Everything to know about UPS 2023 shipping rate increases
UPS has updated their shipping rates for 2025—including changes to base rates, surcharges, and dimensional pricing. Here’s how it could affect your shipping costs.
Like other major carriers, UPS has announced a General Rate Increase (GRI) for 2025, with average rates rising by 5.9%. But the actual impact depends on much more than just base shipping costs. Fuel surcharges, dimensional weight pricing, and other carrier surcharges have all shifted—often adding up to a much steeper increase than expected.
This article summarizes the most important changes in the 2025 UPS Rate and Service Guide, highlights where costs are increasing the most, and offers practical tips and tools—like shipping software—to help you control expenses. You'll also find an updated rate chart to help assess your costs by weight and service level.
Table of contents
What is the UPS General Rate Increase (GRI)?
The General Rate Increase (GRI) is an annual adjustment that shipping carriers like UPS use to recalibrate their pricing based on changes in operating costs. These costs include fuel, labor, equipment, and overall transportation demand. Carriers analyze these factors each year—typically by the end of Q3—to determine rates for the year ahead.
For 2025, UPS implemented a 5.9% average GRI effective December 26, 2024. This mirrors FedEx’s GRI and continues the trend of annual rate hikes across the logistics industry. However, the 5.9% figure is just a starting point. Actual increases vary by service type, shipping zone, and package characteristics.
Fees and surcharges—such as those tied to dimensional weight, residential delivery, and fuel—also rose this year. These charges can make up 30% to 40% of total shipping costs, so relying on the base rate alone can be misleading. Understanding the full scope of the GRI, including hidden costs, is key to managing your 2025 shipping strategy.
UPS shipping rates 2025: Key rate changes and highlights
The average General Rate Increase (GRI) for 2025 is 5.9%, but that figure can be misleading. The actual impact varies significantly depending on what you ship, where you send it, and which UPS service you use. Larger packages, longer delivery zones, and shipments requiring special handling are all subject to higher-than-average increases.
Here are some of the most notable changes in 2025:
- Higher package minimums: The minimum charge for UPS Ground now exceeds $10 in many zones, raising the floor for basic shipments.
- Additional handling fees: Packages that are heavy, large, or irregularly shaped face 8–12% higher handling surcharges.
- Residential surcharges: Deliveries to residential addresses now commonly exceed $6.00 per package, reflecting costlier last-mile delivery.
- Address correction fees: These rose from $19.50 to $20.50 in 2025—a 5.1% increase.
- Zone-based surcharges: Longer-distance shipments—especially via UPS 2nd Day Air and 3 Day Select—have seen rate increases of up to 9.2% and 10.6%, respectively.
- Delivery area surcharges (DAS): With ZIP code updates in 2025, DAS fees now apply to more destinations. Over 570 ZIP codes were added to the DAS list.
As always, rate increases are detailed by service type, package size, and zone in the UPS 2025 Rate and Service Guide. Be sure to review the full guide to understand how the changes apply to your specific shipping profile.
2025 UPS large package surcharge updates
UPS continues to raise fees for large packages in 2025 as part of its ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency and cost recovery. Shipments that are too large for automated processing or that consume excess cargo space can significantly increase labor, handling, and fuel expenses—costs that are now passed on to shippers.
For 2025, UPS defines a large package as one where:
- Length + girth (2 x width + 2 x height) exceeds 130 inches
- OR the longest side exceeds 96 inches
- A minimum billable weight of 90 lbs applies (with exceptions for UPS Ground and Freight services)
When the large package surcharge is applied, the additional handling charge is not applied to the same package. However, UPS enforces strict limits: if your package exceeds the company’s maximum weight or size limits, it will either be refused or incur an "Over Maximum Limits" fee of more than $1,200.
New for 2025: Starting January 27, UPS will begin applying a new cubic volume calculation for large packages in place of traditional additional handling fees tied to dimensions and packaging. This is part of an industry-wide shift toward volumetric-based pricing, making it more important than ever to optimize how you pack and label shipments.
To avoid surprise fees, shippers should double-check package dimensions, explore freight alternatives for oversized items, and consider the benefits of optimized packaging configurations.
UPS 2025 Large Package and Additional Handling Surcharges
| Surcharge Type | 2024 |
2025 |
% Increase |
Over Maximum Limits Fee |
$1,250 |
$1,775 |
+42% |
Large Package (Commercial) |
$205 |
$260 |
+27% |
Large Package (Residential) |
$240 |
$297.50 |
+24% |
International Large Package† |
— |
$220 |
— (new) |
Additional Handling – Weight |
$34.50–$41.50 |
$43.50–$52.75 |
+26–27% |
Additional Handling – Dimension |
$22.00–$28.25 |
$28.00–$36.00 |
+27% |
UPS shipping fees and surcharge updates for 2025
UPS shipping surcharges are one of the biggest drivers of rising costs—and in 2025, those charges have expanded and increased across the board. It’s not unusual for fees and surcharges to account for 30% to 40% of your total invoice, so understanding which ones you can control is essential.
Some fees are avoidable with proactive measures. For example, the address correction fee—now $23.50—can be avoided by validating addresses in advance. The late payment fee, set at 8% of the invoice total, can be eliminated with timely processing.
