Whether you're spearheading a burgeoning e-commerce venture or navigating the complexities of a drop shipping enterprise, one of the best ways to optimize a business lies in managing shipping costs. These costs are not just operational details, they have a direct impact on your profit margins.
That's why understanding surcharges in shipping is so crucial. These additional fees, which can range from fuel surcharge adjustments to remote area delivery costs and handling fees, directly influence your overall shipping rates and, consequently, your profitability.
In this guide, we’ll show you the various types of surcharges in shipping for both local and international deliveries in Indonesia. With this knowledge, you’ll be equipped to develop more cost-effective shipping strategies for your business and better manage your bottom line.
What is a shipping surcharge fee?
A shipping surcharge fee is an additional charge applied to a courier service on top of the standard DHL domestic or international shipping rates. This fee compensates for specific conditions affecting delivery, such as remote areas or the need for special handling when shipping dangerous freight, ensuring that domestic shipping within Indonesia and overseas shipping reflect the true costs of delivery.
Types of DHL Express shipping surcharges
Fuel surcharge
Delivery fuel surcharges are an essential component of shipping costs, implemented to account for the variable and often unpredictable changes in fuel prices. They ensure that transportation and logistics services can continue to operate effectively despite the volatility of global oil markets.
For international shipments, the fuel surcharge is calculated based on the daily average spot prices for US Gulf Coast (USGC) kerosene-type fuel. This surcharge is added to DHL’s international shipping rates and may be layered on top of other surcharge categories, such as demand surcharge, remote area delivery, and more.
In May 2025, the current DHL international fuel surcharge is 27.50%. This means if the base rate of fuel is US$2.50, a fuel surcharge of US$0.69 will be applied per shipment.
Tips for shippers
To mitigate fuel surcharges, consider negotiating long-term contracts with your logistics partner to potentially secure more stable rates. Also, you can implement strategic geographic planning for your sourcing and distribution. For example, you can evaluate your supply chain network and distribution centers beforehand. Note that optimizing the location of these facilities can minimize the overall distance traveled, consequently reducing fuel consumption, especially for last-mile deliveries.
Dangerous goods surcharge
Shipping dangerous goods requires specialized knowledge and additional precautions. DHL Express adds a dangerous goods (DG) shipping surcharge to the following cargo in order to ensure safety and compliance with regulatory standards.
- Full Dangerous Goods: A surcharge of Rp1,630,000 per shipment is applied for the transport of substances and commodities classified as fully regulated in accordance with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations.
- Excepted Quantities: When shipping dangerous goods in smaller quantities that meet IATA exceptions, a fixed charge of Rp486,500 per shipment is applied.
- Dry Ice (UN1845): For shipments requiring dry ice as a cooling agent, such as medical samples, a surcharge of Rp195,500 per shipment applies.
- Lithium Batteries: While there is no surcharge for shipments containing lithium-ion batteries, these goods should be in proper packaging according to the standards required by IATA regulations. Also, DHL Express reserves the right to reject shipments containing damaged or defective batteries.
Remote area service surcharge
Remote areas present unique logistical challenges due to their distance or difficulty of access, which is why a remote area delivery surcharge is applied. This surcharge covers the additional costs incurred by DHL Express to deliver or pick up shipments from these locations. In Indonesia, the shipping surcharge for remote areas is Rp370,000 per shipment or Rp6,000 per kg, whichever cost is higher.
Tips for shippers
To avoid remote area delivery surcharges, explore the possibility of having your parcels delivered to commercial locations within accessible areas rather than direct residential addresses in remote areas. This simple adjustment in delivery location can significantly reduce or eliminate these additional shipping costs applied by DHL Express for challenging-to-reach destinations in Indonesia.
Security service surcharge
The security service surcharge is imposed when shipping to or from countries at elevated risk due to factors like war, civil unrest, or threats of terrorism. It addresses the increased danger and additional security measures required. DHL Express Indonesia levies a surcharge of Rp489,000 for elevated-risk destinations.
There is also a surcharge of Rp450,000 for shipping to restricted destinations, which applies when shipping or importing from countries subject to trade restrictions imposed by the UN Security Council. This surcharge is due to the added complexity of ensuring shipments comply with said trade restrictions.
The countries affected by DHL’s security service surcharge are subject to change, and an updated list can be found on the DHL Surcharge page.
