The news: FedEx has published its 2026 peak season demand surcharges, the per-package fees it adds during the holiday rush. The surcharges apply to U.S. package services and FedEx International Ground. They begin on September 28 and October 26, and run through January 17. The steepest rates apply from November 23 through December 27.
The rates: Every fee is higher than last year.
Ground residential: $0.50 to $0.80 per package
Ground Economy: $2.55 to $4.05
Overnight services: $1.30 to $2.55. 2Day: $1.20 to $2.35
Additional handling: $8.80 to $11.85
Oversize: $95.75 to $117.25
Unauthorized packages: $535 to $595
The biggest increases are in residential services. The top ground residential rate is up 23% from last year’s $0.65. The top overnight rate is up 21%, while the handling and dimension fees rose 8% to 9%.
The variable fee: Large shippers that move more than 20,000 residential or Ground Economy packages pay a separate demand surcharge of $1.70 to $9.35 per package. The fee is based on how much their peak volume exceeds their own June 1 to June 28 baseline. Last year, the top rate was $8.75.
What FedEx says: Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said of the surcharges, “It lets them sell at Christmas and it allows us to bring on the resources profitably.”
What's next: UPS has not yet published its 2026 holiday surcharges. Those figures are still awaited.
