Fuel surcharge: official 2026 rates
The fuel surcharge is an additional fee applied by carriers to factor fuel costs into the shipping price.
Introduction
When you ship a parcel, a significant share of the price comes from the fuel surcharge. This additional fee reflects the fuel cost involved in transporting your shipment. Because fuel prices vary with state production capacity and geopolitical crises, this index is updated weekly or monthly by the carrier.
Fuel surcharge rates — April 2026
We refresh the data every week and at the start of each month: you can rely on clear information about the fuel surcharges applied to your shipments for the current month and week.
Fuel surcharge history
Below you can find the historical evolution of the fuel surcharge per carrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to the most common questions about the fuel surcharge.
The fuel surcharge is an additional fee applied by carriers on the base price of a shipment to offset variations in diesel costs. Expressed as a percentage, it is adjusted periodically (often monthly) based on an official index such as the CNR index or the average professional diesel price.
All road, air and express carriers apply a fuel surcharge: Colissimo, Chronopost, DPD, UPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS, Geodis, TNT, etc. Each carrier publishes its own grid, revised at its own frequency.
Official rates are published on carriers' websites, typically under the "rates" or "surcharges" section. You can also find a consolidated history in the "History" section of this page.
You can negotiate a multi-carrier pricing grid, optimize the volumetric weight of your parcels, consolidate your shipments, and choose the carrier whose surcharge is most favorable for your shipping mix.
There is no single price: the surcharge is a percentage applied to the base price (excl. VAT) of the shipment. Depending on carriers and periods, it typically ranges between 5% and 25%.
Each carrier sets its own formula, based on a reference index (CNR, average diesel price, Platts index for air…). A threshold and step determine which fuel price level corresponds to which surcharge percentage.
In parcel transport (express courier), the fuel surcharge is added to the base rate of each shipment. It is calculated automatically by the carrier and appears on the invoice as a separate line or embedded in the unit price.
It is not imposed by law, but it is contractual: as soon as it appears in the carrier's pricing terms accepted by the customer, it applies automatically to every shipment.
Check the "History" section of this page: you'll find the monthly evolution of the surcharge for Colissimo, Chronopost, DPD, UPS, FedEx, DHL, GLS, Geodis and TNT.
There is no single official rate: each carrier publishes its own rate, revised at its own frequency (weekly for FedEx air, monthly for most others).
Yes — in most B2B contracts the fuel surcharge is added to the delivery price. For B2C shipments at counter prices, it is often already included in the displayed price.
Sources
- Chronopost, « Surcharge carburant », chronopost.fr. https://www.chronopost.fr/fr/surcharge-carburant (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- Colissimo, « Suppléments tarifaires Colissimo – Coefficient d'ajustement énergétique », colissimo.entreprise.laposte.fr. https://www.colissimo.entreprise.laposte.fr/offres-et-services/tarifs-generaux/supplements-tarifaires-colissimo#coefficient-dajustement-energetique (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- DHL, « Surcharges – Fuel Surcharge », mydhl.express.dhl. https://mydhl.express.dhl/fr/fr/ship/surcharges.html#/fuel_surcharge (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- DPD, « Surcharge carburant », dpd.com. https://www.dpd.com/fr/fr/surcharge-carburant/ (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- FedEx, « Surcharges », fedex.com. https://www.fedex.com/fr-fr/shipping/surcharges.html (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- Géodis, « Taux de surcharge énergie – Transport de colis et de palettes », geodis.com. https://geodis.com/fr/transport-de-marchandises/transport-de-colis-et-de-palettes/taux-de-surcharge-energie (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- Géodis, « Flux aériens – Taux de surcharge carburant », geodis.com. https://geodis.com/fr/transport-de-marchandises/fret-aerien/flyexpress/flux-aeriens-taux-de-surcharge-carburant (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- Tarif-Colis, « Surcharge carburant », tarif-colis.com. https://www.tarif-colis.com/surcharge-carburant.html (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- TNT, « Barèmes et historiques – Comprendre votre facture », tnt.com. https://www.tnt.com/express/fr_fr/site/comment/facturation/comprendre-votre-facture/baremes-et-historiques.html (accessed on 13/04/2026).
- UPS, « Surcharges carburant », ups.com. https://www.ups.com/fr/fr/support/shipping-support/shipping-costs-rates/fuel-surcharges (accessed on 13/04/2026).