2025-26 season (most recent published) — 2026-27 schedules expected mid-Aug 2026

What will peak-season surcharges cost you this season?

Enter your weekly volume, ship dates, and service tier. You'll get the published UPS, FedEx, and USPS peak demand surcharges per package, week by week — with the cheapest carrier named for every week, season totals per carrier, and a copyable summary.

Short answer

Demand (peak) surcharges are temporary per-package fees the carriers stack on top of normal rates during the holiday rush. For 2025-26: handling-type fees (additional handling, oversize) started in late September, per-package demand fees kicked in late October (UPS Oct 26, FedEx Oct 27), and everything peaks Nov 23 – Dec 28. Typical per-package adders once demand fees start: $0.40–$0.65 for ground ($0.60–$0.65 at the peak), $1.05–$2.10 for express ($2.05–$2.10 at the peak), and USPS $0.30–$2.25 by weight and zone (more for Zones 5–9 and Express). The catch: each carrier's windows start and step on different dates, so the cheapest carrier changes week to week — the calculator below names the cheapest carrier for every week of your season.

Last updated June 12, 2026 · methodology & sources

Published list surcharges only — not base rates, not negotiated contracts. Output is the peak-surcharge delta: it excludes base rates, fuel surcharges, DAS/EDAS, year-round residential and handling fees, and DIM weight. Many negotiated contracts waive or discount demand surcharges.

1 · Your shipping profile

Service tier — picks the comparable service at each carrier:

2 · USPS specifics (USPS peak fees vary by zone and weight; UPS/FedEx per-package fees don't)

Zone band where most of your packages deliver relative to origin
Typical package weight
USPS rate category
Advanced — handling-fee exposure & enterprise tiers
Enterprise peaking factor Only if you bill >20,000 pkgs/week

These are shares of packages already incurring the year-round surcharges — peak adds a demand premium on top, and only that premium is counted here. USPS has no peak handling fees. Enterprise outputs are an estimate — UPS locks tiers season-long once qualified; FedEx re-rates weekly.

Season totals

Week by week — cheapest carrier highlighted

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What this calculator refuses to do

Why the cheapest carrier changes week to week

Each carrier's surcharge calendar is built from different windows with different start dates. UPS's per-package demand surcharge starts Sunday, Oct 26; FedEx's starts Monday, Oct 27 — so for the week of Oct 26, UPS charges its full rate while FedEx averages less. Both step up for the peak (UPS Nov 23 – Dec 27, FedEx Nov 24 – Dec 28), then step back down through mid-January. USPS does something completely different: one flat window, Oct 5 – Jan 17, with fees that vary by zone and weight instead of by week — which often makes USPS the odd one out: pricier in early October before UPS/FedEx demand fees start, but steady through the late-November peak while the others spike.

The week-boundary effect is real money at volume. A shipper moving 5,000 ground packages a week (85% residential) pays roughly $850–$1,050/week more at the peak step-up than in the shoulder windows — and the carrier ranking can flip in straddle weeks when one carrier's window has started and the other's hasn't. That's why this tool computes rates per day and averages within each Sun–Sat week, instead of pretending windows align.

Handling fees start earlier than you think

The per-package demand fees get the headlines, but the handling-type demand premiums (additional handling, oversize, over-maximum) start almost a month earlier — Sept 28 for UPS, Sept 29 for FedEx — at $8.25 per affected package in the shoulder windows, rising to $10.80–$10.90 at the peak. If any share of your packages already incurs those year-round fees, open Advanced above and enter the percentages. Exact tables, formulas, and every source link are on the methodology page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a peak-season demand surcharge?

Demand (peak) surcharges are temporary per-package fees carriers stack on top of normal rates during the holiday rush. They're separate from base rates, fuel surcharges, and year-round residential and handling fees, and many negotiated contracts waive or discount them.

How much is the peak surcharge for 2025-26?

Once per-package demand fees start, typical adders are $0.40–$0.65 for ground ($0.60–$0.65 at the peak), $1.05–$2.10 for express ($2.05–$2.10 at the peak), and $0.30–$2.25 for USPS by weight and zone. Handling-type premiums run $8.25 per affected package in the shoulder windows, rising to $10.80–$10.90 at the peak.

When do UPS and FedEx peak surcharges start in 2025?

Handling-type fees started late September (UPS Sept 28, FedEx Sept 29), per-package demand fees kicked in late October (UPS Oct 26, FedEx Oct 27), and everything peaks Nov 23 – Dec 28. USPS runs one flat window instead, Oct 5 – Jan 17, varying by zone and weight rather than by week.

Which carrier is cheapest during peak season?

It changes week to week, because each carrier's windows start on different dates — UPS's demand surcharge starts Sunday Oct 26, FedEx's Monday Oct 27, so the ranking flips in straddle weeks. USPS is often pricier in early October but steadier through the late-November peak. The calculator names the cheapest carrier for every week.

Does this calculator predict my total shipping invoice?

No. It computes published list surcharges only — the peak-surcharge delta. It excludes base rates, fuel surcharges, DAS/EDAS, year-round residential and handling fees, and DIM weight, and never extrapolates next season's unpublished rates. Many negotiated contracts also waive or discount demand surcharges.