Estimate shipping costs, dimensional weight, and customer pricing for your eCommerce store.
Usually 139 for UPS/FedEx daily rates.
Calculation Results
Dimensional Weight:–
Billable Weight (Higher of Actual vs Dim):–
Base Carrier Cost:–
Handling/Packaging:–
Total Cost to Merchant:–
Recommended Customer Price:–
Profit on Shipping:–
function calculateShipping() {
// Get Inputs
var weight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('actualWeight').value);
var len = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dimL').value);
var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dimW').value);
var height = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dimH').value);
var divisor = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dimDivisor').value);
var rate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ratePerLb').value);
var handling = parseFloat(document.getElementById('handlingFee').value);
var markup = parseFloat(document.getElementById('markupPercent').value);
// Validation
if (isNaN(weight) || isNaN(len) || isNaN(width) || isNaN(height) || isNaN(rate)) {
alert("Please enter valid numbers for Weight, Dimensions, and Carrier Rate.");
return;
}
// Default handling and markup to 0 if empty
if (isNaN(handling)) handling = 0;
if (isNaN(markup)) markup = 0;
if (isNaN(divisor) || divisor === 0) divisor = 139;
// Calculate Dimensional Weight
var dimWeight = (len * width * height) / divisor;
dimWeight = Math.ceil(dimWeight); // Carriers usually round up
// Determine Billable Weight
var billableWeight = Math.max(weight, dimWeight);
// Calculate Costs
var baseCost = billableWeight * rate;
var totalMerchantCost = baseCost + handling;
// Calculate Customer Price (Cost + Markup)
var customerPrice = totalMerchantCost * (1 + (markup / 100));
var profit = customerPrice – totalMerchantCost;
// Display Results
document.getElementById('resDimWeight').innerHTML = dimWeight + " lbs";
document.getElementById('resBillableWeight').innerHTML = billableWeight + " lbs";
document.getElementById('resBaseCost').innerHTML = "$" + baseCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('resHandling').innerHTML = "$" + handling.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('resTotalMerchant').innerHTML = "$" + totalMerchantCost.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('resCustomerPrice').innerHTML = "$" + customerPrice.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById('resProfit').innerHTML = "$" + profit.toFixed(2);
// Show result box
document.getElementById('resultsBox').style.display = "block";
}
Understanding Shopify Shipping Rates
Calculating accurate shipping rates is one of the most critical aspects of running a profitable Shopify store. If you undercharge, you eat into your profit margins. If you overcharge, you risk cart abandonment. This calculator simulates how carriers determine costs and helps you set the right price for your customers.
Pro Tip: Most major carriers (UPS, FedEx, DHL) use "Dimensional Weight" pricing. This means if you ship a large, lightweight pillow, you will be charged based on its size, not its actual weight.
How the Calculation Works
Shipping costs in e-commerce are rarely straightforward. Here is the logic behind the numbers:
Billable Weight: Carriers look at two numbers: the actual scale weight and the dimensional (volumetric) weight. They charge you for whichever is higher.
DIM Formula: The industry standard formula is (Length x Width x Height) / Divisor. The common divisor is 139 for daily rates, though some retail rates use 166.
Handling Fees: This covers the cost of the box, bubble wrap, tape, and the labor required to pack the order. Ignoring this cost is a common mistake for new Shopify merchants.
Strategies for Shopify Shipping
Once you know your true cost (Billable Weight × Rate + Handling), you can decide on your pricing strategy in Shopify settings:
1. Free Shipping
You absorb the cost calculated above. This converts best but requires healthy product margins. You must ensure the "Total Cost to Merchant" is less than your product profit.
2. Flat Rate Shipping
You charge a single rate (e.g., $9.99) for all orders. Use this calculator to find an average cost across your most popular products and zones to ensure you break even on average.
3. Real-Time Carrier Rates
Shopify can connect directly to carriers to show live rates. However, you should often add a percentage markup (as shown in the calculator) to cover packaging materials and rate fluctuations.
Reducing Your Shipping Costs
To improve the numbers you see in the calculator, consider:
Poly Mailers vs. Boxes: Poly mailers have negligible dimensions compared to boxes, drastically reducing the Dimensional Weight.
Regional Fulfillment: Using a 3PL (Third Party Logistics) provider closer to your customers reduces the "Zone" distance, lowering the base rate per pound.
Negotiated Rates: High-volume Shopify stores can negotiate better divisors (e.g., 166 instead of 139) with carriers, effectively lowering the billable weight for bulky items.