FedEx plans to raise its holiday/peak‑season surcharges across multiple services, with some charges jumping more than 10% compared to last year, according to Supply Chain Dive. Holiday shipments jump sharply above baseline - 70% above baseline in 2024 - and shippers increase rates to drive revenue and support their capacity.
Increased fees begin September 29, beginning with surcharges on larger and “extra handling” packages. Standard and expedited shipping surcharges begin October 27. Peak fees run from November 24 to December 28, and all holiday fees end January 18 2026.
Most notable is the Residential delivery fees for large shippers, scaling from $1.55 to $8.75 per package, based on shipment volume above baseline. The Ground Unauthorized Package Charge may reach $545 (up from $485 in 2024).
USPS has raised its non-holiday rates, effective this month. USPS changes their rates each January and July.
-Priority Mail: Retail rates up about 6.3%, with Commercial rising about 5.1–10.8%, depending on service and zone
-Non-Standard Package Fee: $4 added for characteristics like tubes, cylinders, wooden/metal boxes, or large liquid shipments, applied across Priority Mail and Ground Advantage
-Priority Mail Express & International Shipping: Largely unchanged
This is the largest mid-year USPS rate change in decades. Whether dealing with normal rate increases or temporary holiday changes, logistics managers can always plan for and optimize to new pricing. Model a coming or expected surcharge early, so you can shift volume to cheaper carriers. Negotiate discounts or cap your agreements, so you can achieve at least a few months of cheaper prices. And always try to streamline package handling to avoid extra fees, whether that means reducing packaging size and complexity or shipping to business locations to avoid residential surcharges.