Parcel Shipping Cost Estimator
How to Use
Introduction
A bulky parcel often costs more than its scale reading suggests, because carriers bill on whichever is greater, actual or volumetric weight. This page takes the three dimensions and the divisor as inputs, derives volumetric weight, fixes the billable weight, and then splits the price into a first-kilogram charge and extra kilograms.
The example parcel is 40×30×20 cm and weighs 3.2 kg. With a divisor of 8000 the volumetric weight is 3 kg, so billable weight is 3.2 rounded up to 4 kg. A 12 CNY first kilogram plus three extra kilograms at 5 CNY gives 15, for a total of 27. At 6000 the volumetric weight is 4 kg and the total stays 27. At 12000 it drops to 2 kg, but the actual 3.2 kg still governs, so the total stays 27. Lower the actual weight to 1.5 kg and billable falls to 2 kg, giving 17.
Some carriers define the first weight step as half a kilogram. This page fixes that step at one kilogram, so convert your own rate card to that basis before entering prices.
Key features
- Volumetric weight: Length times width times height, divided by the divisor, gives volumetric weight.
- Chargeable weight: The larger of actual and volumetric weight is billed. Light bulky parcels are not undercharged.
- First and extra: First-weight and continuation fees have separate fields. Matching units avoids a thousandfold error.
- Remote surcharge: Remote-area surcharge has its own row and is not blended into continuation weight.
- Total: All charges sum to one figure. Changing a dimension recalculates it.
- Extras excluded: Insurance and cash-on-delivery fees are outside this estimate.
How to use it
- Actual weight: Enter the kilograms read off the scale.
- Length, Width, Height: Use the outer carton dimensions; volumetric weight is their product divided by the divisor.
- Volumetric divisor: Enter the divisor your carrier uses, commonly 6000 or 5000. Do not carry over another carrier figure.
- First-kilogram price, Extra-kilogram price: Keep both in the same unit; mixing kilograms with grams is a thousandfold error.
- Check billable weight: Press Calculate and confirm whether billable weight came from actual or volumetric weight, then read the two charges and the total.
Things to keep in mind
- Volumetric weight: Volumetric weight divides length times width times height by the entered divisor.
- Billable weight: Chargeable weight is the larger of actual and volumetric.
- Weight units: First and continuation weight units must match; kg with g is a thousandfold error.
- Remote surcharge: Remote-area surcharge is entered separately.
- Excluded fees: Insurance and cash-on-delivery fees are excluded.
Chargeable weight is whichever is larger of actual and volumetric weight; a light bulky carton is usually billed on the second. The divisor is the lever here, and carriers do not all use the same one. First-kilogram and extra-kilogram prices must share a unit, and remote-area surcharges, insurance and cash-on-delivery fees are not part of the total shown.
A carton of 40 by 30 by 20 centimetres weighs 4 kg on the scale but 4 kg volumetric at a divisor of 6000, so the billable figure is the larger of the two. Change the divisor to 5000 and the volumetric figure rises, which is exactly what a different carrier tariff would do. Keep the first and extra kilogram prices in the same unit throughout.