How to Calculate the Cheapest International Shipping Rates

International shipping is sometimes not as smooth as domestic shipping due to many factors like rules and regulations regarding import and export in different countries, the weight of the packages, restrictions of specific products, and so on.

In the case of shipping rates, international shipping will be high compared to domestic, so it is essential to choose the right carrier that will offer cheapest international shipping, considering the distance between countries, cost of flight or ship, special duties, and tax based on certain countries, etc.

Merchants mainly depend upon shipping calculator tools to calculate the shipping costs of different shipping carrier services, which will make their task easier.

There are many international shipping services provided by popular shipping carriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL. The rate will vary depending on the distance, weight of the products, delivery days, and so on. If you need to deliver the products quickly, you need to choose a service, which will be a bit expensive compared to other delayed options. So, there are many aspects you need to consider while calculating the shipping cost.

In this write-up let us discuss some of the cheapest international shipping services of popular shipping carriers – FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL, and how you can calculate the shipping cost based on the sender and receiver’s location and weight and dimensions of your packages using a robust shipping calculator tool.

How to Calculate International Shipping Rates Step-by-Step

Measure and Weigh Your Package Accurately

The first step is to measure the package accurately. Measure the Height, Width, Length and Weight of the package.

Carriers usually calculate the shipping costs based on the actual weight or the dimensional weight. (The higher weight is chosen generally).

Actual weight is the weight of the package when it is placed on the weighing scale.

Dimensional weight is calculated on the basis of how much space the package occupies in the carrier truck or plane.

Formula to calculate the DIM weight,

DIM = (Length*Weight*Height)/DIM Factor

Different Carriers have different DIM factors.

Identify the Destination Country and Delivery Speed

The next step is to identify the Destination Country and the Delivery speed.

The Logic is quite simple here, farther the Destination country the higher the shipping cost and faster services like ‘Express’ or ‘Priority’ cost more than ‘Standard’ options.

Compare Carrier Rate Calculators

The carriers offer shipping rate calculators, all you have to do is log in to their shipping rate calculators and fill in the information.

USPS

USPS Retail Postage Price Calculator, all you have to do is enter the information about the origin and destination country. Details about the item you are sending along with the type of package.

UPS

UPS Shipping Calculator, add in the information regarding the origin and the destination along with the destination type and the date of shipping.

FedEx

FedEx Shipping Cost Calculator, you have to enter the origin and destination address.

DHL

DHL Shipping cost calculator, you have to enter the from and to address.

Calculating the shipping cost from each of these carriers and then choosing the cheapest option is a tedious task. You can make use of multi-carrier platform like ReachShip.

A Multi-Carrier Shipping Calculator to Calculate the Cheapest International Shipping Rate

A shipping calculator makes your job easier to find the most feasible shipping option by taking various parameters from your side. ReachShip shipping calculator is one of the robust shipping calculator tools in the industry. Currently, it helps you to calculate the domestic and international shipping services of DHL, UPS, USPS, and FedEx.

You are only required to enter the source and destination details, and the weight and dimensions of the packages to get the shipping rates and delivery days.

Check an example of calculating the cheapest shipping rate from California Francisco, US to Chiapas, Mexico.

Step 1: Enter the source and destination locations, along with the package details.

After entering the details, click on ‘Calculate Rates’.

Step 2 : Check the lowest shipping rate from San Francisco to Chiapas.

After getting the list of available services, you can use the ‘Price Low to High’ option in the Sort option to get the costs listed in ascending order.

Here, the cheapest service to send a package in 50 lbs, with 15 *15*15 dimension is UPS Standard for 245.98 USD.

Factor in Customs Duties, Taxes, and Handling Fees

While making an international shipment you have to make sure you check few documents like customs duties, import taxes, and clearance fees that depends on the destination country.

• Check your shipment’s HS code for applicable duties.

• Review customs regulations of the destination country.

