Purpose: View all the known surcharges you can expect to encounter during this peak season (2024). We will keep updating the peak surcharges as we receive additional information.
Peak season
Peak Season refers to the busiest time of the year for shipping, driven by events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the holiday season. It typically starts in early October and extends into January. During this period, shipping volumes surge, leading to increased pressure on carriers and logistics networks.
See here the key dates
- Beginning of October: Inventory stocking by webshops starts, leading to initial volume increases.
- Halloween (October 31): Marks the start of high sales activity.
- Singles’ Day (November 11): Significant sales and shipping activity.
- Black Friday (November 24): Massive orders create a spike in shipments, with label creation peaking on Cyber Monday.
- Cyber Monday (November 27): The busiest day for label creation.
- Sinterklaas (December 5): Higher volumes in the Benelux region.
- Week before Christmas: Last-minute shopping causes another volume surge.
During peak season, carriers often switch from FIFO (First In, First Out) to LIFO (Last In, First Out) to manage high volumes. This prioritizes new shipments but can delay earlier ones, leading to inconsistencies in delivery timelines.
Hubs, acting as transit points, process packages quickly—typically within six minutes—before sending them to the next destination. However, during peak periods, the influx of packages can overwhelm automated sorting systems, which handle 25,000–50,000 packages per hour. Excess volume creates significant backlogs, with delays compounding over days.
Even with more staff, the automated systems have capacity limits, making delays unavoidable during peak times.
Peak surcharges
Shipping carriers charge peak season surcharges to ensure that service levels and the delivery experience are still maintained despite this influx of increased shipments during this period. These additional fees compensate for the additional costs shopping carriers face, including increased staffing and longer service hours. They are applied in addition to other, regular surcharges.
To provide you with an overview of the peak surcharges you may encounter, we have summarized them for each carrier/country supported by Sendcloud:
| Carrier | Period | Peak surcharge |
| UPS | Until further notice | See below |
| DHL UK | 23/09/2024 - 31/01/2025 | See below |
| FedEx | 16/09/2024 - further notice | See below |
UPS
Last updated on September 4th, 2024 and until further notice, UPS applies demand surcharges to packages exceeding maximum limits, large packages, and shipments requiring additional handling. This will apply to all packages meeting these specifications originating from 19 European countries and to all destinations.
See below the demand surcharges that apply:
| Additional Handling | Large Package | Over Maximum Limits |
| £6.70 | £62.60 | £398.20 |
International shipping
UPS charges a demand surcharge for shipments to international destinations. The amount of these charges depends on the actual weight of the shipment and the destination. This surcharge applies to all UPS Express and Express Saver shipments within and outside Europe.
Europe: €0.40 / kg
Rest of World: €0.55/kg
Click here for more information.
Detailed explanation of the conditions
Additional Handling
- Any article that is encased in an outside shipping container made of metal or wood
- Any cylindrical item, such as a barrel, drum, pail, or tire, that is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container
- Any package with the longest side exceeding 100 cm (39.5") or a second-longest side exceeding 76 cm (30'')
- Any package with an actual weight greater than 25 kg (55 pounds)
- Each package in a shipment where the average weight per package is greater than 25 kg (55 pounds) and the weight for each package is not specified on the source document or the UPS automated shipping system used.
Large Package
A package is considered a large package when its length plus girth (girth = 2x width) + (2 x height) combined exceeds 300 cm but does not exceed the maximum UPS size of 400 cm. Large packages are subject to a minimum billable weight of 40 kg in addition to the large package surcharge.
Over maximum limits
Packages with an actual weight of more than 70 kg, or that exceed 274 cm in length, or exceed a total of 400 cm in length and girth combined (girth = (2 x width) + (2 x height), are not accepted for transportation. If found in the UPS small package system, they are subject to an additional charge.
Additional resources
For more information about shipping with UPS over the peak season, you can consult the following resources on UPS.com:
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The days of operation page displays adjustments to our service due to national holidays
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The service alerts page notifies you of disruptions, such as adverse weather conditions, that may impact your shipments.
DHL UK
DHL UK will apply a demand surcharge that is calculated per kg. The exact price will depend on the destination of the shipment. See the table below for more information.
Shipping from the UK, you can focus on the Origin EU row (displayed in bold).
|
Destination |
|||||||
| ▾ Origin | CN/HK | South Asia | Asia | EU | AM | MENA | RoW |
| CN/HK | £0.30 | £0.30 | £0.30 | £1.80 | £2.20 | £1.50 | £0.80 |
| South Asia | £0.30 | £0.30 | £0.30 | £1.00 | £1.60 | £0.50 | £0.50 |
| Asia | £0.30 | £0.30 | £0.30 | £1.00 | £1.40 | £0.80 | £0.80 |
| EU | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.30 | £0.30 | £0.50 | £0.00 | £0.50 |
| AM | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.30 | £0.00 | £0.30 | £0.00 | £0.50 |
| MENA | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.30 | £0.80 | £1.00 | £0.30 | £0.50 |
| RoW | £0.50 | £0.50 | £0.50 | £0.50 | £0.50 | £0.50 | £0.50 |
DHL will apply temporary surcharges for specific items to manage increased operational demands during the peak season. These fees help cover additional costs for handling large, heavy, and non-machinable parcels and third-party collections. Below is a summary of the updated surcharge rates.
| Surcharge Type | Description | Total Price |
| Long Length | Single dimension between 1.2m and 1.99m | £16.20 |
| Out of Gauge | Two dimensions of 80cm or more | £52.70 |
| Heavyweight | Weight over 30kg | £20.20 |
| Third-Party Collection | Collection from a third-party location | £1.20 |
| HGV Surcharge | Applies to all parcels upon label creation | £0.15 |
| Extra Long Length | Single dimension of 2.00m or above | £30.20 |
FedEx
The applicability, duration, and amount of the Demand Surcharge is determined by FedEx for each region based on regular assessments of shipping volume and available capacity within their network and market conditions.
