New Brunswick, NJ – September 16, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
UPS and FedEx have published their 2026 holiday demand surcharge schedules, and the tables show that the fees apply flat per package regardless of shipping distance. That detail contradicts the common assumption that moving inventory closer to customers reduces peak season fees, according to DSCP Smart Fulfillment, a third-party logistics and e-commerce fulfillment company.
UPS applies demand surcharges to Additional Handling and Large Packages from September 27, 2026, at $8.75 per package, rising to $11.90 between November 22 and December 26. The UPS Large Package Surcharge rises from $96.25 to $117.50 in the same window. FedEx begins September 28 with Demand Additional Handling at $8.80, rising to $11.85, and Demand Oversize at $95.75, rising to $117.25. Ground residential demand surcharges follow on October 25 for UPS and October 26 for FedEx. All figures come from the carriers’ own published schedules.
Neither carrier’s demand surcharge table varies by zone. A package travelling one state carries the same demand fee as one crossing the country. Inventory placement still reduces base transportation rates and transit days, which is usually the larger number, but it does not reduce these particular fees. Brands budgeting on the assumption that a closer warehouse cancels the surcharge are planning against the wrong line item.
A second mechanic concerns volume. Both carriers run a higher schedule for shippers exceeding roughly 20,000 residential packages in a week, reaching $8.00 per ground package. FedEx sets it weekly against a June 2026 baseline with a two-week lag between the measured week and the billed week. UPS states it applies to customers billed above that threshold in any week following October 2025. A brand that had one heavy week last holiday season may already be on the higher schedule before this one starts.
DSCP Smart Fulfillment operates fulfillment centers in New Brunswick, New Jersey and Pomona, California. The company reports that the surcharges scaling most steeply are triggered by package characteristics rather than destination, and that holiday configurations push a SKU over those thresholds. Gift sets, multi-packs, added protective material and seasonal outer cartons all contribute. A product that shipped cleanly in September can begin triggering Additional Handling in November without the product itself changing.
“Every year we see brands plan their peak season around where the inventory sits, and that is only half the exposure,” said Sackod Diadie, Business Development Manager at DSCP Smart Fulfillment. “The fees that climb the fastest are attached to the carton, not the destination. A gift set that adds two inches to the box can cost more per parcel than the distance it travels. We measure the finished holiday configuration with clients in September, because in November the only thing left to do is pay it.”
The company advises brands to confirm steady demand before committing to US warehouse stocking, aligning peak configuration reviews with the same timing decision.
DSCP Smart Fulfillment was founded in 2016 and serves more than 2,500 e-commerce brands with a team of over 180 people. Its 3PL warehouse network across New Jersey and California places inventory within 2 to 4 day ground reach of approximately 80 percent of the United States, with remaining areas reached in 4 to 5 days. Services include inbound receiving, racked and barcoded storage, pick and pack, kitting and assembly, custom packaging, returns processing, and international outbound shipping to more than 150 countries. Every order is verified by barcode scan, weight check and item confirmation, supporting a 99.9 percent fulfillment accuracy rate. Further detail is available at the DSCP Smart Fulfillment website.
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For more information about DSCP Smart Fulfillment, contact the company here:
DSCP Smart Fulfillment
Yavuz Saka
+1 657-858-5166
yavuz@dscpsmartfulfillment.com
13 Jules Ln Ste B, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
