True Cost of Shipping a Holiday Gift
One 5-pound gift box sent to a home by USPS, UPS and FedEx, near and far, before and during the 2026 holiday rush, with every surcharge on the receipt.
Data: October 2026
Key Findings
$14.43
Gap between the cheapest and most expensive carrier for the same box to zone 5 in the week of December 14
USPS Ground Advantage at $18.85 vs. FedEx Home Delivery at $33.28
$13.88
What FedEx's residential surcharge and fuel surcharge add to its $18.60 rate in zone 5
UPS Retail Rates charge neither on a Ground package from the 48 states, and USPS has neither
$2.10
The most a holiday charge adds to one box, USPS Priority Mail to zone 8
UPS adds $0.75 and FedEx $0.80 a package from late November, before FedEx's fuel surcharge on it
$23.25
Extra cost of sending USPS Priority Mail to zone 8 instead of zone 2
USPS Ground $13.10, UPS Ground $12.67 and FedEx Home $9.69
Holiday shipping costs by carrier
One 5-pound box, 12 by 10 by 6 inches, to a home in zone 5, shipped in the week of December 14. USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest at $18.85.
Cheapest
USPS Ground Advantage
Zone 5Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$17.45
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Holiday price change$1.40
Total$18.85
+$5.35 vs. cheapest
USPS Priority Mail
Zone 5Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$22.10
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Holiday price change$2.10
Total$24.20
+$2.08 vs. cheapest
UPS Ground
Zone 5Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$20.18
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Demand surcharge$0.75
Total$20.93
+$14.43 vs. cheapest
FedEx Home Delivery
Zone 5Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$18.53
Dimensional weight, 6 lb$0.07
Residential surcharge$6.45
Fuel surcharge 28.75% (latest published)$7.43
Demand surcharge$0.80
Total$33.28
Cheapest & most expensive ways to ship the box
The 12 carrier and zone options in the week of December 14
Cheapest option
USPS Ground Advantage
Zone 2Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$13.55
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Holiday price change$0.80
Total$14.35
Median option
USPS Priority Mail
Zone 5Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$22.10
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Holiday price change$2.10
Total$24.20
Most expensive
USPS Priority Mail
Zone 8Week of December 14
Rate, 5 lb$36.90
Dimensional weight$0.00
Residential surcharge$0.00
Fuel surcharge$0.00
Holiday price change$2.10
Total$39.00
All 36 prices: every carrier, zone and week
| # | Carrier | Zone | Ship Week | Total | Rate | Residential | Fuel | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USPS Ground Advantage | 2 | Sept 28 | $13.55 | $13.55 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | USPS Ground Advantage | 2 | Nov 30 | $14.35 | $13.55 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.80 |
| 2 | USPS Ground Advantage | 2 | Dec 14 | $14.35 | $13.55 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.80 |
| 4 | USPS Priority Mail | 2 | Sept 28 | $14.95 | $14.95 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 5 | UPS Ground | 2 | Sept 28 | $15.21 | $15.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 6 | USPS Priority Mail | 2 | Nov 30 | $15.75 | $14.95 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.80 |
