There is no single price — but there are exactly five things that decide yours, and you control most of them.
Parcel pricing looks like it should be simple and is not. Carriers do not publish one rate per weight band; they run networks with different costs on every route, adjust for fuel, apply surcharges to remote postcodes, and price volume as well as weight. Two parcels of identical weight going to different countries can differ substantially, and so can two parcels of identical weight going to the same country if one is bulky and the other dense.
That is why the honest answer to 'how much does it cost' is a live quote for your specific parcel on your specific route. What this page can do is explain exactly what goes into that number, so you can see which parts you can change and which you cannot.
The greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 5000 for most carriers, and by 4000 on some express services. This is the foundation everything else is applied to, and it is the component you can most easily change.
Domestic is cheapest. Intra-EU costs more but avoids customs entirely. Non-EU destinations cost more again and add a clearance stage. Beyond that, individual carriers have genuinely different strengths per country, which is why route-level comparison matters more than brand loyalty.
Economy road services move parcels on trucks over several days. Express services use air freight and time-definite networks. The gap between them is substantial, and it is the second-largest lever after box size.
Drop-off at a shop or locker is priced lower than collection from your address, because the carrier avoids a dedicated vehicle stop.
Additional insurance above standard liability, remote or island area surcharges, oversize or overweight handling, residential delivery on some commercial services, and fuel adjustments. Most are predictable once you know the postcode and dimensions.
Relative impact, not absolute figures — your actual numbers come from a quote.
| Factor | Impact | Can you control it? |
|---|---|---|
| Box dimensions | Very high — drives volumetric weight | Yes, almost always |
| Actual weight | High | Sometimes — split or lighten the contents |
| Express vs economy | High | Yes, if you book with enough lead time |
| Destination country | High | No, but carrier choice within it matters |
| Drop-off vs collection | Moderate | Yes, if you can travel to a drop-off point |
| Declared value / insurance | Low to moderate | Yes, but do not under-declare |
| Remote area surcharge | Moderate | No — determined by postcode |
| Fuel adjustment | Low | No — set by the carrier |
For shipments leaving the European Union, import duty and VAT are charged separately by the destination country's customs authority. They are not part of your shipping quote and they are not a hidden fee — they are a tax levied by another government on the goods entering it. By default the recipient pays them on arrival before the parcel is released.
This catches people out most often with gifts. Someone sends a present to a relative outside the EU, and the relative is asked to pay a customs charge before they can collect it. If that would be awkward, choose a delivered-duty-paid arrangement at booking so you settle the charges upfront instead.
Duty and VAT thresholds, gift allowances and relief rules vary by destination and change over time, so check the current rules for the specific country rather than relying on a figure from a previous shipment. Our duty calculator and destination guides are the place to look.
Enter dimensions, weight and route for an estimate before you commit to a booking.
Read more →How the L × W × H ÷ 5000 formula works, with examples of when volume beats actual weight.
Read more →How pricing behaves under 5 kg, from 5 to 20 kg, and from 20 to 70 kg.
Read more →Estimate the import duty and VAT the recipient may face on a non-EU shipment.
Read more →The parcel measured larger than you declared, so the carrier re-measured and adjusted the price.
The parcel weighed more than declared — the same correction applies.
The delivery postcode carries a remote or island surcharge that was not reflected in a rough estimate.
The parcel exceeded a size or weight threshold and moved into an oversize handling category.
A collection was missed and re-attempted, which can carry a charge on some services.
The address was changed after dispatch, incurring a redirection fee.
Duty and VAT were billed on arrival — these are separate from shipping and are levied by the destination country.
It depends on chargeable weight, route, service speed, handover method and any extras — there is no single figure that would be honest. Enter your dimensions, weight and destination for a live quote across several carriers; that is the only number you can actually act on.
Most often because volumetric weight exceeded actual weight — a light but bulky parcel is priced on the space it occupies. Check length × width × height ÷ 5000 against the scales reading. Remote-area surcharges and express service selection are the next most common causes.
Only through insurance. Carriers price on weight, volume and route, not on what is inside. Declaring a higher value raises the cost of additional cover but does not change the base shipping rate — and under-declaring to save on cover simply caps your compensation.
No. They are levied separately by the destination country on shipments arriving from outside its customs territory, and by default the recipient pays them before the parcel is released. You can choose to pay them upfront instead by selecting a delivered-duty-paid option at booking.
Yes, if the parcel does not match what you declared. Carriers re-measure and re-weigh at their sorting hubs and adjust the charge where there is a discrepancy. Accurate dimensions and weight at the booking stage are the way to make sure the quote is the final figure.
Live rates from DHL, UPS, FedEx, DPD and GLS for your exact parcel — in about a minute.
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