- DHL charges business customers a €0.19 peak surcharge per shipment in November and December. From 23 Nov to 6 Dec 2026, a €0.50 peak-in-peak surcharge is added on top.
- Both surcharges also apply to returns and DHL Kleinpaket. Size and weight make no difference.
- The only way to save is to cut the number of shipments: consolidate orders, avoid reshipments, reduce damage-related returns and move promo shipments.
During the holiday season, every DHL parcel shipment sent by business customers costs more. Not by weight or package dimensions, but as a flat charge per shipment.
That changes where you can save. A smaller box does nothing for the peak surcharge. One shipment fewer saves the full rate.
Here you estimate your peak surcharge costs in euros before the season starts. Then you pick two levers that reduce the number of shipments that carry the surcharge.
Which peak surcharges does DHL charge business customers in November and December?
DHL Paket Germany lists two peak surcharges for business customers, separate from the base price. Both are fixed amounts per shipment.
| Surcharge | Rate per shipment | Period 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Peak surcharge | €0.19 | 1 Nov to 31 Dec |
| Peak-in-peak surcharge | €0.50 | 23 Nov to 6 Dec |
| Both combined | €0.69 | 23 Nov to 6 Dec |
- The peak-in-peak surcharge is added on top of the peak surcharge. It does not replace it.
- The 2026 window covers Black Friday (27 Nov) and Cyber Monday (30 Nov).
- DHL announces the window by 1 July each year. For your 2027 planning, check the page from July.
- The toll and CO2 surcharge and the energy surcharge apply depending on the product. They are not peak costs and are not part of the calculator.
Which DHL products do the peak and peak-in-peak surcharges apply to?
Both surcharges apply to the same eight products:
- DHL Paket
- DHL Paket produktionsbasierte Abrechnung (production-based billing)
- DHL Paket International
- DHL Europaket
- DHL Retoure and DHL Retoure Online
- DHL Retoure International
- DHL Kleinpaket
- Warenpost International
Two points are easy to miss when planning:
- Returns pay too. Every DHL return label you pay for carries the surcharge.
- DHL Kleinpaket pays too. It is exempt from the toll and CO2 surcharge, but not from the peak surcharge.
Why does a per-shipment surcharge hit small parcels hardest?
A fixed amount weighs more on a low base price. In the window, a DHL Kleinpaket pays the same €0.69 as a 20 kg parcel.
This is what the surcharge adds from 23 Nov to 6 Dec:
- Base price €3.50: €0.69 is a 19.7% surcharge.
- Base price €6.00: 11.5% surcharge.
- Base price €12.00: 5.8% surcharge.
The base prices are examples. Use your own contract prices.
The takeaway: an order shipped in two parcels pays the surcharge twice. For small shipments, that has the biggest impact.
How do you estimate your peak surcharge costs in euros in advance?
You need three figures per period: outbound shipments, returns you pay for and reshipments. Use last year's November and December as your baseline, plus your expected growth.
- Split the two months into three periods: 1 Nov to 22 Nov, 23 Nov to 6 Dec, 7 Dec to 31 Dec.
- Enter all planned shipments for each period. Returns and reshipments count too.
- Multiply periods 1 and 3 by €0.19 and period 2 by €0.69.
- Add up the three amounts. That is your peak total.
- Compare the total with your DHL invoice in January.
An example with 100 shipments a day in early November, 150 in the window and 80 from 7 Dec:
| Period | Days | Shipments | Rate per shipment | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov to 22 Nov | 22 | 2,200 | €0.19 | €418 |
| 23 Nov to 6 Dec | 14 | 2,100 | €0.69 | €1,449 |
| 7 Dec to 31 Dec | 25 | 2,000 | €0.19 | €380 |
| Total | 61 | 6,300 | mixed | €2,247 |
The window lasts 14 days. At €1,449, it costs almost twice as much as the other 47 days combined (€798). That is where every lever has the most effect.
As a rule of thumb for November and December: shipments per calendar day × €18.59. If you only ship Monday to Friday, use shipments per shipping day × €13.17. For Monday to Saturday, use €15.50. The €18.59 is 61 days × €0.19 plus 14 days × €0.50.
Run your own figures here:
The calculator needs JavaScript. Without it, use the rule of thumb above.
Which shipments can you consolidate, avoid or move?
Every shipment you cut saves €0.69 in the window and €0.19 the rest of the time. Pick the two levers that affect the most shipments for you.
| Lever | What you do | How you measure it |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidate multi-parcel orders | Pack orders that currently ship in two parcels into one suitable box. During peak, split deliveries only if the customer asks for it. The box size matrix shows suitable formats. | Share of orders shipped in more than one parcel |
| Avoid reshipments | Check item, quantity and address before you seal the parcel. | Reshipments per 1,000 orders |
| Reduce damage-related returns | Pack fragile items with suitable cushioning in a sturdy box. Fill the void space. | Returns with reason “damaged” |
| Move promo shipments | Send samples, catalogues, pre-orders and plannable follow-up deliveries before 23 Nov or after 6 Dec. | Window shipments that are not part of daily business |
For lever 4: anything you move into October saves €0.69 per shipment. Anything you only move before 23 Nov saves €0.50.
How much extra surcharge do returns and reshipments add?
An error creates follow-up shipments. Each one pays the surcharge again.
| Case | Shipments | Peak surcharge in the window | Peak surcharge outside the window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order without errors | 1 | €0.69 | €0.19 |
| Missing item, follow-up shipment | 2 | €1.38 | €0.38 |
| Wrong item, return and replacement | 3 | €2.07 | €0.57 |
| Shipping damage, return and replacement | 3 | €2.07 | €0.57 |
- This applies to returns via DHL Retoure that you pay for.
- Postage, the toll and CO2 surcharge, the energy surcharge and labour come on top. The calculator only shows the peak share.
- 100 avoided follow-up shipments in the window save €69 in peak surcharges alone.
That is why the calculator shows separately how much surcharge goes on returns.