| 6 | USPS Priority Mail | 2 | Dec 14 | $15.75 | $14.95 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.80 |
| 8 | UPS Ground | 2 | Nov 30 | $15.96 | $15.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 8 | UPS Ground | 2 | Dec 14 | $15.96 | $15.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 10 | USPS Ground Advantage | 5 | Sept 28 | $17.45 | $17.45 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 11 | USPS Ground Advantage | 5 | Nov 30 | $18.85 | $17.45 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.40 |
| 11 | USPS Ground Advantage | 5 | Dec 14 | $18.85 | $17.45 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.40 |
| 13 | UPS Ground | 5 | Sept 28 | $20.18 | $20.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 14 | UPS Ground | 5 | Nov 30 | $20.93 | $20.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 14 | UPS Ground | 5 | Dec 14 | $20.93 | $20.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 16 | USPS Priority Mail | 5 | Sept 28 | $22.10 | $22.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 17 | USPS Priority Mail | 5 | Nov 30 | $24.20 | $22.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.10 |
| 17 | USPS Priority Mail | 5 | Dec 14 | $24.20 | $22.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.10 |
| 19 | USPS Ground Advantage | 8 | Sept 28 | $26.05 | $26.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 20 | FedEx Home Delivery | 2 | Sept 28 | $26.75 | $14.17 | $6.45 | $6.13 | $0.00 |
| 21 | USPS Ground Advantage | 8 | Nov 30 | $27.45 | $26.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.40 |
| 21 | USPS Ground Advantage | 8 | Dec 14 | $27.45 | $26.05 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.40 |
| 23 | FedEx Home Delivery | 2 | Nov 30 | $27.58 | $14.17 | $6.45 | $6.16 | $0.80 |
| 23 | FedEx Home Delivery | 2 | Dec 14 | $27.58 | $14.17 | $6.45 | $6.16 | $0.80 |
| 25 | UPS Ground | 8 | Sept 28 | $27.88 | $27.88 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 26 | UPS Ground | 8 | Nov 30 | $28.63 | $27.88 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 26 | UPS Ground | 8 | Dec 14 | $28.63 | $27.88 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.75 |
| 28 | FedEx Home Delivery | 5 | Sept 28 | $32.50 | $18.60 | $6.45 | $7.45 | $0.00 |
| 29 | FedEx Home Delivery | 5 | Nov 30 | $33.28 | $18.60 | $6.45 | $7.43 | $0.80 |
| 29 | FedEx Home Delivery | 5 | Dec 14 | $33.28 | $18.60 | $6.45 | $7.43 | $0.80 |
| 31 | FedEx Home Delivery | 8 | Sept 28 | $36.52 | $21.70 | $6.45 | $8.37 | $0.00 |
| 32 | USPS Priority Mail | 8 | Sept 28 | $36.90 | $36.90 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 33 | FedEx Home Delivery | 8 | Nov 30 | $37.27 | $21.70 | $6.45 | $8.32 | $0.80 |
| 33 | FedEx Home Delivery | 8 | Dec 14 | $37.27 | $21.70 | $6.45 | $8.32 | $0.80 |
| 35 | USPS Priority Mail | 8 | Nov 30 | $39.00 | $36.90 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.10 |
| 35 | USPS Priority Mail | 8 | Dec 14 | $39.00 | $36.90 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.10 |
Holiday surcharges 2026
Each holiday or demand charge a residential package pays this season, with its dates and who it applies to. USPS builds its holiday change into the price, from October 4 to January 16, 2027. UPS and FedEx add a charge per package from October 25 and October 26. Charges for large or heavy packages do not apply to this box and are left out. The numbers in brackets point to the source list below.