Demand Surcharge amounts, associated trigger points, and methods of calculation are subject to change without notice. FedEx reserves the right to adjust the Demand Surcharge at their sole discretion. See the FedEx Express Terms and Conditions of Carriage.
Effective September 16, 2024, we will implement the following Demand Surcharge changes for FedEx shipments:
| Export | Destinations | |
| ▾ Origins | Europe (price per kg) | US/Canada (price per kg) |
| Europe – Parcel (Economy) | €0.20 | €0.60 |
| Europe – Parcel (Priority) | €0.40 | €0.60 |
| Europe – Freight (Economy) | €0.20 | €0.60 |
| Europe – Freight (Priority) | €0.40 |
€0.60 |
Parcel Min. Charge: €1.00 / Shipment
Freight Min. Charge: €45.70 / Shipment
| Import | Origins | ||
| ▾ Destinations |
Europe (price per kg) |
China/Hong Kong (price per kg) |
APAC/Mexico (price per kg) |
| Europe – Parcel (Economy) | €0.20 | €2.02 | €1.20 |
| Europe – Parcel (Priority) | €0.40 | €2.02 | €1.20 |
| Europe – Freight (Economy) | €0.20 | €2.02 | €1.20 |
| Europe – Freight (Priority) | €0.40 |
€2.02 |
€1.20 |
Parcel Min. Charge: €1.00 / Shipment
Freight Min. Charge: €45.70 / Shipment
Disruptions
No disruptions have been reported at this time.
Holiday Delivery Schedule and Service Adjustments
The holiday season often brings changes to carrier delivery schedules and service availability, alongside peak surcharges.
To help you plan ahead and ensure your shipments arrive on time, we've compiled key information specific to the UK market.
Find detailed schedules, adjusted pickup and delivery times, and other critical updates below.
UPS
UPS
During the busiest seasons, UPS provides the same reliable service you trust them to deliver all year. They are committed to helping you take full advantage of every available shipping day. Click here to see the operating hours during the holiday season.
EVRI
EVRI
Delivery Deadlines
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Thursday, 19th December:
Last day for courier collection for Christmas delivery. -
Friday, 20th December:
Last day for Standard parcel collection at ParcelShop for Christmas delivery (cut-off at 12:00 noon). -
Saturday, 21st December:
- Last day for Next Day parcel collection at ParcelShop for Christmas delivery (cut-off at 12:00 noon).
- Last day to send Standard parcels for pre-Christmas delivery.
-
Sunday, 22nd December:
No collection available, but it is the last day for Next Day parcels to be processed for pre-Christmas delivery if already in the network.
Network Closure Dates
- Sunday, 15th December: No collection available.
- 25th – 26th December & 1st January: The network will be closed.
DHL eCommerce UK
DHL eCommerce UK
Key Dates and Service Adjustments
| Collection Date | Delivery Available? | Collection Available? | Delivery Date | Customer Services Opening Hours | Parcel Recipient Line Opening Hours | Social Team Customer Opening Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 16th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Tue 17th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Tue 17th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Wed 18th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Wed 18th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Thu 19th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Thu 19th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Fri 20th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Fri 20th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Mon 23rd Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Sat 21st Dec | ✅ | ❌ | N/A | 08:00 - 17:00 | 08:00 - 17:00 | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Sun 22nd Dec | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Mon 23rd Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Tue 24th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Tue 24th Dec | ✅ | ✅ (pre-agreed only) | Fri 27th Dec | 07:00 - 16:00 | 07:00 - 16:00 | 07:00 - 16:00 |
| Wed 25th Dec | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Thu 26th Dec | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Fri 27th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Mon 30th Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Sat 28th Dec | ✅ | ❌ | N/A | 08:00 - 17:00 | 08:00 - 17:00 | 08:00 - 17:00 |
| Sun 29th Dec | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Mon 30th Dec | ✅ | ✅ | Tue 31st Dec | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Tue 31st Dec | ✅ | ✅ (pre-agreed only) | Thu 2nd Jan | 07:00 - 16:00 | 07:00 - 16:00 | 07:00 - 16:00 |
| Wed 1st Jan | ❌ | ❌ | N/A | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Thu 2nd Jan | ✅ | ✅ | Fri 3rd Jan | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
| Fri 3rd Jan | ✅ | ✅ | Mon 6th Jan | 07:00 - 19:00 | 07:00 - 20:00 | 07:00 - 22:00 |
DPD UK
Here’s an overview of our operating days during the festive period, ensuring your customers know the latest dates to place orders for delivery before Christmas Day.
Festive Operating Days
| Date Range | Status |
|---|---|
| 21-24 December | Operating as usual |
| 25-26 December | Closed |
| 27-31 December | Operating as usual |
| 1 January | Closed |
| 2 January | Operating as usual |
Additional Information
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Early Volume: We truly appreciate your support in getting parcels to our hubs early. This helps us deliver the best possible service to your customers during this busy period.
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Account Manager Assistance: Your Account Manager is available to assist with any queries or concerns. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if needed.
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Access Online: All the above information is also available on your myDPD portal for easy reference.
What else do I need to consider?
To ensure your order processing and shipping workflow continues to run as smoothly as possible, you can find more information in the following articles:
- How can I prevent surcharges?
- How to calculate parcel volumetric/dimensional weight
- How can I request a parcel pickup?
- How to ship internationally with Sendcloud
If you require our help regarding an issue with a shipment, we recommend the following articles: