Estimate parcel shipping cost from weight, dimensions and a per-kg rate — including the volumetric weight that couriers actually bill on.
Educational use only. This calculator produces estimates from published formulas and does not constitute financial or legal advice. For real decisions, consult a qualified financial planner or accountant.
This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to our servers. If JavaScript is disabled, the fully interactive version will not run; enable JavaScript to compute results.
Couriers do not just charge by actual weight. They calculate "volumetric weight" from box dimensions and bill whichever is higher. The reason: a big lightweight box takes the same space on a plane as a small heavy box, but earns the courier nothing if billed by weight. Volumetric weight stops people shipping mostly-air parcels at a discount.
The formula is (length × width × height) divided by a divisor, where the divisor varies by service. Standard air freight uses 5,000 cm³/kg. Budget services use 6,000. Some surface services use higher divisors which favour light, bulky shipments.
The calculator shows actual weight, volumetric weight and which one will be billed — useful for picking the right packaging size before you commit to a quote.
Because the parcel is light relative to its size. A box of pillows might weigh 2 kg but have a volumetric weight of 20 kg — the courier charges on the volumetric number.
Yes, often dramatically. For bulky-but-light items, smaller boxes can halve the bill. Test the math before committing to a packaging size.
Most international air services use 5,000 (some 4,000 for high-priority). Domestic services and ground vary. Check the specific service tariff sheet for the exact number.
The Shipping Cost Calculator lives alongside Investment Growth Calculator, Loan Repayment Calculator, Savings Calculator on the Finance & Money page. That landing page collects every finance & money tool Dailiyo publishes, plus the editorial notes on formula sources, review cadence and how each result should (and should not) be interpreted. If a related finance & money calculation isn't yet in the collection and you'd like to see it, drop a line via the contact page — the editorial team reviews every request and prioritises tools that come up most often in reader questions.