Carrier rate changes · January 2027
January 2027 shipping rates: two carriers up, one steps down.
UPS and FedEx raise their list rates by the same 5.9 percent average, two weeks apart. USPS does the opposite: two temporary layers expire on the same January night, and its parcel prices step down. Each change below carries its date, who it hits, and what it does to real parcels. Checked against the carriers' own notices on November 10, 2026.
This page is one entry in the fee change tracker, the standing log of marketplace and carrier changes. Figures come from the carriers' own published notices, named in the sources note at the bottom.
The short version
- UPS, December 21, 2026: daily rates for Ground, Air and International services rise by an average net 5.9 percent. Additional Handling packages are billed at a 50 pound minimum, up from 40.
- FedEx, January 4, 2027: standard list rates rise by an average of 5.9 percent. The Ground minimum charge rises from $11.99 to $12.70.
- USPS, January 18, 2027: the holiday season amounts and the 8 percent time limited increase both end at 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027. Prices step down to the regular rates set in July 2026. USPS has announced no permanent January 2027 shipping increase.
- Who feels it: sellers who buy their own labels. If your marketplace sets your shipping price, the carrier changes move your cost, not your buyer's.
USPS · Effective January 18, 2027The step down: two temporary layers end at once
Since October 4, 2026, USPS parcel prices have carried the holiday season amounts: fixed per package increases on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission as a temporary change (Docket CP2026-10, approved September 9, 2026). Underneath them sits a second layer, an 8 percent time limited increase on the same four services that has been in place since April 26, 2026. Both were set to expire at the same moment: 12 a.m. CT on January 17, 2027. From January 18, prices return to the regular rates set by the July 12, 2026 price change.
USPS said when it filed the 8 percent increase that it would decide on a longer term approach once it ends. As of this check, no permanent January 2027 shipping increase has been announced. If one lands, it will appear in the fee change tracker.
Who it hits: every seller buying USPS labels. Marketplace and shipping platform labels are commercial rates, so the commercial column is the one to read.
| Service and rate type | 0 to 3 lb | 4 to 10 lb | 11 to 25 lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, commercial, zones 1 to 4 | $0.40 per parcel | $0.65 | $1.05 |
| Ground Advantage, commercial, zones 5 to 9 | $0.55 per parcel | $1.05 | $1.75 |
| Ground Advantage, retail, zones 1 to 4 | $0.50 per parcel | $0.80 | $1.25 |
| Ground Advantage, retail, zones 5 to 9 | $0.75 per parcel | $1.40 | $2.75 |
| Priority Mail, commercial, zones 5 to 9 | $0.85 per parcel | $1.75 | $3.85 |
| Parcel Select, all zones | $0.40 per parcel | $0.50 | $0.80 |
The holiday amounts, per package, from USPS's own pricing notice of August 25, 2026. Every figure in this table comes off the price on January 18, 2027. Heavy parcels step down by more: Ground Advantage at 26 to 70 lb drops by $3.15 to $7.70 commercial depending on zone.
What the step down is worth to you
The calculator covers the holiday amounts only. The 8 percent layer is estimated from your spend: because prices are the regular rate times 1.08, about $74 of every $1,000 you pay now is that layer.
FedEx · Effective January 4, 2027List rates rise 5.9 percent on average
FedEx announced its 2027 general rate increase in September 2026: standard list rates for US, US export and US import package services rise by an average of 5.9 percent from January 4, 2027, the fourth year in a row at that average. Minimum charges rise with them; the FedEx Ground minimum goes from $11.99 to $12.70. Surcharges move on their own schedules, several of them faster than the average, and two new paper fees start January 18, 2027: $25 per shipment when a trade document is provided on paper, and $5 for a shipment started on a manual paper air waybill.
Worked example: at the 5.9 percent average, a shipment with a $15.00 list rate costs about $15.89 from January 4, $0.89 more. A seller shipping 100 such parcels a month pays about $89 more per month before any surcharge movement. Your own increase will sit above or below the average by service, weight and zone; light Ground parcels run above it.
Who it hits: sellers on FedEx list rates or discounts pegged to them. Negotiated contracts move on their own terms, but the minimum charge and surcharge tables still apply.
UPS · Effective December 21, 2026The earliest of the three changes
UPS announced its 2027 increase in October 2026, and it lands first: daily rates for Ground, Air and International services rise by an average net 5.9 percent on December 21, 2026, in the middle of the holiday shipping week. Two details matter beyond the average. Packages that trigger Additional Handling will be billed at a minimum of 50 pounds, up from 40, and a new per package Surge Fee will apply to some Ground and Ground Saver shipments from certain origin ZIP codes; UPS had not published the fee amount at this check.
Worked example: at the 5.9 percent average, $500 a month of daily rate spend becomes about $529.50. The bigger exposure is the Additional Handling change: a long or bulky 30 pound parcel that bills at the 40 pound minimum today bills at the 50 pound minimum from December 21, a jump no average describes.
Who it hits: sellers shipping on UPS daily rates, and anyone whose parcels trip the Additional Handling rules on size or packaging.
Before JanuaryWhat to do with these dates
If you charge buyers for shipping: your UPS costs move on December 21 and your FedEx costs on January 4. Adjust shipping charges with the carrier you actually use, not on the headline date.
If you ship USPS: nothing to change. Labels get cheaper on January 18 by the amounts in the table above, and the saving is worth the most to sellers whose shipping charge was set during the holiday window.
Then reprice the whole sale, not just the postage. Run a typical sale through the free calculators with the new shipping cost in hand: the Etsy fee calculator, the eBay calculator, the Mercari calculator and the Poshmark calculator.
Who it fits: any seller who buys labels ahead of the January adjustments.
Sources and how this entry is kept
USPS figures are from the Postal Service's own pricing notice of August 25, 2026 (Postal Explorer, DMM Advisory), with the filing at the Postal Regulatory Commission under Docket CP2026-10; the 8 percent increase and its January 17, 2027 end date are from USPS's 2026 filings for the same four services. FedEx figures are from FedEx's published 2027 rate changes, announced September 2026. UPS figures are from UPS's rate updates, announced October 2026. All three were read on November 10, 2026. Averages are the carriers' own; your bill moves by service, weight and zone.
This entry sits in the fee change tracker alongside every marketplace change in the log, and the wider tool list sits on the seller resources page.
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