Published amounts
| Carrier and charge | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS Residential Surcharge — Ground | $6.10 | $6.50 | $7.10 Pending verification |
| FedEx Residential Delivery Charge — FedEx Ground / Home Delivery | $5.95 | $6.45 | $6.90 |
| UPS Residential Surcharge — Air | $6.55 | $7.00 | $7.60 Pending verification |
| FedEx Residential Delivery Charge — U.S. Package Services (Express) | $6.55 | $6.95 | $7.35 |
UPS: 2025 (in effect through Dec. 21, 2025) (UPS source); 2026 (Dec. 22, 2025 – Dec. 20, 2026) (UPS source); 2027 (from Dec. 21, 2026) (UPS source)
FedEx: 2025 (in effect through Jan. 4, 2026) (FedEx source); 2026 (Jan. 5, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027) (FedEx source); 2027 (from Jan. 4, 2027) (FedEx source)
Why carriers charge it
Home deliveries have fewer packages per stop than business deliveries.
Carrier names
- UPS: Residential Surcharge, Ground and Air.
- FedEx: Residential Delivery Charge (FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, and U.S. Express package services).
What triggers it
- The carrier classifies the address, regardless of how the shipper labels it.
- Applies per package, and in addition to DAS when the ZIP is on the delivery-area list.
- From Jan. 18, 2027 FedEx extends its Residential Delivery Charge to international shipments to residential addresses.
Example
A small parcel to a home in a delivery-area ZIP during peak can carry three per-package fees before fuel: Residential, Residential DAS and the residential demand surcharge.
Fuel
| UPS | Yes Listed as “Residential Surcharge: Ground, Air”. |
| FedEx | Yes |
Demand surcharges
Residential demand surcharges apply from Oct. 25, 2026 (UPS) and Oct. 26, 2026 (FedEx). Shippers above 20,000 qualifying packages a week face higher tiered amounts at both carriers.
How it stacks
Adds to DAS, size and demand charges.
On the invoice
Published names you may see: Residential Surcharge, Residential Delivery Charge. Billing formats abbreviate names differently. Decoder →
Contract considerations
- Residential surcharge discounts are among the most common accessorial concessions; confirm Ground and Air are both covered.
- FedEx says its residential demand charge is not discounted or capped by contract; check how your agreement treats demand.
General considerations, not benchmarks or a promise of any discount.
Operational levers
- Validate commercial versus residential addresses at checkout where your platform supports it.
Change history
- Dec. 22, 2025 · UPS: UPS 2026 surcharge increases take effect
- Jan. 5, 2026 · FedEx: FedEx 2026 surcharge increases take effect
- Oct. 25, 2026 · UPS: UPS service-level demand surcharges begin
- Oct. 26, 2026 · FedEx: FedEx service-level demand surcharges begin
- Dec. 21, 2026 · UPS: UPS 2027 surcharge amounts take effect Pending verification
- Jan. 4, 2027 · FedEx: FedEx 2027 surcharge changes and DAS ZIP list update
- List amounts before discounts; your agreement governs what you pay.
- Pending amounts are labeled and are not presented as verified.