Rates Explained: Volume vs. Actual Weight in International Shipping

When it comes to international shipping, size really does matter 😅, especially when it comes to pricing. If you're a South African business looking to scale globally, knowing how shipping rates are calculated can save you serious 💰.

Here’s a quick, clear breakdown of how it all works, and how TUNL makes it easier.

🚚 What Is Chargeable Weight?

Chargeable weight is the number that couriers use to calculate your shipping cost. It’s either:

• the actual weight (what the parcel weighs on a scale), or

• the volumetric weight (how much space it takes up),

...whichever is greater.

At TUNL, we calculate your chargeable weight automatically in our booking platform, so you don’t need a maths degree to ship globally 🎓.

📏 How to Calculate Volumetric Weight

Use this formula to work it out yourself (but we do it for you in the app when you book your shipment 😉):

Volumetric Weight (kg) = Length × Width × Height (cm) ÷ 5000

🔍 Real-World Example:

Let’s say your parcel is 50cm x 40cm x 30cm and weighs 6kg.

That’s: (50 × 40 × 30) ÷ 5000 = 12kg

Now imagine your actual weight is just 6kg - you’ll still be charged for 12kg, because that’s the higher number. 📦 > ⚖️

⚖️ Actual vs Volumetric: Which One Counts?

Here’s a simple way to think about it:

Whatever’s higher = your cost basis.

🧮 Weight Breaks & Courier Rates

International couriers use half-kilogram (0.5kg) weight breaks. Here’s what that means:

• 📦 0.1kg to 0.5kg = charged as 0.5kg

• 📦 0.5001kg = charged as 1kg

• 📦 1.1kg = charged as 1.5kg

🔧 TUNL’s Built-In Chargeable Weight Tool

We get it, no one wants to punch formulas into a calculator before sending a parcel 😵‍💫.

With TUNL, just pop in your parcel’s size and weight, and we’ll show you the chargeable weight instantly. That’s instant clarity, zero spreadsheets. 💡

💻 Get a Quick or Exact Shipping Quote

Want to know how much you’ll pay?

• 🌐 Use our website for a quick quote (no login needed).

• 📍Need an exact rate to a specific address? Log in to our booking platform and get a precise quote in seconds.

🧠 Pro Tip: Sync Chargeable Weights to Your Online Store

Chargeable weights aren’t just for courier quotes, they’re essential for accurate pricing in your e-commerce store 🛒.

If you only use actual weight in your product listings, you risk:

• Undercharging for shipping (💸 oops!)

• Cart abandonment due to last-minute price jumps

• Customer service headaches from mismatched delivery costs 😬

👉 This helps you offer realistic, upfront pricing and keeps customers happy all the way to checkout.

✅ TL;DR – Your Shipping Cheat Sheet

• Chargeable Weight = Higher of actual or volumetric weight

• Volumetric Weight Formula = L x W x H / 5000

• Couriers charge in 0.5kg weight breaks

• TUNL auto-calculates it all, so you don’t have to

🦸‍♀️ Have more questions? We're here to help!

If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to our support team via Whatsapp here or on chat here.

Please help us help you by rating this article below. Was it useful? Your feedback means a lot to us!

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Updated on: 29/08/2025