lowers the arithmetic average without lowering the increase on the packages most shippers send by air: 1 to 5 lb packages rise 6.13% on 2nd Day Air, 6.50% on Next Day Air and 6.92% on 3 Day Select.
International rates rise more than domestic
International rates deserve their own look rather than being folded into the domestic average. Across every matched export and import cell, most international services rise more than 5.9%, and UPS Standard to and from Mexico rises 6.90% almost uniformly.
| Service | Export | Import |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Worldwide Express | 6.33% | 6.17% |
| UPS Worldwide Saver | 6.25% | 5.98% |
| UPS Worldwide Expedited | 6.34% | 5.96% |
| UPS Standard to and from Mexico | 6.90% | 6.90% |
| UPS Standard to Canada | 5.88% |
Calculated by ebb Logistics from the 2026 UPS Daily Rate and Service Guide and the 2027 preview: simple averages over every matched cell, 1 to 150 lb, in each zone both guides publish. Worldwide Express covers 26 to 150 lb on export and 11 to 150 lb on import, where the two guides’ tables align.
Within a service the spread is wider than on domestic Ground: Worldwide Expedited export cells range from 2.0% to 7.8% depending on destination zone and weight. A shipper with meaningful cross-border volume should look at its own lanes rather than any average.
The surcharges rise faster than the rates
UPS published its 2027 changes to value-added services and other charges alongside the rates. Most domestic charges move in a narrow band of about 8.5% to 9.5%.
| Domestic charge | 2026 | From December 21, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Surcharge, Ground | $6.50 | $7.10 | 9.2% |
| Residential Surcharge, Air | $7.00 | $7.60 | 8.6% |
| Delivery Area Surcharge, Ground Residential | $6.55 | $7.15 | 9.2% |
| Delivery Area Surcharge, Ground Residential Extended | $8.85 | $9.65 | 9.0% |
| Delivery Area Surcharge, Ground Commercial | $4.50 | $4.90 | 8.9% |
| Remote Area Surcharge, US 48 | $16.50 | $18.00 | 9.1% |
| Additional Handling, Dimensions, Zone 2 | $30.00 | $32.75 | 9.2% |
| Additional Handling, Weight, Zone 2 | $46.50 | $50.50 | 8.6% |
| Large Package Surcharge, Commercial, Zone 2 | $219.50 | $250.00 | 13.9% |
| Large Package Surcharge, Commercial, Zone 7+ | $286.00 | $330.00 | 15.4% |
| Large Package Surcharge, Residential, Zone 7+ | $331.00 | $359.25 | 8.5% |
| Signature Required | $7.70 | $8.40 | 9.1% |
| Declared Value for Carriage, per $100 | $1.70 | $1.84 | 8.2% |
| Package Shield, per $100 | $1.70 | $1.99 | 17.1% |
| Daily Pickup | $39.00 | $42.50 | 9.0% |
| UPS My Choice for Business, Reschedule Delivery | $0.00 | $9.99 | New |
Source: UPS, Revised Rates for Value-Added Services and Other Charges, effective December 21, 2026. Percentages calculated by ebb Logistics.
The charges stack. A residential Ground package to an extended delivery area ZIP code carries the residential surcharge and the delivery area surcharge on top of its transportation rate: $15.35 of surcharges in 2026 and $16.75 from December 21, a 9.1% rise on that part of the bill. Fuel is charged on those surcharges as well, so the dollar increase grows with it. A few charges do not move: the two Delivery Intercept charges stay at $27.00 and $21.00.
International charges are more mixed. Additional Handling on international packages rises from $36.35 to $39.50 (8.7%) and the international Large Package Surcharge from $235.00 to $255.00 (8.5%), while the residential surcharge on standard and international air services, the extended and remote area surcharges, the paper commercial invoice charge and the international processing fee stay where they are.
The 50 lb Additional Handling floor
Under the 2026 guide, a package that qualifies for Additional Handling by its size, by length plus girth, length, width or cubic size, is billed at no less than 40 lb. Packages that qualify by weight or by packaging have no minimum. From December 21, 2026, that floor rises to 50 lb.
