Best Shipping Calculators for eCommerce Couriers

A shipping calculator is a valuable tool for estimating shipping prices and assisting you in selecting the most cost-effective carrier to send your customers’ products. It also gives you access to the estimated delivery dates, as well as rate quotations and service types.

We have great news for you if you need help to figure out how much it will cost to ship a package internationally or how to estimate shipping charges to deliver products to customers around the world.

In this post, we’ll go over the general details you’ll need to get a quote, as well as extra services and prerequisites that may affect the cost of your shipment. We’ll also show you how to use a few simple tools to calculate shipping costs in a matter of minutes.

Why Use a Shipping Calculator?

The costs of delivering a product from a shelf in your store or warehouse to a customer’s doorstep are known as shipping costs. There are a variety of charges involved, including boxes, wrapping, tape, and stickers and all other extra costs for packaging, the expense of hiring someone or an entire team to pick up, pack, and ship items, courier’s fee for collecting and delivering a package, expenses associated with international import/export fees, insurance, and handling fees  As a retailer, your goal is to deliver an item from your shelf to your consumer in the shortest amount of time possible, at the lowest possible price possible.

When determining shipping costs as a business, you must consider both your budget and the needs of your customers. It’s unsustainable to charge too little for shipping because it will eventually eat into your profit margins. If you overcharge, you risk losing customers to your competitors.

It’s much easier to provide shipping quotes at checkout when you know what your shipping expenses will be.  Often, this needs back-end effort, such as setting up shipping costs for each product and entering delivery zones. However, doing so will increase client loyalty and, as a result, increase sales. But what if all of the tedious backend work were done by an automated shipping rate calculator that would help you select the best shipping carrier for your company by comparing all the available rates from multiple leading shipping providers? We will get back to this in a moment.

Transparency about delivery charges is also beneficial in terms of establishing brand loyalty. Another strategy to reduce cart abandonment is to provide multiple shipping alternatives at various price points. It gives clients the impression that they are making decisions and receiving a personalized service.

Factors that affect the cost of shipping

The distance between the sender and the recipient addresses

The greater the distance that the packages must travel, the higher the shipping costs will be. When you need to ship overseas, you know it will cost a lot of money. Domestic services will have lower charges than international services. Typically, shipping companies such as DHL, FedEx, UPS, and USPS use ‘shipping zones’ to determine shipping prices. You can determine the shipping charges of essential services based on the source and destination addresses.

The package’s weight and dimensions

The shipping fee will be higher if your package is heavier. When calculating the shipment, the shipping companies will take into account the height, weight, and length of the packing boxes. These measurements are used to determine how much space it will require in the shipment vehicle. They will charge the rate based on that. The price will rise in proportion to the amount of space it will take up in the vehicle. 

Delivery time

Customers can now choose when they want their purchases delivered. Each shipping carrier has a vast selection of services from which you may choose based on the number of days it will take to deliver your package. In comparison to late deliveries, the shipping cost for faster delivery alternatives will be significantly higher.

Multiple product shipping

There are certain scenarios where some products cannot be shipped in the same package. For example, it’s not a good idea to mix perishable and non-perishable goods in the same shipment. In such cases, you must ship them as separate shipments, leading to higher shipping costs.

Shipment Insurance and tracking

The products may be destroyed or damaged during shipping. Replacing the merchandise will be costly. As a result, getting your delivery insured is the best option. Many insurance companies offer coverage at a low cost. However, you can get shipping insurance from third-party providers for a reasonable price. Some carriers offer tracking options as a free service. However, for some businesses, it is considered an additional cost because the option provides security for you and your clients by allowing them to monitor the shipment status at any time.

Customs charges and duties

The unpredictability of customs taxes is the most difficult aspect of selling across international borders. When the packages arrive in the destination country, it’s difficult to predict how much they’ll charge. And it differs from one country to the next.

Handling fees

Due to the nature of the products, their weight, and volume, additional charges will be incurred for safe handling. Adding handling fees is a great way for businesses to create profit margins.

Best Shipping Rate Calculator for eCommerce Couriers

UPS

UPS also uses dimensional weight to determine shipping costs. Different UPS shipping options, such as UPS Ground, UPS 3-Day Select, and 2nd Day Air, use different pricing models. You can use the UPS shipping calculator to get the shipping rates.

USPS

The USPS Shipping Services are offered internationally in more than 180 countries, including the UK, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. International tracking and some insurance are included in the Global Express Guaranteed, Priority Mail Express International, and Priority Mail International services. You can use this shipping calculator to figure out how much international USPS shipping will cost.

FedEx

For calculating shipping prices, FedEx uses dimensional weight. They provide a range of delivery options, including ground, overnight, and same-day deliveries. You can use their shipping calculator to calculate FedEx shipping rates.

ReachShip

ReachShip shipping calculator calculates all available shipping service rates, including taxes, and assists you in selecting the most cost-effective and time-efficient option. Besides that, it suggests packaging options and allows you to print shipping labels. And it also keeps you informed with the most up-to-date tracking information. This centralized platform makes it possible to select a domestic or international shipping service from a variety of shipping carriers for shipping anywhere in the world.

Shippo

Shippo is a multi-carrier, user-friendly shipping platform that compares real-time rates from top carriers.

Conclusion

With a complete set of features, whether you are a small eCommerce business owner or a large eCommerce retailer, a shipping calculator can help streamline the shipping process of your store. It helps you get shipping quotes from top carriers, then creates shipping labels and tracks your shipment in the most convenient way possible. If you have any questions regarding shipping calculators, feel free to reach out to us or leave a comment on our post.

FAQs

Further Reading

• Comparison of International Shipping Rates between UPS, FedEx, and DHL
• How to Calculate FedEx Shipping Cost for India? 
• Best Shipping Rate Calculator For eCommerce Couriers 2021