Three separate limits apply to every parcel, and the one that stops most shipments is not weight.
Ask what the parcel limit is and most people give a weight. But carriers apply three separate ceilings, and a parcel must clear all three: maximum weight, maximum length of the longest side, and maximum girth — length plus twice the width plus twice the height. Breaching any one of them is enough to trigger a surcharge or a refusal.
Length is the one that catches people out. A rolled rug, a pair of skis, a curtain pole or a piece of flat-pack furniture can be well under any weight limit and still be rejected, because the longest side exceeds what an automated conveyor can handle. Girth catches the opposite case: bulky cube-shaped items where no single dimension looks alarming but the combined figure does.
The limits also vary by carrier and, importantly, by service within the same carrier. Economy and road-based products frequently cap lower than express ones, so the same parcel can be acceptable on one service and refused on another from the same operator.
After packing, not before. Padding, cardboard and tape all count, and the carrier scans the finished box.
This is the limit most often breached. If any single dimension looks unusually long, check it before anything else.
Girth is length plus twice the width plus twice the height. Bulky, roughly cubic parcels can breach the girth limit while each individual dimension looks perfectly normal.
Round up to the nearest half kilogram. A parcel that sits just under a threshold on your scales may sit just over it on the carrier's.
Limits differ between products from the same operator. Express services generally accept heavier and larger items than economy road services.
Sometimes a different box shape solves it. Sometimes the answer is a pallet or a freight booking rather than a parcel at all.
| Limit | How it is measured | Typically breached by |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Actual weight of the sealed parcel | Dense goods — tiles, books, tools, machine parts |
| Longest side | The single longest dimension | Skis, rugs, curtain poles, flat-pack furniture, artwork |
| Girth | Length + 2 × width + 2 × height | Bulky cube-shaped items — appliances, large boxed goods |
| Volumetric weight | L × W × H in cm ÷ 5000 | Light but bulky goods — bedding, foam, packaging, coats |
| Parcel shop limits | Set by the shop, below the carrier's own limits | Anything heavy you were planning to drop off |
Volumetric weight is often discussed alongside size limits, but it works differently. Breaching a size or weight limit means the parcel may be refused or surcharged. Exceeding your actual weight on volumetric weight does not stop the parcel travelling at all — it simply means you are charged on volume rather than on the scales reading.
The formula most carriers use is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 5000, with some express and air services using 4000 instead, which makes them more sensitive to bulk. You pay whichever is greater, actual or volumetric.
The practical effect is that bulky light goods become expensive long before they become unacceptable. A duvet is nowhere near any weight limit but can be charged as though it weighed several times what it does. Compression bags and right-sized boxes are the answer, not a different carrier.
Assuming weight is the only limit, then being refused on length for a long thin item.
Measuring the item rather than the packed box, so the real dimensions are larger than checked.
Checking the carrier's headline limit rather than the specific service's limit, which is often lower.
Forgetting that protruding handles, wheels and lids count toward the measurement.
Planning a drop-off for a heavy parcel — parcel shops cap well below the carrier's own maximum.
Ignoring girth on a bulky but not especially long or heavy parcel.
Treating a pallet's own base and wrapping as though it did not add weight and height.
Cut a too-tall box down, use compression bags, or split the contents across two compliant parcels — but check whether two base charges beat one surcharge.
Read more →Between the standard and freight ranges there are heavy parcel services that accept more, usually collection-only and with surcharges.
Read more →Above the parcel ceiling, or for several heavy pieces to one address, freight is usually cheaper per kilo and handled mechanically.
Read more →Volumetric weight often matters more to your bill than any hard limit. Work out chargeable weight before repacking.
Read more →It varies by carrier and by service rather than being a single universal figure. Express networks commonly handle single pieces well into the tens of kilograms, while many economy and road services cap considerably lower. Always check the limit for the specific service you are booking, not the carrier's headline maximum.
Girth is length plus twice the width plus twice the height. It captures overall bulk in a single figure, which is how carriers identify parcels that are awkward for automated handling even when no individual dimension looks excessive. Bulky cube-shaped parcels breach girth limits most often.
Almost certainly on length or girth. Long thin items — skis, rugs, poles, furniture parts — routinely exceed the longest-side limit while being very light. Weight is only one of three ceilings and it is not the one that stops most shipments.
Yes, and they are lower than the carrier's own. Parcel shops and lockers set their own size and weight caps based on what staff can handle and what fits their storage. Book a collection for anything heavy rather than making a wasted trip.
No. Volumetric weight affects price, not acceptability — you are simply charged on volume instead of on the scales reading. Size and weight limits are what determine whether a parcel is accepted at all.
Enter the dimensions and weight and see which carriers can take it, and what each would charge.
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