This document shares details around domestic services. International shipments have separate rate calculations and surcharges not listed here.
Billable Weight
The total cost of a shipment is the combination of your (base rate + extra surcharges) x fuel.
- Fuel surcharges are a variable % of total shipping costs and not a set dollar amount. This means that fuel will apply to the sum of your base rate and other surcharges. Unlike other surcharges, you can expect for fuel to always apply to every shipment. Please see the tables below for more detail.
- When calculating the base rate, shipping carriers will charge based on what is known as billable weight. The billable weight is determined by comparing the shipment's dimensional weight (a carrier-specific formula based on the shipment's packaged dimensions) and the actual weight (i.e. if you were to put the shipment on a scale) and charging based on which is greater.
- Dimensional weight formulas can vary. For FedEx and UPS shipments, plug the dimensions of a packaged shipment, as measured in inches, into the following formula and round up to the nearest pound: (Length x Width x Height) / (provided divisor - See Airhouse rate table). As an example, a shipment measuring 10" x 10" x 10" with an actual weight of 2 lbs will have a dimensional weight of 8 lbs and will be billed at the heavier weight of 8 lbs (in this case, the dimensional weight). The dimensional weight will be calculated as follows: (10 x 10 x 10)/139 = 7.19, which rounds to 8 lbs.
- Dimensional weight itself may vary by service class. For UPS SurePost and USPS, dimensional weight only applies if greater than one cubic foot (1,728 cubic inches). 139 is the standard Daily rate divisor and may change for air vs. ground and Airhouse warehouse location. 139 is the minimum dimensional weight divisor and where any modifiers exist, the result is a typically a lower dimensional weight and more favorable overall base rate. Please see your Airhouse rate cards to see divisor by shipping class.
- Read more about billable weight from FedEx or UPS.
Surcharges
Depending on any given shipment's weight, dimensions, destination, and other details, you may be charged surcharges on top of your base Airhouse rate. Surcharges are not unique to Airhouse and are determined by the shipping carriers. Some surcharges always apply, and others are less common. Surcharges vary by shipping carrier and shipment and will be added to your invoice at cost. Residential and delivery area surcharges are the two most common surcharges if using UPS and FedEx.
Due to the nature of how surcharges work, we will not be able to give advanced notice for some surcharges until the shipment is created and in the shipping carrier's network. Some surcharges apply late in the delivery process. Surcharges are subject to change at any time without warning by the carrier. As such, the below rates are estimates and not a guarantee of what the invoiced rates will be due to such carrier practices.
We will always endeavor to be transparent when we notice surcharges applying to your shipments that were not anticipated during the quoting process, but we will not issue credits on this basis and recommend customers read through the below list to understand when and where your shipments may have extra fees.
Peak surcharges apply regularly around the holidays and intermittently during other high volume periods, for example, during COVID-19. These peak surcharges with Airhouse will vary by service class and warehouse. In general, peak surcharges are more substantial and volatile than others and can be levied at any moment at will from shipping carriers as their operational costs change, from day to day and week to week. As with other rate changes, Airhouse will endeavor to notify you of any changes as they arise, with as much notice as we can give. For examples, please see the FedEx and UPS alerts centers.
Please note that the below list is abbreviated for your convenience and is intended to show the most common surcharges Airhouse customers encounter. For a complete list of all possible surcharges, please refer to the rate schedule for FedEx Economy, FedEx Ground and Express, and UPS (p. 122). The rates below are commercial rates and your Airhouse billed rate may be lower where select negotiated Airhouse discounts apply.
| Name | What is it | Will it apply to my shipment? | Carrier source |
|---|---|---|---|
Fuel | Unlike other surcharges, fuel will always apply to every shipment. The fuel multiplier is calculated based on the total of the base rate and any surcharges. If the base rate is $10, and a $5 surcharge applies to the shipment, fuel will be added to the $15 sum of charges. These rates change weekly and are based off of average diesel fuel costs, so it will mirror increases or decreases you see at the pump when you fill up your own gas tank. The fuel surcharge % is different for ground and air services. The 2021 average (as of May): 5.75-8.75% | All FedEx Services | |
Residential | Applies if the shipment's destination is a residential address. This also applies to businesses operating out of a residence. | FedEx GroundFedEx Home DeliveryFedEx Economy Ground (Smartpost)FedEx 2 DayFedEx OvernightOther Ground ServicesOther Express ServicesOther Air Services | |
Delivery Area Surcharge | A delivery area surcharge applies to package shipments destined to select U.S. ZIP codes.
