When you ship a package, the base rate is just the starting point. Carriers like UPS and USPS may add surcharges depending on the package's size, weight, destination, and packaging type. Some of these charges apply automatically when your shipment meets certain criteria. Others are optional — they only appear when you choose a specific service or add-on.
This article explains the most common surcharges you'll encounter on Deliveri for both UPS and USPS shipments, what triggers them, and what's always included in your total before you buy a label.
Surcharges can add meaningful cost to a shipment, and they vary widely based on what you're shipping and where. Understanding which fees may apply — and why — helps you choose the right packaging, service, and carrier upfront, rather than encountering unexpected costs after the fact.
On Deliveri, all applicable surcharges are always included in the total shipment cost shown before you complete your purchase. You will never see a surcharge added to your bill after a label is created.
UPS applies a range of accessorial fees that depend on the characteristics of each shipment.
Residential Delivery Surcharge
Applies when a package is delivered to a residential address rather than a business address. This fee is assessed per package and applies regardless of weight or size. On Deliveri, if you're shipping to a residential address, this surcharge is automatically included in your rate.
Fuel Surcharge
A percentage-based fee added on top of base transportation rates to account for carrier fuel costs. UPS adjusts its fuel surcharge regularly based on published government fuel price indices. The surcharge applies as a percentage of your base shipping cost and is always reflected in the total rate shown on Deliveri.
Additional Handling Surcharge
Assessed per package when a shipment meets one or more of the following criteria:
Weight: Actual weight over 50 lbs (domestic) or over 55 lbs (international)
Cubic Volume: Package volume exceeds 10,368 cubic inches (length × width × height)
Length: Longest side exceeds 48 inches
Width: Second-longest side exceeds 30 inches
Packaging: Package is not fully enclosed in a corrugated cardboard box, is wrapped in shrink or stretch wrap, is cylindrical (e.g., drums, tubes, pails), is in a soft-sided pack (poly bag or bubble mailer) exceeding 18" × 14" × 6", or otherwise requires special handling
If a package meets more than one criterion, only one Additional Handling charge is assessed, prioritized in this order: Weight → Cubic Volume → Length → Width → Packaging.
Note: The Additional Handling Surcharge is not assessed when a Large Package Surcharge already applies.
Large Package Surcharge
Applies to packages that exceed any of the following thresholds:
Longest side (length) exceeds 96 inches
Combined length + girth [(2 × width) + (2 × height)] exceeds 130 inches
Cubic volume exceeds 17,280 cubic inches
Actual weight exceeds 110 lbs
Large packages are billed at a minimum of 90 lbs, regardless of actual weight (except for UPS Ground with Freight Pricing). When a Large Package Surcharge applies, no Additional Handling charge is assessed on the same package.
Delivery Area Surcharge (DAS)
Applies when a package is destined for a ZIP code that UPS classifies as rural, extended, or remote. DAS rates vary by zone type — commercial vs. residential — and by how far the destination falls from a UPS hub. UPS periodically updates its list of qualifying ZIP codes, so a ZIP that wasn't subject to DAS previously may become one after a carrier update.
Address Correction Fee
If the delivery address you provide is incomplete, incorrect, or can't be matched in UPS's system, UPS may attempt to determine the correct address and complete delivery — but will charge an address correction fee for doing so. Always verify recipient addresses before purchasing a label to avoid this charge.
USPS does not charge residential delivery surcharges, fuel surcharges, or delivery area surcharges the way UPS does. Instead, USPS applies nonstandard size fees and other package-specific charges when certain size or handling thresholds are crossed.
Nonstandard Size Fee
Applies to packages that exceed USPS machinable sorting requirements. These fees are triggered by the package's longest side and are assessed per package:
Longest side exceeds 22 inches but does not exceed 30 inches: fee applies
Longest side exceeds 30 inches: higher fee applies
Package is considered oversize: a separate, higher fee applies
These fees do not apply to Media Mail shipments.
Missing Dimensions Fee
If dimensions are not provided — or are inaccurate — and USPS determines the package meets nonstandard size criteria, USPS may apply a $3.00 fee after the shipment is processed. Always enter accurate dimensions when creating a label on Deliveri to ensure your rate is correct and to avoid post-shipment adjustments.
Rural Surcharge
USPS applies rural surcharges for delivery to certain hard-to-reach ZIP codes. Unlike UPS's Delivery Area Surcharge, which is a separately itemized fee, USPS builds this into its zone-based pricing structure. USPS does not apply a blanket residential or delivery area surcharge — it instead accounts for distance and delivery complexity through its zone pricing model.
All applicable surcharges — whether automatic or optional — are always included in the total cost shown on Deliveri before you complete your purchase. There are no surcharges added to your bill after label creation.
Automatic surcharges (such as UPS Residential Delivery, Fuel, and Additional Handling) are calculated based on the shipment details you enter. Entering accurate dimensions, weight, and the correct destination address type ensures your quoted rate is as accurate as possible.
Optional charges — such as declared value / shipping insurance — only appear in your total if you choose to add them.
UPS surcharges like Additional Handling and Large Package are assessed by UPS based on the package details you submit. Deliveri passes your entered data to UPS and reflects the resulting surcharges in the rate before you buy.
USPS nonstandard fees are assessed by USPS based on actual package dimensions. If dimensions entered on Deliveri differ from what USPS measures, a post-shipment adjustment may be issued. Enter dimensions accurately to avoid this.
Address correction fees can be avoided by verifying the recipient's address before purchasing a label. Deliveri does not validate delivery addresses on behalf of UPS.
No. On Deliveri, all applicable surcharges are always included in the total cost before you complete your purchase. You will not see additional carrier charges added to your account after the fact.
Most surcharges are triggered automatically based on the package details you enter — weight, dimensions, destination address type, and packaging. If a surcharge appears that you weren't expecting, check whether your package meets any of the thresholds listed in this article.
No. USPS does not apply a residential delivery surcharge or a fuel surcharge. These are UPS-specific fees. USPS accounts for delivery location through its zone-based pricing structure instead.
No. UPS does not assess an Additional Handling charge when a Large Package Surcharge is already applied. Only one of the two will be charged per package.
No. The Delivery Area Surcharge only applies to destinations in ZIP codes that UPS has designated as rural, extended, or remote. The standard Residential Delivery Surcharge is separate and applies to all residential addresses. Both can apply to the same shipment if the destination is residential and falls within a DAS-designated ZIP code.
Automatic surcharges — like residential delivery, fuel, additional handling, or nonstandard size fees — are applied based on your package's characteristics and destination. Optional charges — like shipping insurance or declared value — only appear if you choose to add them when creating your label.
Only if the dimensions you enter don't match what USPS measures when they process the package. Always enter accurate dimensions when creating a label. If Deliveri's rate was based on dimensions that differ from the actual package, USPS may issue an adjustment.
Not sure why a surcharge appeared on your shipment, or want help understanding which fees might apply to a specific package? Reach out and we'll walk you through it. Contact Deliveri support through live chat or email help@ondeliveri.com.
Related articles:
Irregular & Non-Rectangular Packages
How Dimensional Weight Is Calculated on Deliveri
Understanding UPS Large Package and Additional Handling Charges
