USPS fuel surcharge: the 11% on top of the 2027 prices
The USPS fuel surcharge adds 11% to the base price of shipping services from January 17, 2027. Pick a service and weight to see the base, the surcharge and the total.
Independent site, not the Postal Service: prices read in its own price files.
Example: 2 lb, zone 8· change a figure to see yours
Priority Mail at the Post Office from January 17, 2027
$23.20
+2.9% against today, +7.7% against July 2026 · proposed, with the 11% fuel surcharge
| July 12 to October 3, 2026 | $21.55 |
| Today (holiday prices, to January 16, 2027) | $22.55 |
| From January 17, 2027: base price | $20.90 |
| Fuel surcharge (11%) | $2.30 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the prices are built
The USPS fuel surcharge is a permanent surcharge on domestic shipping, announced on November 12, 2026, eight months after a release in which the Postal Service said it had steadfastly avoided surcharges. It replaces the time-limited 8% increase applied since April 26, 2026, which the March 25, 2026 release described as a bridge to a permanent mechanism. From January 17, 2027 the Postal Service plans an 8% fuel surcharge plus 3% for the further rise in fuel prices: 11% on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select, not on international products for now, to be reevaluated in July 2027 on fuel prices of the first half of 2027. The January 2027 price file carries two new sheets, for diesel and jet fuel, both set at 11%, and its price tables are base prices without it. A Medium Flat Rate Box with a $24.30 base price therefore costs $26.97. Stamps, letters and Media Mail carry no fuel surcharge.
What the USPS fuel surcharge adds
| Package, counter price from Jan 17, 2027 | Base price | Fuel surcharge (11%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage, 1 lb, zone 5 | $10.75 | $1.18 | $11.93 |
| Ground Advantage, 5 lb, zone 8 | $25.60 | $2.82 | $28.42 |
| Priority Mail, 2 lb, zone 4 | $14.40 | $1.58 | $15.98 |
| Priority Mail, 10 lb, zone 8 | $60.60 | $6.67 | $67.27 |
| Priority Mail Express, 1 lb, zone 6 | $57.05 | $6.28 | $63.33 |
The surcharge is a percentage, so it adds more to expensive labels: a few dimes on a light package near home, several dollars on a heavy package across the country.
Base price and surcharge for your package
Example: 2 lb, zone 8· change a figure to see yours
Priority Mail at the Post Office from January 17, 2027
$23.20
+2.9% against today, +7.7% against July 2026 · proposed, with the 11% fuel surcharge
| July 12 to October 3, 2026 | $21.55 |
| Today (holiday prices, to January 16, 2027) | $22.55 |
| From January 17, 2027: base price | $20.90 |
| Fuel surcharge (11%) | $2.30 |
How the surcharge is computed here
The January 2027 file gives each price without the surcharge. This site multiplies it by 1.11 and rounds to the nearest cent, for every weight, zone and service the surcharge covers, counter and online alike. Flat rate envelopes and boxes are treated the same way, since they are Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express products. The Postal Service may round differently at checkout; a difference of a cent is possible, and the price shown at checkout is the one you pay.
From time-limited to permanent
The 8% of April 2026 was presented as a temporary bridge, due to end on January 17, 2027. Instead of ending, it becomes part of a fuel surcharge with 3 more points. That is why the comparison with July 2026, on the price increase page, shows a larger change than the 5.9% average announced on base prices. How each cent is computed is on the method page.