| Carrier | Charge, with source number | Dates | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Holiday price change [11] Every retail and commercial package, with no volume threshold | Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 | $0.80 in zones 1 to 4, $1.40 in zones 5 to 9 (4 to 10 pounds) |
| USPS Priority Mail | Holiday price change [11] Every retail and commercial package, with no volume threshold | Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 | $0.80 in zones 1 to 4, $2.10 in zones 5 to 9 (4 to 10 pounds) |
| UPS Ground | Demand surcharge, residential [12] Every UPS Ground Residential package; shippers with more than 20,000 packages a week pay by separate tables | Oct 25, 2026 to Nov 21, 2026 | $0.50 a package |
| UPS Ground | Demand surcharge, residential [12] Every UPS Ground Residential package; shippers with more than 20,000 packages a week pay by separate tables | Nov 22, 2026 to Dec 26, 2026 | $0.75 a package |
| UPS Ground | Demand surcharge, residential [12] Every UPS Ground Residential package; shippers with more than 20,000 packages a week pay by separate tables | Dec 27, 2026 to Jan 16, 2027 | $0.50 a package |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Demand surcharge, residential [13] Every FedEx Home Delivery residential package; a further charge applies only to enterprise shippers with more than 20,000 residential packages a week | Oct 26, 2026 to Nov 22, 2026 | $0.50 a package |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Demand surcharge, residential [13] Every FedEx Home Delivery residential package; a further charge applies only to enterprise shippers with more than 20,000 residential packages a week | Nov 23, 2026 to Dec 27, 2026 | $0.80 a package |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Demand surcharge, residential [13] Every FedEx Home Delivery residential package; a further charge applies only to enterprise shippers with more than 20,000 residential packages a week | Dec 28, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027 | $0.50 a package |
| USPS Ground Advantage | Send by for Christmas [14] recommended send-by date for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous U.S. | Dec 17, 2026 | No charge |
| USPS Priority Mail | Send by for Christmas [14] recommended send-by date for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous U.S. | Dec 18, 2026 | No charge |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Send by for Christmas [15] last day to ship for arrival by December 24 with five days in transit, moving to December 23 for one day in transit | Dec 17, 2026 | No charge |
Shipping costs by distance
Every carrier's price for the box to zones 2, 5 and 8 in each of the three weeks, with every charge included. A higher zone is farther from the sender.
| Carrier and ship week | Zone 2 | Zone 5 | Zone 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage Week of September 28 | $13.55 | $17.45 | $26.05 |
| USPS Ground Advantage Week of November 30 | $14.35 | $18.85 | $27.45 |
| USPS Ground Advantage Week of December 14 | $14.35 | $18.85 | $27.45 |
| USPS Priority Mail Week of September 28 | $14.95 | $22.10 | $36.90 |
| USPS Priority Mail Week of November 30 | $15.75 | $24.20 | $39.00 |
| USPS Priority Mail Week of December 14 | $15.75 | $24.20 | $39.00 |
| UPS Ground Week of September 28 | $15.21 | $20.18 | $27.88 |
| UPS Ground Week of November 30 | $15.96 | $20.93 | $28.63 |
| UPS Ground Week of December 14 | $15.96 | $20.93 | $28.63 |
| FedEx Home Delivery Week of September 28 | $26.75 | $32.50 | $36.52 |
| FedEx Home Delivery Week of November 30 | $27.58 | $33.28 | $37.27 |
| FedEx Home Delivery Week of December 14 | $27.58 | $33.28 | $37.27 |
Carrier highlights
What each carrier charges for the box, at the default zone and week
USPS Ground Advantage
Cheapest in every zoneAt a Post Office counter the box costs $14.35 to zone 2, $18.85 to zone 5 and $27.45 to zone 8 in December, the least of the four in each zone. That includes the holiday price change of $0.80 or $1.40, in force since October 4. USPS has no fuel or residential surcharge.
USPS Priority Mail
Biggest holiday increasePriority Mail's holiday change adds $2.10 in zones 5 to 9, so the box costs $39.00 to zone 8 in December, against $36.90 in late September. In zone 2 the change is $0.80.
UPS Ground
One surcharge at retailUPS Retail Rates, the price without a UPS account, print the Ground residential surcharge for the 48 states as $0.00 and leave the fuel surcharge off retail Ground packages from those states. The only extra is the $0.75 demand surcharge from November 22 to December 26, so the box costs $20.93 to zone 5.
FedEx Home Delivery
Most expensive of the fourFedEx bills the box at 6 pounds, adds a $6.45 residential surcharge and puts a 28.75% fuel surcharge on the rate and both surcharges. In zone 5 its $18.60 rate becomes $33.28 in December, the most of the four. In late September, before the demand surcharge, it was $32.50.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to ship a 5-pound holiday gift?
Of the four services, USPS Ground Advantage is the cheapest for this box to zones 2, 5 and 8 in December, at $14.35 to zone 2, $18.85 to zone 5 and $27.45 to zone 8. These are retail and list prices; account and online discounts are not included.