The floor changes the transportation charge itself, not only the Additional Handling fee. Take a 50 by 10 by 10 inch box weighing 15 lb, shipped UPS Ground to zone 5. Its 50 inch length triggers Additional Handling, and its dimensional weight at UPS’s 139 divisor is 36 lb, so in both years the floor sets the billable weight.
| 2026 | 2027 at the old 40 lb floor | 2027 at the new 50 lb floor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billable weight | 40 lb | 40 lb | 50 lb |
| Ground rate, zone 5 | $44.86 | $47.51 | $56.15 |
| Additional Handling, Dimensions, zones 5–6 | $38.50 | $42.00 | $42.00 |
| Total before fuel | $83.36 | $89.51 | $98.15 |
| Change from 2026 | +7.4% | +17.7% |
Published Daily Rates and charges, before fuel, discounts and any other surcharges. Calculated by ebb Logistics from the 2026 guide and the 2027 previews.
The rate increase alone would add 5.9% to the transportation charge. With the higher billable weight it rises 25.2%, $11.29, of which $8.64 comes from the floor rather than the rate; the total before fuel rises 17.7%. The same package to zone 8 rises 24.8% on the transportation charge, and to zone 2 15.6%. Packages already billed above 50 lb, by actual or dimensional weight, are not affected.
A sample week under both years’ rates
Averages describe the tables; a shipper’s increase depends on its mix. Here is an illustrative week of 1,000 shipments, each priced on the published Daily Rate for its service, billable weight and zone, with the surcharges that apply to it.
| Shipment | Per week | 2026 | 2027 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground, commercial, 2 lb, zone 5 | 390 | $15.79 | $16.76 | +$0.97 (6.14%) |
| Ground, residential, 5 lb, zone 6 | 300 | $25.95 | $27.74 | +$1.79 (6.90%) |
| Ground, residential, 5 lb, zone 6, with delivery area surcharge | 50 | $32.50 | $34.89 | +$2.39 (7.35%) |
| Ground, commercial, 12 lb, zone 8 | 100 | $29.70 | $31.46 | +$1.76 (5.93%) |
| Ground, commercial, 55 lb, zone 5, with Additional Handling (weight) | 30 | $110.06 | $118.24 | +$8.18 (7.43%) |
| Ground, commercial, 24 × 24 × 19 in carton, 30 lb actual, 79 lb billable, zone 7, with Additional Handling (dimensions) | 20 | $137.38 | $146.12 | +$8.74 (6.36%) |
| Ground, commercial, 50 × 10 × 10 in carton, 15 lb actual, zone 5, with Additional Handling (dimensions), billed at the floor | 10 | $83.36 | $98.15 | +$14.79 (17.74%) |
| 2nd Day Air, commercial, 3 lb, zone 205 | 80 | $42.53 | $45.29 | +$2.76 (6.49%) |
| Next Day Air Saver, residential, 1 lb, zone 138 | 20 | $109.87 | $117.16 | +$7.29 (6.64%) |
| Week | 1,000 | $31,020.90 | $33,166.40 | +$2,145.50 (6.92%) |
Calculated by ebb Logistics at UPS Daily Rates in the 2026 guide and the 2027 preview, with surcharges from UPS’s Revised Rates for Value-Added Services and Other Charges. Illustrative mix. Excludes fuel, discounts and minimum charges, and holds zones fixed. The 24 × 24 × 19 in carton measures 110 in in length plus girth, above UPS’s 105 in trigger, and bills on its 79 lb dimensional weight; the 50 in carton bills at 40 lb in 2026 and 50 lb in 2027.
Over 52 weeks that is $111,566 more at list, an increase of 6.92% against the 5.9% headline. The base rates in this mix rise 6.45% and the surcharges 9.01%. The ten long, light cartons are 1% of the shipments but add about 0.3 points on their own: without them, the same week rises 6.62%. Change the mix and the answer changes. More light Ground and residential volume pushes it up; more heavy air volume pulls it down.
Delivery area ZIP codes, fuel and the calendar
ZIP codes. UPS has confirmed that its area surcharge ZIP code list changes on December 21. Until the new list is published, there is no way to say how many ZIP codes move tier at UPS. FedEx’s 2027 list shows what a reclassification can do: it moves 2,533 ZIP codes from Extended to Remote on January 4, taking a residential package in those ZIP codes from $8.80 to $17.75 before fuel. Our FedEx delivery area article has the detail. UPS is also changing the ZIP codes assigned to certain rate zones on the same date, a separate change that moves the base rate on the lanes it reaches. The averages and the sample week in this article hold zones fixed.
Fuel. UPS replaced its domestic Ground, Ground Saver and Air fuel tables on November 2, 2026; at the same fuel price the new tables are 0.50 point higher. Because fuel is a percentage of the transportation charge and most surcharges, it carries the 2027 increases through to the fuel line. The current week is on our UPS fuel surcharge page.
