Yes, FedEx charges for pickup. Since August 18, 2025, every FedEx parcel pickup in the U.S. carries a fee: a weekly fee for regularly scheduled and automated pickups, and a per-stop fee for one-time on-call pickups, with extra surcharges for weekend, residential and remote-area stops. Dropping a package off at a FedEx location is still free.
This guide explains how each pickup type is billed, what drives the cost up, and when a free drop-off or a different carrier makes more sense. For current fee amounts, check the FedEx Service Guide or your FedEx account, since FedEx changes them with its annual rate updates.
Does FedEx Charge for Every Type of Pickup?
For parcels, yes. The 2026 FedEx Service Guide lists pickup fees that “are applicable to all parcel package pickups within the U.S.” FedEx offers three kinds of parcel pickup, and each one is billed differently:
| Pickup type | How it works | How FedEx bills it | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-call pickup | You book a one-time pickup online, by phone, or while creating a label | A per-stop fee; scheduling by phone or for the same day costs more than booking online in advance | Occasional shippers |
| Automated pickup | FedEx comes only on days you process shipments through FedEx automation | A flat weekly fee for Monday–Friday service | Regular shippers who don’t ship every day |
| Regularly scheduled pickup | FedEx stops on the days of the week you choose | A weekly fee that rises with the number of pickup days you select | Businesses shipping daily or on fixed days |
The main exception is heavy air freight. FedEx says recurring air freight pickups for shipments over 150 lbs are free Monday through Friday. Ground parcels from a FedEx Ground account fall under the parcel pickup fees above, so it’s worth reading how long FedEx Ground takes before you plan pickup days around delivery dates.
How Are FedEx Pickup Fees Calculated?
Three things decide what you pay: the pickup type, when and how you book it, and where the stop is. The Service Guide adds these rules:
- Weekly fees are charged in full. If a scheduled-pickup customer has at least one pickup in a week, FedEx bills the full weekly fee for the number of days selected, even if one day is cancelled.
- Booking method matters. On-call pickups scheduled through FedEx automation (FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, FedEx Ship Manager Software or Server) are billed at a lower tier than pickups booked by calling 1.800.GoFedEx.
- Same-day costs more. FedEx lists separate fees for Same Day and Future Day on-call pickups.
- Weekends cost extra. Saturday and Sunday pickups have their own fees and aren’t available in every market.
- Location surcharges stack. Residential stops add a Residential Pickup Surcharge, and stops in pickup-area, extended-area or remote ZIP codes add further per-stop surcharges.
- Fuel applies. FedEx’s fuel surcharge is assessed on pickup fees too.
- No package, still a fee. FedEx says pickup fees may be charged on a stop even if no packages are picked up.
Because on-call pickups are billed per stop, one fee covers every package collected at that stop. FedEx also charges these fees on return labels: on-call fees apply to traditional labels, FedEx Print Return Labels, FedEx Email Return Labels and FedEx Express prepaid stamps.
What Changed With FedEx Pickup Charges in 2025?
On August 18, 2025, FedEx moved to the structure above. Before that, FedEx billed some pickup charges per package; the new model bills regular customers by the week and occasional customers by the stop. Trade coverage of the change noted that fees are assessed per pickup location, so a business with several locations can owe a weekly fee for each one.
The change applies regardless of the service, so FedEx Express and FedEx Ground parcels picked up on the same stop fall under the same pickup fee. For how the rest of FedEx’s service lineup is priced and timed, see our overview of FedEx services, tiers and transit times.
How Do You Schedule a FedEx Pickup?
On-call pickups are booked online through FedEx’s pickup tool or while you create a label, and you’ll need to log in or open an account. If you only have a prepaid label, FedEx lets you schedule a pickup as a guest. Automated and regularly scheduled pickups are set up through a FedEx account representative.
FedEx’s timing rules are worth knowing before you book:
- Have packages ready at least two hours before your business closes; FedEx needs a minimum of two hours’ lead time.
- Expedited shipments can be booked for same-day or next-day pickup. Ground and economy pickups can be booked from the next business day up to 10 business days ahead.
- Repeated pickup attempts where packages aren’t ready may lead FedEx to cancel your pickup privileges.
If plans change, our steps to cancel a FedEx pickup help you avoid a stop you no longer need. Weekend shippers can check whether FedEx picks up on Sunday in their area.
How Can You Avoid FedEx Pickup Fees?
The simplest way is to drop the package off yourself. FedEx says retail drop-off is free, and packages with a prepaid FedEx label can go to FedEx Office, a FedEx Ship Center, a FedEx Drop Box, or participating retailers such as Walgreens, Dollar General and Office Depot. Our FedEx locations guide to drop-off and hours lists the location types. If an item still needs a box, check how FedEx charges to pack an item before you go.
Other ways to keep pickup costs down:
- Book on-call pickups online and in advance instead of by phone or for the same day.
- Batch shipments into one stop, since the on-call fee is per stop, not per package.
- If you ship on fixed days, compare a regularly scheduled pickup with the number of on-call stops you’d book in a typical week.
- Consider a carrier with a free pickup option. USPS offers free Package Pickup from your home or office, while UPS also charges for most pickups, as our guide on why UPS charges for pickup explains.
If you’re open to shipping with UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, free USPS pickups, and no subscription or per-label fees. You can compare live rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator, and our list of the 7 best shipping services and solutions compares carriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FedEx pickup free?
No. Since August 18, 2025, FedEx charges a fee on all U.S. parcel pickups: a weekly fee for automated and regularly scheduled pickups and a per-stop fee for on-call pickups. The main free option is dropping the package off at a FedEx location or participating retailer. Recurring air freight pickups for shipments over 150 lbs are free Monday through Friday.
Does FedEx charge per package or per pickup?
FedEx charges per pickup, not per package. On-call pickups carry a per-stop fee that covers every package collected at that stop, and scheduled pickups carry a weekly fee based on the number of pickup days you choose. Residential, remote-area and weekend surcharges are also added per stop, and FedEx’s fuel surcharge applies on top.
Is it cheaper to schedule a FedEx pickup online?
Yes. The FedEx Service Guide lists a lower on-call pickup fee for pickups scheduled through FedEx automation, such as FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, than for pickups booked by calling 1.800.GoFedEx. Booking a future-day pickup also avoids the higher same-day tier, and batching packages into one stop means you pay the fee only once.
Will FedEx charge me if the driver comes and nothing is ready?
It can. FedEx says pickup fees may be assessed on a stop even if no packages are picked up, and its pickup page notes that fees still apply when the driver arrives during your window and nothing is collected. Repeated pickups where packages aren’t ready can also lead FedEx to cancel your pickup privileges, so cancel any stop you don’t need.
Sources
- FedEx Service Guide 2026: “Non-transportation pickup fees and surcharges” and “Pickup and delivery” terms (fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/Service_Guide_2026.pdf)
- FedEx: Schedule and manage pickups (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/schedule-manage-pickups.html)
- FedEx: Returns and drop-off locations (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/returns.html)
- USPS: Schedule a free Package Pickup
Find more shipping tips from our team on LinkedIn, and see answers to common carrier questions in our FedEx frequently asked questions guide.
Part of our FedEx Locations guide. Related: FedEx Shipping: Rates, Tracking & Services, Cancel FedEx Pickup.
