Purpose: In this section, we explain how you can avoid UPS surcharges if your shipment does not meet the shipping conditions of UPS.
Shipping Charge Correction Audit Fee
Starting September 30, 2024, UPS will introduce a new Shipping Charge Correction Audit Fee to address weight differences in shipping charges. The details are as follows:
- The fee will be €1.45 per shipment or 8% of the shipping charge correction, whichever is greater.
- This fee applies only if the correction exceeds 25% of the original net shipping cost, based solely on transportation fees, excluding fuel and other additional charges.
- The fee is applicable to domestic, export, and import shipments.
- The charge correction will be based on the Billable Weight, determined by comparing the parcel's actual weight and its dimensional weight. The greater weight will be used as the billable weight to set the shipping rate.
For more information, see the Shipment Size and Weight and Zone and Rates pages on the UPS website.
Multicollo
When you ship a multicollo, the applied surcharges will be assigned to 1 tracking number. This means that even if multiple parcels within your multicollo receive a surcharge, only one tracking number will be visible on the invoice. This could lead to:
- The same tracking number being shown on your invoice multiple times. This means multiple different surcharges were invoiced for a multicollo.
- There are brackets with a number indicated behind the tracking number. If the same surcharge was applied to multiple parcels, the number of other parcels this surcharge was applied to will be visible in between brackets behind the tracking number. For example: tracking12345678 (+2). Meaning that the
Demand surcharges
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:
| Surcharges | Conditions | Prices during peak season |
| Additional Handling |
The same conditions as the additional handling surcharge are applicable during the rest of the year, except for the actual maximum weight allowed, which in this case is 25 kg. |
€7.16 |
| Large Package | The same conditions as the large package surcharge are applicable during the rest of the year. | €74.10 |
| Over Maximum Limits |
The same conditions as the surcharge for exceeding the maximum limits are applicable during the rest of the year. |
€468.80 |
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.
International shipments: €0.30 / kg
New Zealand and Australia: €1.86 / kg
North America (US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico): €0.45 / kg
Click here for more information.
Additional resources
On the UPS Service Alerts page, you can stay on top of service disruptions that may affect your shipments, such as severe weather.
Fuel surcharge
Applies to all parcels. Click here for more information.
Residential surcharge
UPS provides delivery service to residential addresses as well as business addresses. A residential delivery is one made to a home, including a business operating out of a home. For each residential delivery, an additional charge of €3.25 per shipment applies.
This surcharge is in addition to the base rate when sending to residential addresses.
A surcharge per shipment delivered at a residential address will apply.
At what point does UPS scan the shipment as a residential address?
-
All deliveries to customers living in apartments, in residential complexes (student or senior residences), as well as in private houses
- Deliveries to a store located at the same address as an apartment (also possible in private homes)
- Farm, dentist, or insurance office at the same address as a residence (private use of premises).
- HB deliveries whose original recipient is a private address
At what point does UPS scan the shipment as a business address?
- All deliveries to schools, funeral homes, prisons, fire stations, religious institutions, or an unoccupied house that has been converted into a business
- All deliveries to rental offices in apartments
- All deliveries at a UPS Service Point
- All deliveries to rental offices in apartments
All deliveries at a UPS Service Point
All deliveries waiting to be picked up by the customer at the parcel store (e.g. due to a re-routing because the customer could not accept the shipment).
Address correction
If the receiver's address has not been entered correctly, UPS will try to locate the correct address. A fee of €7.80 will be charged for this service.
Collection request
You can have a shipment picked up from your customer's home or office by scheduling a collection service online at ups.com or by calling UPS directly. UPS will pick up all packages with a single collection service request. A collection service may be scheduled for the same day or a future day.
