How is international express delivery cost calculated?

The calculation of international express delivery costs involves multiple factors, mainly including billing weight, destination, mode of transportation, and possible additional charges. The following is the calculation method and related instructions:

1. Billing weight

International express delivery usually uses the larger value of actual weight and volume weight as the billing standard.

Actual weight: the total weight of the package, including packaging materials.

Volume weight: calculated by formula, generally length (cm) × width (cm) × height (cm) ÷ volume coefficient. The volume coefficient of different express companies may be different. For example, the volume coefficient of mainstream companies such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, and TNT is 5000, while some special lines may be 6000 or 8000.

2. Destination

There are significant differences in the unit price of freight in different countries and regions. Generally speaking, the farther the distance and the higher the transportation cost of the destination, the higher the freight will be. For example, the freight to developed countries in Europe and the United States is usually higher than that to Southeast Asian countries.

3. Transportation method

The choice of transportation method directly affects the freight. Air transportation is fast but costly, while sea transportation is low cost but slow. In addition, there are other modes of transportation such as railway special lines, whose timeliness and cost are between air and sea transportation.

IV. Additional charges

In addition to the basic freight, the following additional charges may also be incurred:

Fuel surcharge: updated in real time according to market conditions, usually floating monthly, charging a certain percentage of the basic freight (such as 25%~30%).

Remote area surcharge: If the destination is a remote area, the express company may charge additional fees.

Special item fee: For special items such as liquids, batteries, luxury goods, etc., additional fees may be required.

Other fees: such as overweight/overlimit fees, tariff prepaid service fees, insurance premiums, etc.

V. Billing formula

Below 21kg: Usually the first weight + additional weight billing method is adopted. The first weight fee is higher, and the additional weight fee is relatively low. The billing unit is generally 0.5kg, and less than 0.5kg is charged as 0.5kg.

21kg and above: Generally charged at a unit price per kilogram, and the unit price is usually lower than the additional weight unit price below 21kg.

Six, money-saving tips

Optimize packaging: compress the volume, reduce the weight of the packaging, and reduce the volume weight.

Combine shipments: combine multiple small packages into one large package for shipment to reduce the cost of single-piece shipping.

Choose the right mode of transportation: choose the right mode of transportation based on timeliness and cost requirements.

Pay attention to promotional activities: use the promotional activities or membership discounts of express companies to reduce the cost of shipping.