Data correction surcharges
Data correction surcharges are added on top of shipping and mailing service costs when addresses need to be corrected or when a shipment requires data entry due to being consigned with paper-based manual house waybills.
For instances where DHL needs to search and determine the correct address to complete a delivery due to incomplete or outdated information by the shipper, a fixed surcharge of Rp180,700 per shipment is levied.
For data entry of paper-based waybills, a surcharge of Rp163,000 per shipment is added.
Tips for shippers
Minimize data correction surcharges by diligently ensuring that you provide accurate information and complete shipping details in all necessary documentation. Additionally, take advantage of the online forms and digital tools offered by DHL Express when preparing your shipments. These resources often include validation features that help prevent errors and avoid fees associated with address corrections or manual data entry.
Additional handling surcharges
DHL Express Indonesia imposes additional handling surcharges for shipping bulky items that are unusually heavy or large, as well as for those that cannot be stacked. These surcharges are:
- Overweight piece: An international shipping surcharge of Rp1,400,000 or a domestic surcharge of Rp700,000 is applied for each item over 70 kg.
- Oversize piece: An international shipping surcharge of Rp350,000 or a domestic surcharge of Rp210,000 applies to any piece exceeding 100 cm in a single dimension. This surcharge does not apply to pieces already subject to overweight surcharges.
- Non-stackable pallet: An international shipping surcharge of Rp5,000,000 or a domestic surcharge of Rp2,500,000 is added for pallets within a shipment that cannot be stacked due to their shape, content, or packaging.
Tips for shippers
To prevent additional handling surcharges, ensure your packages adhere to the dimension and weight limitations specified by DHL Express. At the same time, utilize standard packaging materials and opt for regular shapes without any protruding elements like straps or castors. Proper packaging for shipping not only safeguards your items but also helps avoid these extra shipping costs associated with non-standard or unwieldy bulky items.
Emergency situation surcharge
Emergency situation surcharges are imposed by DHL during unforeseen events that disrupt the usual flow of services, leading to additional operating costs. These are implemented to ensure that service continuity is maintained even when market dynamics and air capacity are affected by such events.
For updated information on emergency situation shipping surcharges, visit the DHL Emergency Situation Surcharge page.
Demand surcharge
Demand surcharges come into effect during periods of high demand, as determined by DHL Express at its own discretion. These shipping surcharges are applied to manage the increased operational costs and the high volume of shipments, ensuring service quality and reliability are upheld during peak times.
Tips for shippers
To potentially lower demand surcharges, optimize your inventory management to reduce the need for urgent shipments during peak seasons. If feasible, explore strategic sourcing that might avoid high-demand shipping routes. You can also consider the flexibility of shipping during off-peak periods in Indonesia when demand is typically lower. And if time allows, opting for slower courier service options can also help mitigate these shipping costs.
Additional strategies to optimize shipping surcharges
Now that you’re aware of the various types of surcharges in shipping, follow these best practices and steps to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.
- Pack smart: Adhere to DHL Express’ packaging guidelines to avoid oversized and overweight handling surcharge fees.
- Provide accurate information: Check that you are providing correct and complete shipping details in your forms, and make use of online forms to prevent data correction or data entry charges.
- Consolidate shipments: Group your items and ship them in bulk, which helps to distribute the cost of fuel surcharges across a large volume of goods to reduce your per-unit shipping cost.
- Use DHL Express’ cost-estimation tools: Get a free shipping quote with DHL Express for domestic and international shipments to estimate costs upfront.
- Stay updated: Keep abreast of changes in surcharge rates by visiting the DHL Express surcharge page regularly.
Streamline your shipping strategy with DHL Express
Understanding and proactively managing the various shipping surcharges is a key step for your business to achieve cost-effective shipping rates and improved profit margins. Instead of just considering any shipping agent when shipping internationally, partner with DHL Express.
We pride ourselves on clear and transparent fees, ensuring you're never caught off guard by unexpected expenses. Plus, we’re committed to helping your business seamlessly bridge geographical barriers, connecting you with global markets efficiently.
By gaining a clear understanding of DHL Express and our various shipping surcharges, you can make smarter, more informed decisions to mitigate potential costs and strengthen your bottom line.
Ready to take control of your international shipments? Open a DHL Express business account today and explore tailored solutions designed to fit your unique shipping needs and propel your business growth.
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