Dimensional Weight Calculator
Couriers bill you on whichever is higher: your package's actual weight or its volumetric weight, calculated from its size. A light-but-bulky box (like a shoebox) very often gets billed on volumetric weight, not actual weight. This tool shows you which one you'd be charged for, before you book the shipment.
What each field means
- Length / Width / Height
- The package's outer dimensions, in centimetres or inches.
- Actual weight
- The package's real weight on a scale, in kilograms.
- Courier / divisor
- The volumetric-weight divisor your courier or service tier uses - pick a preset or enter your own.
How to use the Dimensional Weight Calculator
- Enter your package's length, width and height.
- Enter its actual weight in kg.
- Pick your courier's divisor from the preset list, or choose Custom and enter your own.
- Compare the volumetric and actual weight shown - whichever is higher is what you'll be billed on.
The formula
Frequently asked questions
Why would I ever be billed more than my box's actual weight?
Couriers charge for the space a package takes up on a truck or plane, not just its weight. A large, lightly-packed box (a common footwear/apparel problem) can cost far less to weigh than to physically ship. Volumetric weight is how that "takes up space" cost gets billed.
My courier isn't in the preset list. What do I do?
Pick "Custom" and enter the exact divisor from your own rate card or service agreement. It's usually stated in your courier's shipping-rate documentation, or you can ask your account manager directly. Divisors do change with new contracts, so treat the presets here as a general reference, not a guarantee.
How do I actually reduce what I'm billed?
If volumetric weight is what's driving your cost, the fix is almost always tighter packaging: a box sized closer to the product reduces volumetric weight directly, since it's a pure function of the box's outer dimensions.