When do holiday shipping surcharges start in 2026?
USPS holiday prices started on October 4 and run to January 16, 2027. UPS's residential demand surcharge starts on October 25 and FedEx's on October 26, rising to $0.75 and $0.80 a package from late November and ending on January 16, 2027 and January 17, 2027.
What is the last day to ship for Christmas?
USPS recommends sending Ground Advantage by December 17 and Priority Mail by December 18 for delivery before December 25 in the contiguous U.S. FedEx's last day for Home Delivery to arrive by December 24 runs from December 17 for packages five days in transit to December 23 for one day. The page could not read UPS's holiday dates.
Does dimensional weight change the price of this box?
Only at FedEx. The box is 720 cubic inches. FedEx divides that by 139 and bills it at 6 pounds, adding $0.07 in zone 5. UPS Retail Rates divide by 166, which gives 5 pounds, the box's actual weight, and USPS bills by size only above 1 cubic foot.
Why does FedEx Home Delivery cost more than the others?
Its rate is close to UPS's, but FedEx adds a $6.45 residential surcharge and a fuel surcharge of 28.75% on the rate and the surcharges, which together add $13.88 in zone 5. UPS's retail Ground price carries neither for this box.
Our Methodology
The box and the prices
- The gift is one box, 5 pounds, 12 by 10 by 6 inches (720 cubic inches), sent to a home address in the contiguous U.S., in a standard delivery area. Extended and remote area surcharges, insurance, signature and pickup fees are left out.
- USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail are USPS retail prices, the price at a Post Office counter, from Notice 123. UPS Ground is UPS's Retail Rates, which UPS charges shippers without a UPS account rate and packages taken to The UPS Store; UPS says a third-party retailer's charges may vary. FedEx Home Delivery is FedEx's Standard List Rates from the 2026 Service Guide, because FedEx publishes its retail counter prices only through its online rate tool, not as a table, so a FedEx Office counter price may differ.
- The three ship dates are Monday to Saturday of the weeks of September 28, November 30 and December 14. The week of September 28 is the last before any holiday pricing, because USPS holiday prices started on October 4, UPS's residential demand surcharge on October 25 and FedEx's on October 26. The week of November 30 is the first week of December. No carrier charges more in one week than another between November 23 and December 26, so the peak week is taken as the last full week before the carriers' Christmas send-by dates.
- Download all 36 prices as a CSV file.
How we calculate
- Each receipt lists the rate for the box's actual 5 pounds, the extra for dimensional weight, the residential surcharge, the fuel surcharge and the holiday or demand charge. A line with nothing to add shows $0.00, and the methodology says why.
- The box is 720 cubic inches, under the 1 cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches) above which USPS bills by dimensional weight, so Ground Advantage bills it at its actual 5 pounds. The box is under 1 cubic foot, so Priority Mail bills it at its actual 5 pounds. UPS Retail Rates divide the box's 720 cubic inches by 166, which is 4.34 and rounds up to 5 pounds, the same as its actual weight. FedEx divides the box's 720 cubic inches by 139, which is 5.18 and rounds up to 6 pounds, more than its actual 5, so it is billed at 6 pounds.
- USPS has no fuel surcharge; its 8% transportation increase of April 26, 2026 is inside its prices. UPS does not apply its ground fuel surcharge to Ground packages at Retail Rates from the 48 states. FedEx puts its fuel surcharge on the rate, the residential surcharge and the demand surcharge. Its rate for the week of September 28 is 29.75%. FedEx publishes each week's rate about a week ahead, so the December rates are not out yet, and the latest one that could be read, 28.75% for October 12 to 18, stands in for both December weeks.
- USPS's holiday price change is part of its prices from October 4, 2026, so the receipt shows the price before it as the rate and the change as its own line. UPS's and FedEx's demand surcharges apply to every residential package of these services in the dates shown; larger charges for shippers sending more than 20,000 packages a week do not apply to one gift.
