{
  "slug": "shipping-cost",
  "title": "Shipping Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Shipping Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/shipping-cost",
  "summary": "Dimensional weight, per-order cost, and free-shipping threshold.",
  "description": "Carriers bill on whichever is greater: actual weight or dimensional weight. Bulky, light items get charged on volume, which is why oversized boxes quietly destroy margin.",
  "formula": "Dimensional weight = L × W × H ÷ Divisor. Billable weight = max(actual, dimensional).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=shipping-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "length",
      "label": "Box length",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 14,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "width",
      "label": "Box width",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "height",
      "label": "Box height",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8,
      "unit": "in",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "weight",
      "label": "Actual weight",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": "lb",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "divisor",
      "label": "Dimensional divisor",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": "139 for most US carriers",
      "default": 139,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 50,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "ratePerLb",
      "label": "Rate per billable pound",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.1,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "packaging",
      "label": "Packaging cost",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1.2,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "margin",
      "label": "Gross margin on the order",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 45,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 1,
      "max": 100
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "cost",
      "label": "Shipping cost per order",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "billable",
      "label": "Billable weight (lb)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "dim",
      "label": "Dimensional weight (lb)",
      "format": "decimal",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "basis",
      "label": "How it is billed",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "freeShipThreshold",
      "label": "Free-shipping threshold to stay level",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Box length: 14 in",
      "Box width: 10 in",
      "Box height: 8 in",
      "Actual weight: 3 lb",
      "Dimensional divisor: 139",
      "Rate per billable pound: 2.1 $",
      "Packaging cost: 1.2 $",
      "Gross margin on the order: 45 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Shipping cost per order: $18.12",
      "Billable weight (lb): 8.06",
      "Dimensional weight (lb): 8.06",
      "How it is billed: Billed on dimensional weight",
      "Free-shipping threshold to stay level: $40.27"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter box length (in).",
      "Enter box width (in).",
      "Enter box height (in).",
      "Enter actual weight (lb).",
      "Enter dimensional divisor — 139 for most US carriers.",
      "Enter rate per billable pound ($).",
      "Enter packaging cost ($).",
      "Enter gross margin on the order (%).",
      "Read your shipping cost per order on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "length": 8,
        "width": 6,
        "height": 8,
        "weight": 3,
        "divisor": 83,
        "ratePerLb": 1.26,
        "packaging": 0.72,
        "margin": 27
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "length": 14,
        "width": 10,
        "height": 8,
        "weight": 3,
        "divisor": 139,
        "ratePerLb": 2.1,
        "packaging": 1.2,
        "margin": 45
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "length": 22,
        "width": 16,
        "height": 8,
        "weight": 3,
        "divisor": 222,
        "ratePerLb": 3.3600000000000003,
        "packaging": 1.92,
        "margin": 72
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the shipping cost calculator work?",
      "a": "Carriers bill on whichever is greater: actual weight or dimensional weight. Bulky, light items get charged on volume, which is why oversized boxes quietly destroy margin. The underlying maths is: Dimensional weight = L × W × H ÷ Divisor. Billable weight = max(actual, dimensional)."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "8 values: box length, box width, box height, actual weight, dimensional divisor, rate per billable pound, packaging cost, and gross margin on the order. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the shipping cost per order result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ecommerce-fees",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/margin",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/inventory-turnover"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Shipping Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/shipping-cost)"
}