Compare actual and volumetric weight
A carrier charges for the space your parcel occupies as well as for what it weighs. If your sheet only holds a scale weight, a bulky coat or a boxed pair of boots can be billed far above the number you wrote down.
Two weights, one charge
Actual weight is what the scale says. Volumetric weight — also called dimensional weight — is a calculation from the outside dimensions of the packed parcel: length × width × height, divided by a divisor set by the carrier. The carrier then charges on whichever figure is greater, or on a rule described in its own tariff.
Neither figure is a price. Both are inputs to a rate table. That distinction matters, because two shoppers with the same billed weight can still pay different amounts for different services.
What to record
- Item weight as stated by the seller, with the unit.
- Packed length, width and height in centimetres, measured on the outside.
- Packaging added or removed, and its rough contribution.
- The divisor you used, and where you read it.
- Calculated volumetric weight, shown separately from actual weight.
- Which figure the quote appears to bill, or "not stated".
A worked example
Assumptions are clearly marked, because this is arithmetic on invented inputs, not a carrier rule. Say a packed box measures 40 × 30 × 20 cm and weighs 1.6 kg on a scale, and the divisor you have read for the service you are considering is 5,000 — a figure used by some services and not by others.
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 40 × 30 × 20 | 24,000 cm³ |
| Volumetric weight | 24,000 ÷ 5,000 (assumed divisor) | 4.8 kg |
| Actual weight | Scale reading | 1.6 kg |
| Billed basis, if higher wins | 4.8 > 1.6 | 4.8 kg |
The lesson is not the number. It is that removing 10 cm from one dimension changes the calculation materially, which is why packing decisions and delivery estimates belong in the same budget. Try the same inputs with the divisor you have verified and note both results side by side.
Verifying the divisor and the rule
Read the rule on the carrier's own page or in the platform's delivery help, on the day you record it. Divisors in the range of 5,000 to 6,000 are common in general parcel services, but this is not a universal standard and some services use different maths again. Write the exact wording in a note cell: "charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight, divisor 5,000, read 20 October 2026".
With both weights recorded, return to estimating shipping from a quote to place the figure in context, or reduce the packed volume first using packing options. Then carry the difference into the budget breakdown so the parcel cost is visible next to the item cost.
When you have a figure you trust, add it to the budget tool on the hipobuy spreadsheet home page — it will show the effect on the total and let you export the row.
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