The UPS Remote Area Surcharge is an additional fee applied to shipments that are destined for locations considered difficult or expensive to serve. These areas are typically far from major transportation hubs, may require extra handling, or involve longer delivery routes.
The UPS Remote Area Surcharge applies to deliveries to specific ZIP Codes within Alaska, Hawaii, and the 48 contiguous states, as well as select origins and destinations. Refer to the Area Surcharge Listing at ups.com/rates for a listing of applicable ZIP codes.
Small Package UPS Remote Area Surcharge Fees
| UPS Remote Area Surcharge | 2023 Cost | 2024 Cost | 2025 Cost |
| Alaska | $ 38.00 | $ 40.50 | $43.25 |
| Hawaii | $13.05 | $14.15 | $15.35 |
| 48 contiguous states | $13.05 | $14.15 | $15.35 |
A surcharge applies to UPS On-Call Pickup requests made within specific ZIP Codes within Alaska, Hawaii, and the 48 contiguous states. To determine if your ZIP code is included, refer to the Area Surcharge Listing at ups.com/rates for a listing of pertinent ZIP Codes. Additionally, these apply to UPS Simple Rate packages.
In 2023, 3093 ZIP codes were considered remote within the forty-eight contiguous states. Remote Alaska fees account for 219 individual ZIP codes. Remote Hawaii ZIP codes account for sixty-eight.
UPS Remote Area Surcharge CWT Fees
| Charge Types | 2024 Cost | 2025 Cost |
| Alaska | $115.00 | $122.50 |
| Hawaii | $42.15 | $45.50 |
| 48 contiguous states | $42.15 | $45.50 |
How can I reduce these fees?
Since most companies cannot change the destination of their shipments, the UPS agreement is the first place to look for reducing UPS remote area surcharges. Ask your UPS rep for a discount on RAS. Before you ask for this concession, ask yourself what percent of your packages these apply to.
At Refund Retriever, we help businesses identify and recover excessive surcharges, including remote area fees, and provide detailed reporting to optimize future shipping decisions.
