If Santa uses FedEx, he won’t have to pay extra for many deliveries
In what appears to be a jab at its shipping rival UPS, FedEx said Thursday that it would not charge extra for many of the gifts it delivers to homes during the busy holiday season.
The company said it would tack on additional charges only for packages that are oversized, not authorized, or need extra handling.
The move is “to support our millions of loyal small business customers and consumers shipping holiday gifts” at FedEx offices and counters, FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald said in a statement.
But the decision also appears to be a way for FedEx to distinguish itself from UPS, which said in June that it would impose a new charge for packages delivered to homes during particularly busy times in the holiday calendar.
UPS said the extra fees would help offset the additional costs it takes on when it hires more employees and enlists extra facilities to handle the holiday rush, which nearly doubles the typical amount of shipments.
Still, UPS Chief Commercial Officer Alan Gershenhorn said in a statement at the time that “with the new peak charge, per-package costs for many shipments will only marginally increase.’’
FedEx will add a surcharge, ranging from $3 to $300 per parcel on heavier and unauthorized shipments, from Nov. 20 through Christmas Eve.
UPS also will tack surcharges on large and oversized parcels shipped from Nov. 19 through Dec. 24.