Prime time becomes more expensive - DHL plans additional fees
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How the German Online Retail Association (BVOH) reportsDHL is planning new additional fees for business customers for the 2025 Christmas season. This will affect online retailers who send their parcels via the DHL network. A peak fee of 19 cents per parcel already applies for the period from November 1 to December 31. According to the BVOH, a further special charge of 50 cents is now to be levied. An official statement from DHL is not yet available. The additional fee is to affect shipments in the two weeks with the highest volumes - Black Week and Cyber Week - from November 24 to December 7, 2025.
Criticism from the Bundesverband Onlinehandel
DHL justifies the surcharge with the high costs of handling the flood of parcels during this period. In 2024, up to 12 million shipments per day were processed during this period. The company is forced to expand its capacities with costly additional measures in order to ensure smooth delivery.
However, the new fees have almost inevitably led to criticism, particularly from the small and medium-sized online retailers affected. The German Federal Association of Online Retailers has warned that the additional costs could represent a serious burden for smaller stores. It is calling for the planned special fee to be stopped immediately.
DHL has started to inform its business customers about the additional costs at an early stage and emphasizes that private customers are not affected by these fees. In addition, retailers could avoid the surcharge by sending their parcels outside the peak season. This is of course unrealistic given the busiest time of the year in terms of sales. Customers expect the goods they order promptly and not just when the normal fees apply again. Especially as the peak fee also applies until the end of December.
Conclusion
DHL argues that the measure is necessary in order to efficiently handle the high volume of shipments during the peak season. It remains to be seen how the fees will affect online retail. Smaller retailers in particular could be forced to adjust their prices or look for alternatives. The discussion about the impact of the new fees is therefore likely to continue.
