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The holiday season is once again upon us, which means an increase in orders is right around the corner. The busier you become, the easier it is to make mistakes like taking incorrect measurements or leaving old labels on the packaging. These mistakes can lead to costly adjustments and/or returned packages. With shipping deadlines in place and increased shipping volumes for carriers, you don’t have time to waste reshipping orders. That’s why Stamps.com and UPS are here with some reminders to help you avoid additional fees.

Note: These surcharges can be applied year-round, not just during the holiday season.

Check your packaging before reusing
If your packaging seems unstable or flimsy, it’s okay to retire and recycle it. USPS and UPS each offer some free shipping supplies on their websites that can be ordered directly to your home or business. You can also order certain USPS shipping supplies directly from your Stamps.com account.

If your packaging is sturdy enough to be reused, look for any old labels and/or other special markings (hazardous material stickers, perishable content warnings, etc…). Remove anything that doesn’t apply to your new shipment to avoid getting any extra fees for incorrect packaging or additional handling your package didn’t actually need. Your orders will get to their destinations without additional delays, and your shipping budget won’t suffer.

Use the correct packaging for your orders
During the holiday season, orders range from breakables like coffee mugs to treats like chocolates. One is obviously more fragile than the other, but both items can handle their journey with some extra support. Wrap your items and surround any gaps between your items and the outer packaging with Kraft paper or other recyclable materials. We recommend using pressure-sensitive plastic or nylon-reinforced tape that’s at least 2 inches/5.08 centimeters wide. This way, your package is well-sealed, and there’s less of a chance that someone will open a broken gift on Christmas morning.

Keep your holiday shipping merry and bright with a risk-free trial to Stamps.com.

Confirm your shipment’s dimensions
We can’t stress this enough: double-check all of your shipment’s dimensions before entering them — Santa even checks his list twice. Measure the length, width, and height of your package multiple times, and round up the weight of your shipment to the nearest pound when needed, so you can better avoid charge corrections for your shipments. If/when your shipment isn’t a traditional shape, take a picture of its dimensions, just in case you need them later. We’ve included information about some of the commonly issued additional fees below.

Additional Handling – Non-standard packages require extra care when moving through UPS Operations and are subject to additional surcharges. Such examples include, but are not limited to:
Any article that is not fully encased in a corrugated cardboard shipping container
Any package with an outer shipping container covered in shrink wrap or stretch wrap
Cylindrical tubes/packages
Packages bound by metal/plastic/cloth
Packages < 1 inch in a single dimension
Packages with the longest side exceeding 48 inches or its second-longest side exceeding 30 inches
Large Package – Large packages require special care and are subject to additional surcharges when the package meets the specifications below. An Additional Handling Charge will not be assessed when a Large Package Surcharge is applied.
Packages can be up to 90 pounds
Packages can be up to 130 inches in length and girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined
Packages can be up to 96 inches in length
Over Maximum Size – Over Max shipments are packages that are not compatible with the UPS system and should be shipped via another shipping method. Confirm your packages follow the guidelines below to avoid having a shipment returned as well as an additional surcharge applied:
Packages can be up to 150 pounds
Packages can be up to 165 inches in length and girth [(2 x width) + (2 x height)] combined
Packages can be up to 108 inches in length