{"id":2700,"date":"2026-10-27T10:50:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hubrise.it\/?p=2700"},"modified":"2026-10-27T10:50:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:50:08","slug":"courier-surcharges-peak-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hubrise.it\/en\/blog\/courier-surcharges-peak-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Courier surcharges in peak season: how to protect your margin on shipping costs"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the income statement of an ecommerce business, shipping cost<\/strong> is one of the most unstable items. The rate agreed at the beginning of the year is only the starting point: on top of it come surcharges that change every month, others that only apply in certain weeks and others still linked to a single delivery. In autumn the phenomenon is amplified, because couriers activate peak surcharges precisely when volumes grow and promotions reduce the margin per order. Those who manage shipments with a multi-carrier smart delivery<\/strong><\/a> platform have additional tools to contain the effect, but the first step is to understand precisely what the carrier's invoice is made up of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the shipping cost of an ecommerce business is made up of<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A shipment costs the sum of three levels: the base rate, the general surcharges that apply to all shipments in a given period, and the accessorial surcharges linked to the characteristics of the individual parcel. The problem is that quotes and comparisons between carriers almost always look only at the first level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Base rate, actual weight and volumetric weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The base rate depends on the service chosen, the destination zone and the chargeable weight. The chargeable weight is the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, calculated by multiplying the dimensions of the parcel and dividing by a coefficient set by the courier. For light and bulky products, such as cushions, padded clothing or gift boxes, it is almost always the volume that determines the price. A box larger than necessary is paid for twice: in material and in transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accessorial surcharges: remote areas, oversized parcels, delivery to the floor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then there are surcharges linked to the individual parcel or the individual delivery. Remote or hard-to-reach areas, such as minor islands, limited traffic historic centres and mountain locations, often carry a surcharge. Oversized or non-standard parcels, due to shape or weight, pay extra for handling. Ecommerce delivery services<\/strong><\/a> such as delivery to the floor, cash on delivery, delivery by appointment or storage after a failed delivery have their own price. Taken one by one they seem marginal; across thousands of shipments a month they become a significant part of shipping costs<\/strong>, which is why they need to be read on the invoice and not just in the price list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 peak season surcharges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alongside accessorial surcharges, there are those that depend on the period. The best known is the fuel<\/strong> surcharge<\/strong>, i.e. the fuel supplement<\/strong>: a variable percentage applied to the transport rate, updated periodically according to fuel price trends. Each courier has its own table and its own update frequency, and some publish it on their website. In the peak months, another item is added to this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demand surcharge and surge fee: what they are and when they apply<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The demand surcharge, also called surge fee or demand supplement, is a temporary surcharge that couriers apply when demand for capacity exceeds the normal availability of the network. In 2026 UPS announced for Italy the application of an emergency surcharge and a demand surcharge on certain services starting from 6 September. DHL Express activated the demand surcharge on time definite international shipments from 1 October 2026 to 5 February 2027, specifying that amounts and dates may vary during the period and that the fuel surcharge also applies on top of this item. The exact amounts change by route and service and should be checked on your own price list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National couriers: surcharges defined by contract<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For the national couriers most used by Italian ecommerce businesses, the picture is less transparent: peak surcharges, application windows and volume thresholds are usually defined in individual contracts and not in a public price list. The risk is discovering them on the invoice in January. It is worth asking in writing, as early as October, whether and which surcharges will be applied in the weeks of Black Friday and Christmas, on which services and with which calculation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Multi-carrier shipping under control<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Discover SEND2U, Hubrise smart delivery<\/div><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The role of a multi-carrier platform<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When courier rates<\/strong> change during the year and each carrier applies different surcharges, choosing the courier once and for all means accepting that part of the shipments will always travel at the wrong price. Working with several carriers, on the other hand, makes it possible to assign each order based on its characteristics: weight, dimensions, destination, service requested by the customer. A simple rule, such as moving bulky parcels to the carrier with the most favourable volumetric coefficient or remote areas to the one with the lowest surcharge, has an effect that adds up on every shipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a courier comparison<\/strong> only works if it is based on real data and not on price lists: actual cost by area and weight band, surcharges applied on the invoice, delays and failed deliveries. A multi-carrier shipping management software<\/strong><\/a> serves precisely to gather these numbers in a single place. For those who currently work with a single carrier, the move from single-carrier to multi-carrier<\/strong><\/a> requires a few months of preparation and is a project to start in January, not in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Bonprix case<\/strong><\/a> , automatic courier assignment led to a 17% reduction in shipping costs: a result achieved in that specific case, which depends on volumes, destination mix and contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also levers on the product and packaging side. Reducing empty space in parcels lowers volumetric weight, and an ecommerce logistics<\/strong><\/a> provider that manages warehouse, packing and shipping together can work on box formats knowing exactly how much every extra centimetre costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to ask your logistics partner before renewing 2027 contracts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The end of the peak is when many courier contracts are renegotiated, and therefore the time to arrive prepared. The questions to ask, to the carrier or to the logistics partner that manages shipments<\/strong><\/a>, concern transparency first of all: how the fuel surcharge is calculated and how often it changes, in which windows peak surcharges apply and whether there are volume thresholds that trigger different bands, and which volumetric coefficient is used for each service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let's talk about your shipping costs<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Contact the Hubrise team<\/div><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tWhat is the courier demand surcharge?<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>

It is a temporary surcharge applied in periods when demand for transport exceeds the normal capacity of the network, typically between autumn and the weeks following the holidays. It is added to the base rate and other surcharges, and amounts and dates vary by courier, service and route. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tHow does the fuel surcharge work?<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>

It is a variable percentage applied to the transport rate, updated periodically by each courier according to fuel price trends. Each carrier uses its own table and its own update schedule, indicated in the contract or on its website. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tHow much do surcharges affect the shipping cost of an ecommerce business?<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>

It depends on the shipment mix: average weight, parcel dimensions, destinations, accessorial services requested and time of year. The only way to find out is to compare the base rate with the actual cost on the invoice, item by item, on a sample of real shipments. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tCan peak season surcharges be negotiated?<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>

In part. The windows and amounts published by international couriers are usually standard, but volume thresholds, services covered and conditions can be part of the negotiation, especially for national couriers that define them by contract. Arriving with reliable volume forecasts helps. <\/p><\/div><\/div>

\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\tIs it worth passing the shipping cost on to the customer during the peak?<\/strong> <\/span><\/div>

It can make sense in a targeted way, for example by temporarily raising the free shipping threshold or applying a contribution to deliveries in remote areas. The choice should be assessed together with the conversion rate, because an unexpected shipping cost at checkout is one of the most common causes of cart abandonment. <\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nel conto economico di un ecommerce il costo spedizione \u00e8 una delle voci pi\u00f9 instabili. La tariffa concordata a inizio 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conto economico di un ecommerce il costo spedizione \u00e8 una delle voci pi\u00f9 instabili. 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