What You DON’T Know About FedEx & UPS International Shipping: Dimensional Weight and Hidden Fees

Shipping is tricky enough when merely sending a product across the United States, but it’s a whole new ball game when navigating the field of international shipping. Even when you think you’ve figured out how to ship internationally, you might still find yourself having to pay unexpected fees depending on the carrier you select.

If you use FedEx and UPS for international shipping, there may be fees and surcharges you may not be familiar with.

For starters, you’ve heard of the FedEx and UPS dimensional weight pricing for Ground shipments.  But did you know FedEx and UPS also apply dimensional weight rates to international shipments?

Here’s how to calculate the dimensional weight price of a package you are shipping overseas:

1. Multiply the length by width by height of your package in inches
2. Divide the number by 139
3. Compare that number (the dimensional weight) to the actual weight of a package. Whichever number is higher is used to price the shipment.

Additionally, there are a handful of fees that make their way onto your bill when shipping with private carriers. Below is a roundup of the commonly missed fees that FedEx and UPS tack on to international shipments.

Additional Handling Surcharge: Both FedEx and UPS charge this fee for any package that requires special handling including those that measure greater than 60 in. long or 30 in. wide and weigh more than 70 lbs. (for detailed requirements see FedEx and UPS). Both FedEx and UPS apply a $9 charge per package for special handling.

Address Correction: Private carriers charge a fee if the destination address is incomplete or incorrect on a label and they need to fix it. For both FedEx and UPS, this service costs $12.50 per correction.

Clearance Entry Fee: This fee applies to FedEx Ground packages going between the United States and Canada. If FedEx arranges the clearance services – processing the paperwork required by the U.S. or Canada Customs and Border Protection – then a Clearance Entry Fee is charged. The fees vary depending on the value for duty.

Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials: Private carriers charge fees for the safe transport of dangerous goods and materials, such as explosives or flammable gas. The fees for dangerous goods vary according to the mail class selected, for example, FedEx International Economy and UPS International Air Services charge the greater of $62.50 per shipment.

Extended Area Surcharge: Private carriers apply this surcharge to shipments for some international origins and destinations that are outside their primary service areas. UPS applies a fee the greater of $30 per shipment or $0.30 per lb., while FedEx applies a charge of $115 per shipment. Click here and here to see which countries the extended area surcharges apply to.

Extra Services Charge: This charge is added by FedEx when the shipper or recipient requests a special handling service beyond standard private carrier freight pickup and delivery features. FedEx International Premium charges $75 per handler hour.

Fuel Surcharge: Private carriers reserve the right to assess fuel surcharges on shipments without notice. Current fuel surcharge rates for FedEx Express are 2.50 percent and 4.50 percent for FedEx Ground. The surcharge rate for UPS Air and International is 4.25 percent.

Oversize Charge: If a package exceeds the maximum size (119 in. in length and 165 in. in length and girth) and weight limits (150 lbs.), private carriers apply an oversize charge. Both FedEx and UPS apply a fee of $57.50 per package.

Residential Delivery Charge: Private carriers add on residential delivery charges to packages being delivered to a location that is a home, including a business operating out of a home. Both FedEx and UPS add on a charge of $3.50 per package.

Whether you’ve already taken your online business international or you’re looking to expand internationally in the near future, make sure you take these fees and surcharges into account when putting together your international shipping game plan.

About Endicia

Endicia is a leading provider of internet-based postage services that make it easier and more affordable to ship parcels through the U.S. Postal Service®. We know that shipping can be complex and our goal is to simplify your shipping operations so you can focus on doing what you do best. Visit us at www.endicia.com to learn more.