The calendar. December 21 falls in peak season, while UPS’s demand surcharges are in force, and two weeks before FedEx’s January 4 change. December invoices will carry both 2026 and 2027 rates, so a month-on-month comparison has to separate the rate change from peak charges and shipment mix before it says anything about the increase.
Why the pattern fits UPS’s strategy
In UPS’s third quarter, U.S. Domestic average daily volume fell 3.3% while revenue per piece rose 6.1%, about half of it from base rates and customer mix, and small and mid-sized businesses made up a record 35.1% of U.S. volume. Larger increases on light packages and a broad rise in delivery, handling and pickup charges fit a carrier focused on revenue per package rather than volume. That is our reading of the published tables, not a pricing rule UPS has stated.
What to check before December 21
- Your weight mix. The share of your packages under 5 lb, and in each air service, decides whether your increase lands above or below the 5.9% headline.
- Your surcharge share. If residential, delivery area and handling charges are a large part of your bill, your increase will run closer to 9% than 5.9% on that part.
- Packages charged Additional Handling for size. Those billed below 50 lb are the ones the new floor reaches. Some may be long cartons that a different box would take out of Additional Handling altogether.
- Your ZIP codes, once UPS publishes the list. Match your destinations against the new tiers rather than assume the old ones hold.
Where your own bill changes depends on your shipments and your agreement together. The free written review starts with the agreement alone: we explain its terms, show which of the 2027 changes reach it and tell you whether repricing your shipments is worth doing. Our contract management service reprices your shipments under both years’ terms at every annual increase.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UPS 2027 GRI?
An average net increase of 5.9% on UPS’s published Daily Rates for Ground, Air and International package services, effective December 21, 2026. Surcharges and other charges change on the same date under a separate schedule.
When does the UPS 2027 rate increase take effect?
December 21, 2026, two weeks before FedEx’s 2027 increase on January 4, 2027.
Does every UPS rate rise 5.9% in 2027?
No. On UPS’s published tables, Ground cells rise 5.40% to 6.17%, with light packages at the top of the range. Domestic air services average 4.33% to 5.30%, but their 1 to 5 lb packages rise 4.96% to 6.92%. Most surcharges rise about 8.5% to 9.5%.
How much do UPS surcharges increase in 2027?
Most domestic charges rise about 8.5% to 9.5%: the Ground residential surcharge from $6.50 to $7.10, the extended residential delivery area surcharge from $8.85 to $9.65, and Signature Required from $7.70 to $8.40. Commercial Large Package Surcharges rise 11.7% to 15.4% and Package Shield 17.1%.
What is the UPS 50 lb Additional Handling minimum?
From December 21, 2026, a package that qualifies for Additional Handling by length plus girth, length, width or cubic size is billed at no less than 50 lb, up from 40 lb. It raises the transportation charge on qualifying packages that weigh less than 50 lb by actual and dimensional weight.
Is UPS changing its delivery area surcharge ZIP codes for 2027?
Yes. UPS has confirmed its area surcharge ZIP code list changes on December 21, 2026. The new list was not yet available when this article was published. UPS is also changing the ZIP codes assigned to certain rate zones on the same date.
How much do UPS international rates increase in 2027?
More than domestic rates. On UPS’s published tables, export rates rise 6.25% on Worldwide Saver, 6.34% on Worldwide Expedited and 6.33% on Worldwide Express, and UPS Standard to and from Mexico rises 6.90%. Import rates rise about 6.0%.
How does the UPS 2027 increase compare with FedEx?
Both carriers announced an average 5.9%. UPS takes effect December 21, 2026 and FedEx January 4, 2027. In both, light Ground packages rise more than the average: 6.13% at UPS and 6.49% at FedEx for 1 to 5 lb.
Sources
- UPS, 2027 UPS Daily Rates, preview, effective December 21, 2026, and the 2026 UPS Daily Rate and Service Guide, including the Additional Handling terms.
- UPS, Revised Rates for Value-Added Services and Other Charges, effective December 21, 2026.
- UPS, Shipping costs and rates, for the 2027 increase, the Additional Handling minimum billable weight and the area surcharge ZIP code change.
- UPS, UPS Releases 3Q 2026 Earnings, October 27, 2026, and the prepared remarks on the third-quarter earnings call the same day.
- ebb Logistics, FedEx 2027 rate changes and UPS and FedEx rate increase history.