• Include brokerage or handling fees in your total cost.

Consider Packaging Costs and Insurance

The next part is to add in the price of the packaging materials such as boxes, cushions, tapes etc.

If the item is fragile or valuable, consider adding shipping insurance for protection against loss or damage.

Get the Total Estimated Cost Before Confirming Shipment

Once all elements are calculated like the base rate, customs, packaging, insurance, then you’ll have the total shipping cost.

Cheapest International Shipping Services

If you surf on the internet to know the cheapest international shipping rates, you would probably stumble upon USPS (United States Postal Service) since they offer comparatively cheaper and affordable cost for shipping products across the US as well as to other countries. But, if you go through other shipping carriers, you will get to know that they are definitely providing a number of reasonable international shipping services. So, let us check the cheapest international shipping services of these shipping carriers in this article.

Cheapest international shipping services of USPS

As we have already discussed, USPS provides the cheapest international shipping services compared to other popular carriers. Not all time, but you may need to compromise on certain premium features while choosing those services. 

One of the main pitfalls you would find in USPS international shipping could be the false tracking update.

Sometimes, they do not update the exact tracking information, which creates an inconsistency in the delivery action and the tracking information they provide on the website. Also, sometimes you might not get your products delivered on time as expected. 

But, USPS is cheaper by around 50% compared to other services like FedEx and UPS. So, if you need to ship your products internationally which are not urgent, you can definitely depend on USPS as they are one of the cheapest international shipping solutions you will find!

Check some cheapest shipping services of USPS:

All these delivery days may vary, and the cost will change as per the countries and weight and dimensions of the packages.

Cheapest international shipping services of UPS

UPS (United Parcel Service) may not be a great choice for domestic shipping due to the absence of some premium features, but when it comes to international shipping it is the right choice if you consider the features as well as its reasonable rates!

One of the main reasons you can go for UPS for overseas shipping is its wide coverage all over the world. It has a broad office network that helps to ship items internationally at affordable rates and minimum delivery days.

Check out some of the cheapest shipping services of UPS:

Cheapest international shipping services of FedEx

Compared to other carriers, you would see the highest shipping costs in FedEx when it comes to international shipping. But it is worth choosing when we consider its quality of service and reliability. Also, its accurate tracking information allows you to track your packages as and when required.

Check some cheapest shipping services of FedEx:

These are a few affordable international services of FedEx. The rates will be different based on the country you choose and the weight and dimensions of your packages. 

Cheapest international shipping services of DHL

DHL provides a handful of international shipping services at affordable rates. Many customers choose DHL shipping services for overseas shipping as they always ensure all shipments are legally authorized.

Check some international shipping services of DHL for eCommerce sellers are:

These are some international shipping options that are suitable and affordable for eCommerce store owners. The rate will vary depending on the countries and the weight and dimensions of packages.

Conclusion

Choosing the cheapest international shipping service is not a tedious process if you get help from a shipping calculator tool. Find the cheapest domestic and international shipping cost and delivery days with the ReachShip shipping calculator by following the above mentioned steps.

FAQs

1. What tools can I use to compare international shipping rates?
   You can use carrier-specific calculators like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL, or multi-carrier platforms such as ReachShip, ShipStation, or EasyPost to instantly compare rates and select the cheapest option.
2. Does insurance affect the total shipping cost?
   Yes. Adding insurance increases your total cost slightly but protects against loss or damage, which is often worth it for valuable or fragile items.
3. What are common mistakes people make when calculating shipping costs?
   Common mistakes include ignoring customs fees, using inaccurate measurements, choosing express services unnecessarily, or not comparing multiple carrier options.

Further Reading

• How to Make an Accurate Shipping Estimate? A Step-By-Step Guide

• How to Calculate the Cheapest Way to Ship Large Packages with a Shipping Calculator Tool?

• How can you Calculate the Cost of Expedited Shipping with an eCommerce Shipping Calculator?