Other UPS surcharges are harder to avoid. Residential deliveries, for instance, involve more fuel and stops per mile. These now include a $6.10–$6.55 residential surcharge, depending on whether you’re using Ground or Air services. Extended residential delivery fees can go as high as $8.30. Delivery Area Surcharges (DAS) and Remote Area Surcharges have also increased and may vary depending on whether a shipment is commercial or residential, ground or air.
Another important shift: peak surcharges have transitioned into more complex, year-round demand surcharges. These fees are based on shipment volume thresholds, shipping zones, package type, or service level, and they can apply during high-demand windows or for exceeding weekly shipping limits. Demand surcharge rates range from $0.40 to $40.00+ depending on conditions.
To reduce costs:
- Use shipping software with automatic address verification
- Opt for flat-rate services like UPS Simple Rate when applicable
- Regularly audit your shipping invoices to spot unnecessary charges
For full definitions, rate tables, and surcharge policies, refer to the UPS 2025 Rate and Service Guide.
UPS surcharge increases for 2025
Surcharge Type |
2024 |
2025 |
Increase |
Address correction |
$22.00 |
$23.50 |
6.8% |
Residential delivery |
|||
UPS Air |
$6.20 |
$6.55 |
5.6% |
UPS Ground |
$5.65 |
$6.10 |
8.0% |
International |
$5.85 |
$6.15 |
5.1% |
Delivery area |
|||
UPS Air |
$3.95 |
$4.20 |
6.3% |
UPS Ground |
$3.95 |
$4.20 |
6.3% |
Import |
$5.70 |
$6.15 |
7.9% |
Extended area delivery |
$45.00 or $0.45/lb. |
$49.00 or $0.49/lb. |
8.8% |
Remote area delivery |
|||
Contiguous |
~$14.15 |
~$15.35 |
7.5% |
Alaska |
$40.50 |
$43.25 |
6.8% |
Hawaii |
$14.15 |
$15.35 |
7.9% |
Non-US |
$45.00 or $0.45/lb. |
$49.00 or $0.49/lb. |
8.8% |
Demand surcharges |
$0.40–40 |
$0.40–40 |
N/A |
Smart Pickup |
$16.00/wk |
$16.50/wk |
3.1% |
| International (new) | – |
ICOD: $12; Canada: $1.25/lb (Economy) / $0.49/lb (Express) |
New |
| Fuel Surcharges | ~17–25% | ~19–28% | ↑ varies |
2025 UPS shipping rates by weight chart
Shipping costs continue to rise with weight in 2025—both in base rates and surcharges. Packages over 50 lbs now automatically trigger additional handling fees, and any package over 70 lbs must be labeled with a heavy-package sticker. UPS maintains a maximum billable weight of 150 lbs per package.
As shown in the updated 2025 chart below, price increases scale by weight bracket and service type. For larger or heavy shipments, it’s critical to factor in surcharges and compare across services like UPS Ground, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS 3 Day Select, and UPS Next Day Air. For lighter packages, UPS SurePost™ may be a cost-effective alternative.
2025 UPS shipping rates by weight
Service / Weight Bracket |
2024 Rate (from) |
2025 Rate (from) |
% Increase (2024→2025) |
Next Day Air® |
|||
• 1–5 lbs |
from $40.40 |
from $42.42 |
+5.0% |
• 6–10 lbs |
— (not listed) |
approx. $63.00 |
~5–6% (zone differences) |
2nd Day Air® |
|||
• 1–5 lbs |
from $31.30 |
from $33.55 |
+7.3% (Zone 5 average) |
• 6–10 lbs |
— |
approx. $59.00 |
+7.3% |
3‑Day Select® |
|||
• 1–5 lbs |
from $16.00 |
~$17.20 |
+7.5% |
• 6–10 lbs |
— |
~$19.80 |
+7–8% |
Ground Residential |
|||
• 1–5 lbs (Zone 2) |
from $10.70 |
from $11.32 |
+5.8% |
• 6–10 lbs (Zone 2) |
from $12.10 | from $12.75 |
+5.3% |
| UPS SurePost (economy) | — | ~$10.00 | — (new tier) |
An Easier Way to Cut Shipping and Mailing Costs
Rising UPS shipping rates and increasingly complex carrier fees can make it challenging for businesses to stay in control of shipping costs and mailing costs. Rather than spending hours comparing options, Pitney Bowes provides smart tools that simplify the process and help you cut shipping costs without sacrificing speed or accuracy.
With PitneyShip® multi carrier shipping software, office-based shippers and small businesses can:
- Instantly compare rates across USPS®, UPS®, and FedEx®
- Print discounted shipping labels and USPS postage
- Use automatic address verification to prevent costly surcharges and failed deliveries
- Gain visibility into all shipping and mailing activity to analyze trends and prevent overspending
For ecommerce businesses managing fulfillment operations, fulfillment centers, or selling through major marketplaces, ShipAccel® delivers advanced ecommerce fulfillment software that includes:
- Warehouse integration and bulk label generation
- Inventory visibility and intelligent order routing
- Prebuilt integrations with leading ecommerce platforms and marketplaces
- Tools designed specifically to accelerate delivery and reduce total cost of ownership
Whether you’re sending everyday mail or scaling ecommerce order volumes, Pitney Bowes gives you the technology to reduce expenses, improve accuracy, and stay in control of every shipment.