Q4 is when e-commerce breaks records—and when shipping costs quietly climb. Carriers call it peak season surcharges: temporary fees that appear when networks are full. In 2025, the pattern is clear: costs rise in late October, peak in late November, and fade only after New Year.
For merchants, it’s not just about paying more. It’s about timing campaigns and managing parcels so those adds don’t eat your margin.
Chapter 1 — Germany: Layered Fees
Germany sees some of the most structured surcharges. DHL applies multiple layers, GLS and Asendia add their own, and “Peak-on-Peak” creates a sharp cost jump just as Black Week promotions hit.
🇩🇪 Germany
Carrier | Surcharge | When | Destination | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Paket | Peak Season Surcharge | Oct 1–Feb 16 | National & International | €0.10/parcel (domestic; dest-dependent). (per your table) |
DHL Paket | Peak Season Surcharge | Nov 1–Dec 31 | National & International | €0.19/parcel. (per your table) |
DHL Paket | Peak-on-Peak | Nov 27–Dec 7 | National & International | €0.50/parcel. (per your table) |
DPD Germany | Peak Season Surcharge | Announced in Oct | National & International | €0.25/parcel (market comms; contract-level confirmation). (per your table) |
GLS Germany | BlackWeek Surcharge | Nov 24–Dec 5 | National & International | €0.50/parcel. (per your table) |
Asendia | Peak Season Surcharge | Nov 1–Jan 31 | International | €0.40/parcel. (per your table) |
Amazon (shipping) | Holiday Peak Season | Oct 15–Jan 14 | International | €0.19/parcel. (per your table) |
Chapter 2 — Austria: Same Calendar, Fewer Options
Austria mirrors Germany almost line by line: DHL surcharges from October, GLS adds Black Week fees, and even the “Peak-on-Peak” window is identical. The only difference? Österreichische Post hasn’t published clear peak adds, leaving merchants with less visibility.
🇦🇹 Austria
Carrier | Surcharge | When | Destination | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DHL Paket | Peak Season Surcharge | Oct 1–Feb 16 | National & International | €0.10/parcel (domestic; dest-dependent). (per your table) |
DHL Paket | Peak Season Surcharge | Nov 1–Dec 31 | National & International | €0.19/parcel. (per your table) |
DHL Paket | Peak-on-Peak | Nov 27–Dec 7 | National & International | €0.50/parcel. (per your table) |
DPD Austria | Peak Season Surcharge | Announced in Oct | National & International | €0.25/parcel (market comms). (per your table) |
GLS Austria | BlackWeek Surcharge | Nov 24–Dec 5 | National & International | €0.50/parcel. (per your table) |
Asendia | Peak Season Surcharge | Nov 1–Jan 31 | International | €0.40/parcel. (per your table) |
Chapter 3 — United Kingdom: Long but Lighter
The UK spreads surcharges across nearly two months. Royal Mail adds small amounts to every parcel, while Parcelforce ranges up to several pounds for large formats. The impact isn’t the size of each fee—it’s the length of the window. Campaigns launched in early November avoid the heaviest drag.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Carrier | Surcharge | When | Destination | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Mail | Peak Season Surcharge | Oct 1–Feb 16 | National & International | £0.07 per Large Letter; £0.12 per standard parcel. (per your table) |
Parcelforce | Peak Season Surcharge | Nov 1–Dec 31 | National & International | £0.20–£4.50 per parcel, tiered by size. (per your table) |
DPD UK | Peak Season Surcharge | Announced in Oct | National & International | TBD (contract notice). |
Chapter 4 — United States: The Dimensional Trap
The US runs the longest surcharge period. USPS applies broad holiday price increases. UPS and FedEx target oversize and handling triggers, making packaging a big driver of extra cost. DHL eCommerce adds transparent per-package fees. Here, parcel design can matter as much as campaign timing.
🇺🇸 United States (2025)
Carrier | SURCHARGE | WHEN | DESTINATION | COSTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
USPS | Holiday price increase | Oct 5 – Jan 18 | National | By service/zone/weight. Typical adds: Ground Advantage / Priority +$0.30–$7.00; Flat Rate +$0.90. |
UPS | Peak/Demand surcharges | Sep 28 – Jan 17 | National | Additional Handling: $8.25–$10.80/pkg. Large Package: $90.50–$107/pkg. Over Max: up to $540/pkg. (Residential peak add-on also applies during parts of the window.) |
FedEx | Peak/Demand surcharges | Sep 29 – Jan 18 | National | Additional Handling: $8.25–$10.90/pkg. Oversize: $90–$108.50/pkg. Residential peak: $1.55–$7.50/pkg (tiered). |
DHL eCommerce | Peak surcharge | Oct 5 – Jan 17 | National & International | Per-package add-on by product/zone/weight. Typical domestic range $0.62–$1.57/pkg. |
Conclusion
Peak season surcharges aren’t going away. But they’re predictable—and that makes them manageable.
In Germany and Austria, avoid the late-November “Peak-on-Peak” squeeze.
In the UK, pull big pushes into early November.
In the US, audit packaging now to dodge handling fees.
For Q4 2025, the merchants who win will be those who plan promotions around the surcharge calendar—not just around the discount calendar.
