Calculating the cost of shipping a package with UPS involves several factors beyond just the package's weight. UPS, like most carriers, uses a sophisticated system to determine the final fare, taking into account package dimensions, service type, destination, and various surcharges. This calculator provides an estimate based on common UPS pricing principles.
Key Factors Influencing UPS Fares:
Actual Weight vs. Dimensional Weight: UPS charges based on the "billable weight," which is the greater of the package's actual weight or its dimensional weight. Dimensional weight accounts for the space a package occupies on a vehicle. It's calculated using the formula: (Length x Width x Height) / Dimensional Divisor. For UPS domestic services, the divisor is typically 139 for daily rates when dimensions are in inches and weight in pounds.
Service Type: The speed of delivery significantly impacts the cost. Options like UPS Ground, UPS 2nd Day Air, and UPS Next Day Air have different base rates, with faster services generally costing more.
Destination Zone: Shipping costs vary based on the distance the package travels. UPS uses a zone-based system, where packages traveling to higher zones (further distances) incur higher costs.
Declared Value: If you declare a value for your package, UPS offers liability coverage up to that amount. There's usually a charge for this service, often a flat fee for the first $100 of value, then an additional fee for each subsequent $100.
Surcharges: Several additional fees can apply:
Residential Surcharge: Applied when delivering to a residential address.
Fuel Surcharge: A variable percentage added to the base rate to cover fluctuating fuel costs.
Additional Handling Surcharge: Applied to packages that require special handling due to their size, weight, or packaging (e.g., irregular shape, over a certain weight/dimension threshold).
Signature Required: An extra fee for requiring a signature upon delivery.
Use the calculator below to estimate your UPS shipping fare. Please note that this calculator uses simplified rates and surcharges for illustrative purposes and may not reflect exact real-time UPS pricing.
UPS Fare Estimator
UPS Ground
UPS 2nd Day Air
UPS Next Day Air
Local (Zone 1-2)
Regional (Zone 3-5)
National (Zone 6-8)