November 28, 2025, 3:54 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
In Germany, people love to order online. Especially during the peak season around Black Friday, delivery services have to transport thousands of packages daily. DHL wants to charge extra for this enormous effort this year and is announcing a new surcharge.
This year, DHL is introducing a new special fee of 50 cents per package during the pre-Christmas season. This will apply exclusively to business customers and will be in addition to the already established peak fee of 19 cents. The period covers the two busiest shipping weeks between November 24 and December 7, 2025. The measure has met with strong criticism, especially from small and medium-sized online retailers who see their existence threatened by the additional costs.
New Surcharge for the Peak Season of Mail Order
Since 2022, DHL has been charging a so-called peak surcharge of 19 cents per package in November and December to ensure delivery quality despite significantly increased shipment volumes. For 2025, the company announced in the spring an additional fee of 50 cents per package during Black Week and Cyber Week–known as the “peak-in-peak surcharge.” It applies exclusively to business customers and is levied in addition to the existing charge.
As DHL confirmed to TECHBOOK upon request, the special fee applies to both national and international packages transported between November 24 and December 7. The reason for the measure is the high shipment volumes during this period. To manage these, DHL is investing in additional personnel and vehicle capacities. The resulting costs are to be covered by the new surcharge.
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Strong Criticism of DHL’s Package Special Fee
The Federal Association of Online Trade (BVOH) calls it “an imposition” for retailers. Adding the new special levy of 50 cents per package to the existing peak surcharge results in additional costs of up to 69 cents per shipment.
Particularly smaller and medium-sized online shops could come under pressure due to this additional burden. According to BVOH, revenues in the five-figure euro range are at risk. The association accused DHL of bypassing structural adjustments and instead using short-term surcharges. It is unclear whether retailers might pass the additional fee on to customers.
Also read: Price increase at DHL! How shipping retailers are reacting to the new package prices
How to Avoid the Fee
DHL itself offers suggestions on how retailers can avoid the special package fee. The delivery company points out that business customers can avoid the new surcharge if they input their shipments into the system before the relevant period.
Logistics companies also offer advice. For example, TM Logistik & Services GbR wrote in an information letter to its customers that they have two options to avoid DHL’s peak-in-peak surcharge. Both are based on one solution: avoid DHL and instead use another shipping company like DPD. Specifically, it states:
- For small packages (up to 3 kg), customers can use the DPD small package.
- Additionally, the logistics company is launching a promotion: For all DPD packages heavier than 10 kg, customers pay the same price as with DHL without the peak-in-peak surcharge during the promotional period.
However, the BVOH continues to demand more comprehensive structural solutions. Among other things, the association proposed delaying packages from the Far East–such as from platforms like Temu–for a few days during peak periods to relieve the domestic logistics network.