Guess it's time to start shopping!
If you’ve been receiving some not-so-gentle reminders from retailers (since September!) that there are fewer than 100 days left until Christmas, it may be sending you into a holiday spiral. Take a deep breath, and repeat: “It’s going to be OK.” Because yes, it feels early, but the holidays will be here before we know it. Retailers know it too, so they prompt you to get a head start on your shopping by offering up all kinds of pre-pre-pre-Black Friday sales.
But this year, you might not be getting as good of a deal as you’re used to—and it’s not because of the sales themselves. On Oct. 5, shipping got a lot more expensive, and since this change kind of flew under the radar, you might experience some sticker shock when mailing out those gifts.
So what’s going on? And how much more money should you expect to shell out to send those holiday packages? Read on for all the details, including which option to choose for the most affordable shipping.
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Which type of shipping will be more expensive?
We really hate to be the bearers of bad news, but … all of it. If you’re mailing via the post office, that is. Back in August, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced a temporary price change for some shipping methods for the duration of the 2025 peak holiday season. This includes anything mailed in the following ways: Priority Mail Express (PME), Priority Mail (PM), USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select.
Now keep in mind, this temporary price change for the holidays doesn’t just affect regular folks; it affects retailers too. If there’s a company you purchase from that ships its wares through USPS, it will have to hike up what it charges you for shipping too. The hike affects packages of all shapes and sizes—essentially, anything larger than a standard envelope. Of course, the heavier the package, the bigger the price increase.
How much are prices going up?
Quite a bit. And the further your package needs to go, the more you’re going to feel the wallet burn. It’s all based on USPS delivery zones.
For example, if you’re mailing something Priority Mail or USPS Ground Advantage that falls within Zones 1 through 4, you’ll see a 40-cent increase for packages up to 3 pounds, all the way up to a $3 hike for oversized packages between 26 and 70 pounds. Keep in mind that Zones 1 through 4 don’t get a package very far: Zone 1 covers 1 to 50 miles from the shipping point, and Zone 4 covers 301 to 600 miles from that point.
Priority Mail for zones over 600 miles from the shipping point will see a 90-cent increase on packages up to 3 pounds and, at the far end, a $7 increase on those heavy packages between 26 and 70 pounds.
If you need to get that package there in a hurry and use Priority Mail Express, the price increases range from $1.10 all the way up to $16, depending on how far the package has to travel and its size and weight.
Is there a maximum shipping price?
There isn’t a maximum shipping price at USPS, but there is a maximum shipping size. The post office will not ship domestic mail that weighs more than 70 pounds. And you’ll incur additional charges if the package exceeds 130 inches in “combined length and girth.”
Why is this happening?
Every year around the holidays, shipping demand skyrockets—and so do costs. To keep up, the USPS is putting a small, temporary price bump on certain shipping rates. Think of it like “surge pricing,” but for mail. They’re just meant to help the Postal Service handle the extra workload while staying competitive with other carriers.
It’s also part of the USPS’s bigger, long-term plan to modernize and stay financially strong so it can keep doing what it’s always done: deliver mail and packages to every corner of the country, at least six days a week, without breaking the bank. In short, a little extra now helps keep the system running smoothly for the long haul.
How long do these shipping-rate increases last?
The shipping rate increases went into effect on Oct. 5 and will remain until midnight Central Time on Jan. 18, 2026. So again, this is temporary for the holiday season, but still a major bummer for those who rely on USPS to ship gifts, as the price hike will add up depending on how much you need to send.
Is there any way around these increased costs?
Your best bet is to shop and ship early so you can use ground shipping services whenever possible. Remember that the new rate hikes are based on zones. Shipping an oversized Christmas gift to your niece in Zone 4 will set you back an extra $9.75 for Priority Express, but only $3 if you send it Ground Advantage. That’s a big difference if you’re willing to plan ahead and send your gift a little earlier.
It’s possible that some companies will absorb these increased costs. But more than likely, small businesses, in particular, will have to pass the shipping cost on to their customers—not because they want to, but because financial considerations make it necessary.
Will this rate hike also make UPS and FedEx more expensive?
UPS announced its demand surcharges in August, with these fees getting higher and higher the closer we get to Christmas. For instance, from Sept. 28 through Nov. 22, there’s an additional handling fee of $8.25 per package, but that increases to $10.80 between Nov. 23 and Dec. 27. It goes back down to $8.25 per package from Dec. 28 to Jan. 17, 2026. After that, the surcharges go away.
FedEx has essentially the exact same calendar and rate increases as UPS for the holiday season.
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