In addition, a delivery area surcharge applies to FedEx Express and FedEx Ground shipments destined for areas in Alaska and Hawaii that are remote, sparsely populated or geographically difficult to access. | FedEx Economy Ground (Smartpost)FedEx GroundFedEx Home DeliveryFedEx 2 DayFedEx OvernightOther Ground ServicesOther Express Services | |
Additional Handling (Weight) | Applies to any package that has an actual weight greater than 50 lbs. | FedEx GroundFedEx Home DeliveryFedEx Economy Ground (Smartpost)FedEx 2 DayFedEx OvernightOther Ground ServicesOther Express Services | |
Additional Handling (Dimension) | Applies to any package that
- measures greater than 48 inches along its longest side;
- measures greater than 30 inches along its second-longest side;
- measures greater than 105 inches in length and girth — the length and girth is length plus (two times the height) plus (two times the width) | FedEx GroundFedEx Home DeliveryFedEx Economy Ground (Smartpost)FedEx 2 DayFedEx OvernightOther Ground ServicesOther Express Services | |
Additional Handling (Packaging) | Applies to packages that is in non-standard packaging, including any package that
- is not fully encased in an outer shipping container;
- is encased in an outer shipping container not made of corrugated fiberboard
(cardboard) materials, including but not limited to metal, wood, canvas, leather, hard plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bags) or expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., Styrofoam);
- is encased in an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap;
- is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., courier packs, poly bags and bubble mailers) that exceeds 18 inches along its longest side or 13 inches along its second-longest side or 5 inches in height;
- is cylindrical, including (without limitation) mailing tubes, cans, buckets, barrels, drums or pails;
- is bound with metal, plastic or cloth banding, or has wheels, casters, handles, or straps (including packages where the outer surface area is loosely wrapped, or where the contents protrude outside the surface area); or
- could become entangled in or cause damage to other packages or the FedEx sortation system | FedEx GroundFedEx Home DeliveryFedEx Economy Ground (Smartpost)FedEx 2 DayFedEx OvernightOther Ground ServicesOther Express Services |
| Name | What is it | Will it apply to my shipment? | Carrier Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Fuel | Unlike other surcharges, fuel will always apply to every shipment. The fuel multiplier is calculated based on the total of the base rate and any surcharges. If the base rate is $10, and a $5 surcharge applies to the shipment, fuel will be added to the $15 sum of charges. These rates change weekly and are based off of average diesel fuel costs, so it will mirror increases or decreases you see at the pump when you fill up your own gas tank. The fuel surcharge % is different for ground and air services. The 2021 average (as of May): 7.5-9% | All UPS Services | |
Residential | Applies if the shipment's destination is a residential address. This also applies to businesses operating out of a residence. This charge is in addition to all applicable Area Surcharges. | UPS GroundUPS StandardUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day Air | |
Delivery Area (Ground) | A surcharge applies to each package delivered to certain ZIP Codes within the 48 contiguous states.
For Alaska and Hawaii, refer to the Remote Area Surcharge. | UPS SurePostUPS GroundOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services | |
Delivery Area (Air) | A surcharge applies to each package delivered to certain ZIP Codes within the 48 contiguous states.
For Alaska and Hawaii, refer to the Remote Area Surcharge. | UPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Air Services | |
Additional Handling (Weight) | Any package with an actual weight of more than 50 pounds. | UPS GroundUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services | |
Additional Handling (Length + Girth) | Any package with its length (longest side of the package) plus girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined exceeding 105 inches | UPS GroundUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services | |
Additional Handling (Length) | Any package with the longest side exceeding 48 inches | UPS GroundUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services | |
Additional Handling (Width) | Any package with its second-longest side exceeding 30 inches. | UPS GroundUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services | |
Additional Handling (Packaging) | Any article that is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container, including tires.
- Any package with an outer shipping container not made of corrugated cardboard, including
but not limited to canvas, leather, metal, wood, hard plastic, soft plastic (e.g., plastic bag) or
expanded polystyrene foam (e.g., styrofoam).
- Any article that is encased in a soft-sided pack (e.g., poly bags and bubble mailers) that exceeds
18 inches along its longest side or 14 inches along its second-longest side or 6 inches in height.
- Any package with an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap.
- Any package bound with metal, plastic or cloth banding, or that has wheels, casters, handles
or straps (including packages where the outer surface area is loosely wrapped or where the
contents protrude outside the container surface).
- Any cylindrical-like item, including but not limited to barrels, buckets, cans, drums, mailing tubes or pails.
- Any package routed through UPS’s irregular package sortation process, including but not limited to packages 1 inch or less in height.
- Any other package that requires special handling, as determined by UPS in its sole discretion | UPS GroundUPS SurePostUPS 2nd Day AirUPS Next Day AirOther Ground ServicesOther Air Services |
| Name | What is it | Will it apply to my shipment? | Carrier Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Oversize | The oversized price is used on parcels of certain mail classes that are greater than 108 inches, but not more than 130 inches, in combined length and girth. Weight is not a factor as long as it does not exceed 70 pounds (no package can exceed 70 pounds). | Parcel Select (Parcel Select Lightweight excluded)Parcel Return ServiceUSPS Retail Ground®USPS Retail Ground® -- Limited Overland Routes parcels | |
Nonstandard Size | For Priority Mail shipments, different surcharges will apply in the following scenarios as of mid-2022: 1) parcel with length measuring between 22-30 inches, 2) parcel with length measuring over 30 inches, 3) parcel with cubic volume exceeding 2 cubic feet. | USPS Priority Mail |
| Name | What is it | Will it apply to my shipment? | Carrier Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Fuel | Fuel surcharge is applied on the product price after any discounts or commissions, and before VAT. As of 4 July 2022, the fuel surcharge will be set to 8.0% due to a rise in domestic fuel costs. | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* | Any fuel surcharge rate changes will be communicated via this page at least 30 days prior to the effective date |
Oversize | Surcharge of £7.50 for shipments that exceed 129 liters (4.556 cuft) or 61x46x46cm | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* | |
Un-deliverable | - Where items are returned to the sender for the below reasons, your items will be scanned and you will be charged at your agreed contract rate.
- Undelivered items that have not been collected, nor a Redelivery arranged within the 18-day holding period
- Incorrect/incomplete address
- Recipient moved (gone away)
- Recipient refused | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* | |
Under or Mis-declared | If items differ in any way from what is declared, we will charge you a flat fee (£0.85) per item. | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* | |
Restricted Items | Review all restricted items that cannot be shipped by Royal Mail | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* |
| Name | What is it | Will it apply to my shipment? | Carrier Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Fuel | DHL eCommerce Solutions utilizes an indexed fuel surcharge that is adjusted monthly, based upon the fuel prices published monthly by the U.S. Department of Energy | Royal Mail Tracked 24*Royal Mail Tracked 48* |