Starting November 1, 2025, DHL Paket GmbH will introduce a new peak surcharge of 19 cents per parcel for business customers. Things get especially expensive during the Black Week and Cyber Week from 24.11. to 07.12.2025: Here, an additional Peak-in-Peak surcharge of 50 cents per shipment will be added. This measure mainly affects retailers who process high shipping volumes during the end-of-year business period.
What do sellers need to consider?
Use Amazon Fulfillment: During the peak phase, FBA can be more worthwhile than FBM since Amazon handles shipping and logistics. Depending on the size and weight of the products, FBA fees—even with seasonally increased storage costs in Q4—can be less expensive than the temporary peak surcharges at DHL.
Strategically calculate shipping costs in Q4: The price surcharges increase shipping costs per parcel by up to 69 cents, so these should be factored into the margin in a timely manner. Higher shipping costs can be compensated, for example, by minimum order values or limited-time free shipping promotions.
Distribute logistical workload: Check if promotions or offer periods can be scheduled outside of peak times to avoid additional costs.