- The page compares the same zone number at each carrier. A higher zone is farther from the sender, and each carrier sets its own zones, so zone 5 at one carrier can cover a slightly different distance than zone 5 at another.
- The fuel surcharge is the stated percentage of the charges it applies to, rounded to the cent. Every other line is the published amount. Options that tie share a rank.
Secondary sources
Where no current primary document gives an amount, the page uses the best other source and marks it "secondary". A charge that exists is never counted as zero. 2 amounts come from secondary sources.
- FedEx Home Delivery. Fuel surcharge of 28.75% for the week of November 30. FedEx publishes each week's fuel surcharge about a week ahead, so December's is not yet out. The latest rate that could be read, 28.75% for October 12 to 18, 2026, stands in for it.
- FedEx Home Delivery. Fuel surcharge of 28.75% for the week of December 14. FedEx publishes each week's fuel surcharge about a week ahead, so December's is not yet out. The latest rate that could be read, 28.75% for October 12 to 18, 2026, stands in for it.
Update Schedule
This page is reviewed quarterly and when a carrier changes its prices; UPS and FedEx raise rates in January. The current data reflects prices and surcharges checked in October 2026.
Sources
Each source appears once. UPS's and FedEx's own sites refused plain requests, so their documents were read from the Internet Archive's copies, linked below.
- U.S. Postal Service: Notice 123, Price List, effective October 4, 2026 (retail Ground Advantage and Priority Mail), for USPS retail prices from October 4, 2026 (pe.usps.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: Notice 123, Price List, effective July 12, 2026 (archived September 28, 2026), for USPS retail prices before the holiday change (archived copy of pe.usps.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: Domestic Mail Manual 133.1.4, dimensional weight for Ground Advantage, for USPS Ground Advantage dimensional weight (pe.usps.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: Domestic Mail Manual 123.1.3, dimensional weight for Priority Mail, for Priority Mail dimensional weight (pe.usps.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: USPS announces transportation-related, time-limited price change, for USPS transportation price change (about.usps.com)
- UPS: 2026 UPS Rate and Service Guide, Retail Rates, updated July 7, 2026 (archived August 9, 2026), for UPS Ground retail rates, dimensional weight and residential surcharge (archived copy of assets.ups.com)
- UPS: Fuel surcharges (archived October 13, 2026), for UPS fuel surcharge on retail Ground (archived copy of www.ups.com)
- FedEx: FedEx Service Guide, effective January 5, 2026, updated September 11, 2026 (archived October 18, 2026), for FedEx Home Delivery rates, dimensional weight and residential surcharge (archived copy of www.fedex.com)
- FedEx: Fuel surcharge, week of September 28, 2026 (archived September 28, 2026), for FedEx fuel surcharge, week of September 28 (archived copy of www.fedex.com)
- FedEx: Fuel surcharge, week of October 12, 2026 (archived October 13, 2026), for FedEx fuel surcharge, latest published (archived copy of www.fedex.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: USPS announces temporary price change for 2026 holiday shipping season, for USPS holiday price change and 1 more (about.usps.com)
- UPS: Demand surcharges, August 26, 2026 update (archived October 9, 2026), for UPS demand surcharges and 1 more (archived copy of assets.ups.com)
- FedEx: Demand surcharges (archived October 9, 2026), for FedEx demand surcharges and 1 more (archived copy of www.fedex.com)
- U.S. Postal Service: Holiday shipping dates 2026, for USPS holiday send-by dates and 1 more (usps.com)
- FedEx: 2026 holiday last day to ship (archived October 5, 2026), for FedEx holiday last day to ship and 1 more (archived copy of www.fedex.com)
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APA Citation
CheckoutReceipt. (2026). True cost of shipping a holiday gift (2026). CheckoutReceipt.com. https://www.checkoutreceipt.com/tools/true-cost-holiday-shipping
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