Parcel prices 2027: check and renegotiate surcharges

What applies in 2027

Prices for business customers are agreed by contract. They are not part of the Bundesnetzagentur’s approval procedure for letter postage. An announced adjustment is therefore open to negotiation, especially if it comes without any supporting calculation.

What makes up the parcel price

The base price is determined by size or weight and, in a business customer contract, by your volume. On top of this come surcharges, for example for energy or fuel, tolls, delivery to private addresses, bulky goods, islands and address corrections.

How fuel surcharges are calculated

At DPD, the emergency fuel surcharge is based on the monthly average diesel price published by the ADAC (German automobile club), converted to a net figure. If this is above €1.35 per litre, the surcharge rises by 0.29125 percentage points for every €0.05. The reference month is the month before last: the surcharge for November is based on the price in September. DPD publishes the figure by the middle of the preceding month and applies it to the parcel price including surcharges, excluding tolls, customs clearance and the regular energy surcharge.

DHL Express sets the fuel surcharge for road transport for each calendar week. It is based on the US Gulf Coast diesel price in US dollars per gallon, averaged over 20 business days and translated via a table into steps of 0.25 percentage points. The surcharge therefore does not reflect changes in exchange rates: if the dollar gets cheaper, diesel costs in euros fall but the surcharge does not, and vice versa. The surcharge is also charged on surcharges, for example for private addresses and Saturday delivery.

Six places where parcel contracts become too expensive

1. Surcharge on surcharges. If the fuel surcharge is levied on the base price and other surcharges, it grows with every additional item. Agree on the base price as the basis for calculation.
2. Formula without a rounding rule. The index, reference month, threshold, step size, rounding, basis and cap belong in the contract. Only then can you recalculate every monthly figure.
3. Unilateral right to make changes. DPD reserves the right to change the data source, reference values and calculation basis of the emergency surcharge without prior notice. Have reservations of this kind removed from your contract.
4. Several surcharges for energy. At DPD, the regular energy surcharge and the emergency surcharge have applied side by side since May 2026. DPD does not apply the emergency surcharge to the energy surcharge and is leaving the latter unchanged until further notice; taken together, your energy surcharges still rise. Agree a cap on all energy surcharges combined.
5. Price adjustment without supporting calculation. In its press release for 2027, DHL cites personnel, transport and infrastructure costs as reasons, but gives no percentage; customers are told the amount individually. Ask for the breakdown: the statutory minimum wage is rising by 5.0%, and diesel is a separate surcharge and must not be counted twice.
6. Formats that no longer fit. According to Deutsche Post, letter items may be up to 3 cm thick from 2027, the large letter goes up to 1 kg and the maxi letter up to 2 kg; the maxi letter with an additional charge will be discontinued, and the DHL Päckchen will be limited to 1 kg. Check which items fall into a different class.

Before you agree to an increase

Ask your service provider in writing:

• What formula do you use to calculate fuel and energy surcharges, with which index and which rounding?
• Which items is the fuel surcharge charged on?
• How is the 2027 price adjustment made up, broken down into personnel, energy and infrastructure?
• Which rate tier applies to our actual volume, and when is it reviewed?
• What liability applies per shipment, and what does higher cover cost?

For the review, you need: the contract and the price list with all surcharges, the shipment data by weight, zone and surcharge, the invoices for the last twelve months and the announcement for 2027.

How we renegotiate parcel contracts

We recalculate your surcharges month by month, reconcile invoices with the shipment data and compare rate tiers and zones with your actual shipments. We break the 2027 price adjustment down into personnel, energy and infrastructure and negotiate the part that is not substantiated. Our senior negotiators handle large contracts in person, together with your buyer. We process the many small contracts in a standardised, software-supported way, following your rules. You approve every deal.

Frequently asked questions about parcel prices

Sources

• Deutsche Post: letter postage and products from 1 January 2027, press release of 20 October 2026
• DPD Deutschland: Emergency Fuel Surcharge, accessed 23 October 2026
• DHL Express: fuel surcharge for road transport, accessed 23 October 2026
• § 431 Handelsgesetzbuch (German Commercial Code)
• § 449 Handelsgesetzbuch (German Commercial Code)
• Fünfte Mindestlohnanpassungsverordnung (Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance)
• German Bundestag: hearing and decision on the Third Act amending the Brennstoffemissionshandelsgesetz (Fuel Emissions Trading Act), 15 October 2026
• EY: Tankrabatt 2.0 (fuel tax cut), May to June 2026
• AUTO BILD: Energy tax cut since 1 October 2026