UPS $12 brokerage fee noted

A social post about a United Parcel Service import bill points to a real charge: paying duties at the door can add a $12 surcharge. (ups.com) United Parcel Service says U.S. recipients can pay import fees online before delivery, but if the driver collects payment at delivery, “a $12 surcharge will be applied.” The company says unpaid invoices can be sent back to the shipper after a collections process that can run up to 42 days from the invoice date. (ups.com) The bigger issue is who was set to pay import costs in the first place. United Parcel Service says either the shipper or the receiver can be billed for duties, taxes, and fees, and shipments created without a United Parcel Service payment account can default to Delivery Duty Unpaid, which leaves those charges with the receiver. (ups.com) United Parcel Service also says the shipper chooses the trade term, or Incoterm, on the label. If no selection is made, the shipment can default to Delivery Duty Unpaid, and the receiver may see charges before delivery even when the online checkout looked final. (ups.com) That billing question has become more visible in 2026 because United Parcel Service now warns that all shipments imported into the United States are subject to customs processing and can face duties, taxes, and brokerage fees after the end of the de minimis exemption it references on its support pages. (ups.com) United Parcel Service separates government charges from carrier charges. Its import-fees page says duties, taxes, and tariffs are imposed by governments, while brokerage and collection-related charges come from the shipping process used to clear and collect on a package. (ups.com) For freight brokerage handled by United Parcel Service Supply Chain Solutions, the company’s current U.S. schedule says a disbursement fee is 3.5% of outlays with a $14 minimum, and ground entry preparation fees rose by $1.50 per entry after September 18, 2025. That is a different schedule from the $12 at-the-door surcharge highlighted in the social post, but it shows that multiple import-related fees can stack. (ups.com) FedEx uses a different structure. Its 2026 U.S. fee page says the disbursement fee is the greater of $15 or 2% of duty, tax, and merchandise processing charges, and its support page says that fee applies when FedEx advances duties and taxes on the customer’s behalf. (fedex.com 1) (fedex.com 2) The practical fix is the one United Parcel Service already spells out: check who is paying duties and taxes before the label is created, and if a bill does land with the receiver, pay online before delivery to avoid the extra $12. (ups.com 1) (ups.com 2)