Sometimes you’ll see a shipping rate that feels surprisingly high, especially when you’re sending something small and lightweight. This often happens when the destination address is classified as a remote area by the carrier.
What is a Remote Area Surcharge?
A Remote Area Surcharge is an extra fee applied by carriers like FedEx, DHL, UPS, or Aramex when delivering to locations that they consider remote or are outside their standard service zones. These are usually:
Small towns or rural areas
Locations far from major cities or airports
Areas with limited delivery routes or low shipment volume
The surcharge helps carriers cover the additional cost of reaching these locations.
Is this a UrShipper fee?
No. Remote Area Surcharges are set entirely by the carrier, not by UrShipper. We pass through the total rate as provided by FedEx, DHL, UPS, or Aramex, including any applicable surcharges.
Why can a small, lightweight parcel still be expensive?
This is a common question. Even if your shipment is lightweight, just a pair of earrings, for example, the destination address matters more than the weight in this case. So while the parcel itself is light, the logistics of reaching that specific address drive the total cost.
FedEx
Tier A: IDR 52,000 per shipment
Tier B: IDR 339,000 per shipment or IDR 6,000 per kg, whichever is greater
Tier C: IDR 442,000 per shipment or IDR 8,000 per kg, whichever is greater
Reference: https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/international/rates/fedex-rates-sur-en-id-2026.pdfDHL
IDR 390,000 per shipment or IDR 9,500 per kg, whichever is greater
Reference: https://mydhl.express.dhl/id/en/ship/surcharges.htmlUPS
IDR 479,964 per shipment or IDR 9,472 per kg, whichever is greater
Reference: https://assets.ups.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:addd0452-d625-4353-a763-f4c64b741cf1/original/as/service-guide-id-gb-en.pdf
Moreover, important to note that Remote Area Surcharges are subject to Fuel Surcharge and VAT.