On-call collection service charge applies for Electronic Return Label, Print Return Label, and regular or alternate address pickup. Cash payments are available for on-call collection service. Charges differ based on the collection service request type:
Future-day deliveries
- Future day-Phone: €4.74
- Future day-Web: €3.90
- UPS Returns Ground service - Future day-Phone: €4.74
Same-day deliveries
- Same day-Phone: €8.10
- UPS Returns Ground service - Same day-Phone: €7.26
- Same day-Web: €8.10
Remote/Extended area surcharge
A surcharge applies for each shipment that is collected or delivered in an area that is less accessible for collections and deliveries, both for domestic and international services. This charge consists of €0.82 per kg, with a minimum of €30.50 per shipment applies. The bigger of both amounts will be charged.
Check the list of the postal codes affected by the remote/extended area surcharge.
Additional handling costs
Additional handling costs domestic: €20.35
Additional handling costs international: €22.95
The surcharge applies to the following:
- 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 or its second-longest side exceeding 76 cm
- Any package with an actual weight greater than 25 kg
- Each package in a shipment where the average weight per package is greater than 25 kg and the weight for each package is not specified on the source document or the UPS automated shipping system used
UPS also reserves the right to assess the Additional handling charge for any package that, in UPS's sole discretion, requires special handling.
In consideration of the additional handling required on our part, and subsequent potential delays in processing these shipments, UPS does not provide a money-back guarantee for them. UPS does, therefore, not refund the shipping charges if shipments requiring additional handling are not delivered by the time normally scheduled for such shipment.
Undeliverable shipments
When UPS has taken measures to try to deliver any Worldwide shipments, but has been unsuccessful, they will process your shipment acting on your instructions. The transportation cost and a surcharge will be charged to the sender for the processing of each such un-deliverable shipment.
For all shipments within the EU, we will automatically return your shipment by UPS Standard service (where available). Transportation and fuel charges will apply for the return.
The surcharge for undeliverable shipments is the same as the outbound shipping costs.
UK border surcharge
Due to Brexit all shipment to the UK will be applied the following of surcharge €2.20. This surcharge will be applied the moment the parcel has been handled by UPS.
Over Maximum Limits
Packages with an actual weight of more than 70 kg, or that exceed 270 cm in length or a total of 400 cm [L + (2x Width +2x Height)] in length and girth combined, as measured to determine their billable weight, are not accepted for transportation. These packages are subject to an Over Maximum Limits surcharge, in addition to all other applicable charges, if found in the UPS small package system. Packages exceeding 400 cm in length and girth combined are also subject to the Large Package Surcharge.
Surcharge over the maximum limits is €468.80.
Large Package surcharge
A Large Package surcharge of €95.75 will be applied to each UPS package when its length plus girth [(2 x 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.
An Additional Handling charge will not be assessed when a Large Package surcharge is applied.
Import fees
UPS charges the following fees when a parcel is imported. Sendcloud will forward these costs to you (the merchant):
- Import duties: The Import duties are determined based on the HS Code and their corresponding import duty rate x (times) value of the goods.
- Import VAT: It's calculated as follows: tax rate of the importing country x (times) the value of the goods. The import VAT charged can be deducted as input tax in your regular VAT return for the relevant period. As a result, the import VAT doesn't constitute an additional cost for you.
- Provision costs: In the event that UPS pays import duties, VAT, and other government charges on behalf of the paying party in advance, then the carrier will charge you some a provision fee based on the intrinsic value of the shipped goods and the advanced amount. These are the costs: €6.40 per shipment with an intrinsic value less than or equal to €22, with a minimum of €13.25, or 2.50% of the advanced amount when the intrinsic value of the goods exceeds €22.
Surcharge return to sender
If the recipient cannot be reached or refuses delivery, or if the parcel is returned for any other reason, a surcharge equal to the initial price (shipping costs) will be charged. If another surcharge was charged for the outbound shipment, for example, additional handling, this will also be charged again for the return shipment.
Surcharge Return shipments - Print label
If your customer has the return label printed at a service point, you will receive a fee of €2.03.
To avoid the above-mentioned surcharges, please carefully read the shipping conditions, make sure you stay well within the permitted dimensions and, of course, select the right network for your package.