surcharge

American  

[sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj, sur-chahrj] / ˈsɜrˌtʃɑrdʒ, sɜrˈtʃɑrdʒ, ˈsɜrˌtʃɑrdʒ /

noun

1. an additional charge, tax, or cost.

2. an excessive sum or price charged.

3. an additional or excessive load or burden.

4. Philately.

   1. an overprint that alters or restates the face value or denomination of a stamp to which it has been applied.

   2. a stamp bearing such an overprint.

5. act of surcharging.

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verb (used with object)

surcharged, surcharging

1. to subject to an additional or extra charge, tax, cost, etc. (for payment).

2. to overcharge for goods.

3. to show an omission in (an account) of something that operates as a charge against the accounting party; to omit a credit toward (an account).

4. Philately. to print a surcharge on (a stamp).

5. to put an additional or excessive burden upon.

surcharge British  

noun

1. a charge in addition to the usual payment, tax, etc

2. an excessive sum charged, esp when unlawful

3. an extra and usually excessive burden or supply

4. law the act or an instance of surcharging

5. an overprint that alters the face value of a postage stamp

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verb

1. to charge an additional sum, tax, etc

2. to overcharge (a person) for something

3. to put an extra physical burden upon; overload

4. to fill to excess; overwhelm

5. law to insert credits that have been omitted in (an account)

6. to overprint a surcharge on (a stamp)

Other Word Forms

• surcharger noun
• unsurcharged adjective

Etymology

Origin of surcharge

1400–50; late Middle English surchargen (v.) < Old French surcharger. See sur- ¹, charge

Explanation

A surcharge is an extra amount of money you have to pay when you buy something. If you purchase your concert tickets online instead of at the box office, you'll have to pay a five-dollar surcharge. Any added fee can be called a surcharge, whether it's the surcharge you pay for bringing an extra suitcase on an airplane or the surcharge a business pays every time a customer uses a credit card. As a verb, it means to charge someone an extra fee: "I'm changing banks because mine surcharges me every time I use my card at an ATM." In the 15th century, surcharge meant "overcharge" or "charge too much."

Example Sentences

It’s an industry practice for customers to pay a fuel surcharge, on top of the base freight rate, to offset unexpected fuel price increases.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The carrier said separately on Tuesday that it plans to revise its fuel surcharge amid a sharp rise in global jet-fuel prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

It has increased its fuel surcharge by 5% for domestic services and 5.5% for international services from 3 May, saying the decision was not taken lightly.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

It switched its domestic-route surcharge from a flat fee to a distance-based grid, while making more significant changes to its international flight routes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Alabama charges a 30 percent collection fee, and Florida allows private debt collectors to tack on a 40 percent surcharge to the underlying debt.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• expense
• payment
• surtax
• tax