Carrier surcharge checker

Surcharge FAQ

What are accessorial surcharges on a shipping invoice?

Accessorial surcharges are extra fees carriers add on top of the base rate for anything outside a standard, easy-to-handle delivery. Common ones include residential delivery, additional handling, address correction, peak/demand surcharges, and the variable fuel surcharge. They are billed per package and can quietly add 20-40% to what you expected to pay, often appearing only on the final invoice rather than at label-buy time.

What is the residential surcharge and how do I avoid it?

UPS and FedEx charge a residential surcharge — typically a few dollars per package — whenever a parcel is delivered to a home rather than a commercial address. Carriers detect this automatically by classifying the destination, so you cannot opt out by mislabeling it. The main way to reduce it is to use a service that bundles it into a flat rate, ship more volume to qualify for lower accessorial pricing, or route eligible packages through USPS, which does not apply a separate residential fee.

When does the additional handling surcharge apply?

Additional handling (UPS) and the equivalent FedEx fee kick in when a package exceeds size or weight thresholds: an actual weight over 50 lb, a longest side over 48 inches, a second-longest side over 30 inches, or non-standard packaging like wood, metal, or loose wrapping. The checker above flags these dimension and weight triggers from the numbers you enter so you can right-size the box or split the shipment before the carrier reclassifies it at the dock.

How do peak-season and fuel surcharges change my cost?

The fuel surcharge is a percentage that floats weekly with diesel prices and is applied to the base rate plus most accessorials, so it scales with everything else on the invoice. Peak (or demand) surcharges are temporary fees the major carriers add during high-volume windows — most notably the holiday season — and they stack on top of residential, additional-handling, and oversize fees. To avoid surprises, check current peak schedules before you ship large or residential volume and build the fuel percentage into your landed-cost math.