Parcel shippers are weathering an expensive 2026, driven by elevated fuel surcharges. Soon, they'll face another pricing hurdle: peak season fees from FedEx, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and Amazon Shipping.

Over the past several weeks, all four major U.S. parcel carriers have revealed holiday surcharges or rate hikes that begin as early as this month and stretch into January. While similar in structure to last year's installments, the 2026 peak season fees come at a higher cost, further pressuring shippers' wallets in an already pricey year for last-mile delivery.

Experts say customers can blunt the full impact of carrier surcharges through tactics such as negotiating discounts, incentivizing shoppers to order earlier and tapping parcel carriers without holiday fees. For example, delivery provider Gofo said last month it would continue its policy of no peak season surcharges this year.

With the holiday season fast approaching, here's a roundup of the major parcel carriers' plans for 2026 peak season pricing.