--- title: "Dimensional Weight Calculator (DIM Weight) | Honey Parcels" description: "Work out a parcel's dimensional and billable weight in cm or inches, with the 139, 166, 5000 and 6000 divisors carriers commonly publish, or your own." url: https://honeyparcels.shop/ --- # Dimensional weight calculator Light but bulky parcels are charged by size. Enter the box and its weight to see the dimensional weight, the billable weight, and how much smaller the box would need to be. ## How dimensional weight works Dimensional weight = length × width × height ÷ divisor Billable weight = the greater of dimensional and actual weight Example: a 40 × 30 × 25 cm box holds 30,000 cm³. At a divisor of 5,000 cm³/kg that is 6 kg of dimensional weight, so a 4 kg parcel is billed as 6 kg. To be billed on its real weight, the box would need to be 20,000 cm³ or less: a 40 × 25 × 20 cm box would do. ### Which divisor? Each carrier publishes its own, and it can differ by service and account. Commonly published values: 139 in³/lb (UPS daily rates; FedEx in the US), 166 in³/lb (UPS retail rates; DHL eCommerce in the US), 5,000 cm³/kg (the most common metric divisor, for example at FedEx) and 6,000 cm³/kg (the IATA general rule for air cargo). USPS uses dimensional weight for parcels over one cubic foot. Check your carrier's current rate guide before relying on a number. ## Sources - UPS, [Package dimensions, size limits and weight guide](https://www.ups.com/us/en/support/shipping-support/shipping-dimensions-weight): divisor 139 for daily rates and 166 for retail rates, fractions rounded up to the next whole pound, billable weight is the greater weight. - FedEx, [What is dimensional weight?](https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/packaging/what-is-dimensional-weight.html) (139 for US shipments) and [Understand dimensional weight](https://www.fedex.com/en-de/how-to/calculate-costs/dimensional-weight.html) (5,000 as the most common metric divisor). - DHL eCommerce, [Chargeable shipping weight](https://www.dhl.com/us-en/home/ecommerce/business-help-center/chargeable-weight.html): 166 for inches, 6,000 for centimetres. - IATA, [Air cargo tariffs and rules](https://www.iata.org/en/publications/newsletters/iata-knowledge-hub/air-cargo-tariffs-and-rules-what-you-need-to-know/): volume in cm³ divided by 6,000 as the general rule. - USPS, [Domestic Mail Manual 223](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/223.htm): dimensional weight pricing for parcels over one cubic foot. ## More from the packing bench Every tool works offline in your browser. - [Girth & size checker](https://honeyparcels.shop/parcel-girth-calculator/): Length plus girth, checked against published size limits or your own. - [Tracking number identifier](https://honeyparcels.shop/tracking-number-identifier/): Which carrier's format is it, and is the check digit right? Checked offline. - [Return deadline](https://honeyparcels.shop/return-deadline-calculator/): The last day to cancel or send it back, in calendar or working days, with a calendar reminder. - [Box size finder](https://honeyparcels.shop/box-size-finder/): The smallest box that fits the item and its padding, from your own list of boxes. ## Recommended Two free services for the email and links that come with parcels. Disposable email · no sign-up ### CleanTempMail Price comparison sites, parcel apps and one-off sellers all ask for an email address. CleanTempMail gives you a free temporary inbox instantly, with no sign-up, a random or custom address on hundreds of domains, and messages deleted automatically after 3 days, so keep your real address for receipts and returns you may need later. [Open a temporary inbox](https://cleantempmail.com/) Disposable cloud browser · domain lookup ### WebTraceCheck A message says a parcel is waiting and links to a site you don't recognise? WebTraceCheck's disposable cloud browser opens the link on an isolated desktop that is deleted after each session, and its free DNS and domain lookup shows the records behind the link's domain. Nothing to install, with free time every day. [Try WebTraceCheck](https://webtracecheck.com/) ## Questions **Why am I charged for weight my parcel doesn't have?** A light but bulky parcel takes up room in a van or plane that could carry something heavier, so carriers charge by size as well as weight and bill whichever is greater. **Should I measure the box or the item?** The box, on the outside, at its widest points including any bulges. Carriers measure the parcel as it is handed over. **Do carriers round the measurements?** Many do, and the rules differ: some round each side to the nearest whole unit, some round up, and UPS rounds dimensional weight up to the next whole pound. Tick the rounding boxes to see the effect.