What is chargeable weight?
Chargeable weight is the weight a carrier uses to price your shipment. It's the higher of two figures: the actual weight, meaning the gross weight: the goods plus all packaging (and the pallet, if the freight ships on one), and the volumetric (dimensional) weight, which turns the space the shipment takes up into kilograms.
The reason is capacity. An aircraft is limited both in how much weight it can lift and in how much room its hold offers, so airlines have to manage weight and volume at the same time. Freight that is light but bulky fills space that could have carried paying weight, and it's billed for that space. IATA puts it simply: 1,000 kg of feathers costs more to fly than 1,000 kg of steel.
Low-density goods feel this most. Textiles, plastic parts packed in polystyrene, and consumer products in oversized packaging tend to be charged on volumetric weight, while dense freight such as heavy machine parts is more likely to be charged on actual weight. Knowing which side you're on before you book tells you whether smaller packaging would lower the bill or make no difference at all.
How to calculate chargeable weight
Air freight converts volume at 6,000 cm³ per kg. Express services typically use a smaller divisor, which makes the same box heavier on paper: UPS in the UK divides cm³ by 5,000, and UPS in the US divides cubic inches by 139 (Daily Rates) or 166 (Retail Rates) to get pounds.
Ocean LCL uses its own yardstick. 1 m³ counts as 1,000 kg, and you pay per cubic meter or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. The exact conversion can differ by mode, country, and carrier.
Air freight is calculated for the whole consignment. Work out the volumetric weight of one package, multiply by the number of packages, add up any different sizes, and compare that total with the total actual weight.
- Measure each package at its longest, widest, and tallest points. Include bulges, shrink-wrap, and anything hanging over the pallet edge. For an irregular shape, measure to its outermost points as if it were sitting inside a box.
- Multiply length × width × height, then multiply by the number of identical packages to get the total volume in cm³.
- Divide by 6,000 for air freight or 5,000 for express to get volumetric weight in kg. For LCL, convert cubic meters at 1 m³ = 1,000 kg.
- Compare the result with the total gross weight. Whichever is higher is the chargeable weight.
- Round up. Airline tariffs such as Korean Air's round up to the next 0.5 kg (100.25 kg becomes 100.5 kg). UPS rounds up to the next 0.5 kg in the UK and the next 1 lb in the US.
Example: a light, bulky box
Take one box measuring 60 × 48 × 42 cm that weighs 9 kg including packaging. It's large for its weight, so volumetric weight wins in every mode.
| Dimensions | 60 × 48 × 42 cm |
| Gross weight | 9 kg |
| Volume | 120,960 cm³ |
| Volume in m³ | 0.121 m³ |
| Air, ÷6,000 | 20.16 kg |
| Air chargeable | 20.5 kg |
| Express, ÷5,000 | 24.192 kg |
| Express chargeable | 24.5 kg |
| LCL, 1 m³ = 1,000 kg | 121 kg |
The box is charged at 20.5 kg by air and 24.5 kg by express, not at its actual 9 kg. Dividing by 5,000 instead of 6,000 makes the volumetric weight of the same box 1.2 times higher (24.192 kg against 20.16 kg). As LCL it would be billed on 0.121 m³, the equivalent of 121 kg.
Air vs. express vs. LCL
How each mode converts volume into weight, how the result is rounded, and the unit you're billed in.
| Mode | Volume conversion | Rounding | Billed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight | cm³ ÷ 6,000 | Next 0.5 kg (airline tariffs, e.g., Korean Air) | kg (some tariffs also quote per lb) |
| Express | cm³ ÷ 5,000 (UPS UK); in³ ÷ 139 or 166 (UPS US) | Next 0.5 kg (UPS UK); next 1 lb (UPS US) | kg or lb |
| Ocean LCL | 1 m³ = 1,000 kg; the higher of cubic meters or metric tons is charged | None in this calculator | Per m³ or per 1,000 kg |
Common mistakes
- Using 6,000 for an express shipment. UPS divides by 5,000 in metric, which gives a volumetric weight 1.2 times higher. The quote only comes out too low if the shipment is charged on volume in the first place.
- Measuring the product instead of the package. Carriers measure what arrives at the dock: the outer box, any bulge or shrink-wrap, and the pallet along with anything hanging over its edge.
- Forgetting to round up. A volumetric weight of 20.16 kg is charged as 20.5 kg by air, and UPS in the US rounds up to the next full pound.
- Assuming actual weight always wins. Gross weight and chargeable weight match only when actual weight is at least as high as volumetric weight. For textiles, plastic parts, and bulky consumer goods, it often isn't.
- Ignoring weight or measurement on LCL. A shipment of 0.8 m³ that weighs 1.2 metric tons is charged on its weight, 1,200 kg, not on its 0.8 m³ of volume.
- Entering net weight. Net weight is the goods without packaging, but the carrier weighs the shipment as delivered, so enter the gross weight.
How is chargeable weight calculated?
Multiply length × width × height in centimeters and divide by 6,000 for air freight, or by 5,000 for express services such as UPS in the UK. That gives the volumetric weight in kg. Compare it with the actual gross weight and take whichever is higher. The result is then rounded up: airline tariffs such as Korean Air's go to the next 0.5 kg, UPS in the UK to the next 0.5 kg, and UPS in the US to the next 1 lb.
Should I use 6,000 or 5,000?
Use 6,000 cm³ per kg for air freight. IATA describes it as the general rule, and forwarders such as Maersk call it the industry standard. Express carriers work differently: UPS divides by 5,000 in metric. The same box then has a volumetric weight 1.2 times higher than by air (6,000 ÷ 5,000 = 1.2). Some airlines also apply 5,000 instead of 6,000, so check the divisor on your quote.
How does chargeable weight work for LCL ocean freight?
LCL treats 1 m³ as equal to 1,000 kg and charges per cubic meter or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. Quotes may label this W/M (weight or measurement) or R/T (revenue ton). A shipment of 3 m³ weighing 1 metric ton (1,000 kg) is charged on 3 m³; one of 1 m³ weighing 2 metric tons is charged on 2,000 kg. The conversion can vary by carrier and country, and some tariffs use a measurement ton of 40 ft³ (US) or 42 ft³ (UK) instead of 1 m³. LCL quotes usually carry a minimum charge (the lowest amount billed regardless of size), which differs by freight forwarder, route, and service. Full container load (FCL) shipments are priced per container, so no volume conversion applies.
Will I be charged on actual or volumetric weight?
It comes down to density. By air, freight with a density below about 167 kg/m³ is charged on volume; 166.67 kg/m³ to be precise, the density at which volumetric and actual weight are equal when you divide by 6,000. For express at ÷5,000 the line sits at 200 kg/m³, and for LCL at 1,000 kg/m³. Textiles, plastic parts in polystyrene, and bulky consumer goods fall on the volumetric side. Heavy machine parts are more likely to be charged on actual weight.
Do carriers round chargeable weight up?
Yes, the weight is rounded up, not down. Under airline tariffs such as Korean Air's, a fraction of 0.001–0.5 kg is rounded up to the next 0.5 kg and 0.501–1.0 kg to the next whole kilogram, so 100.25 kg becomes 100.5 kg and 100.68 kg becomes 101.0 kg. UPS rounds up to the next 0.5 kg in the UK and the next 1 lb in the US. Dimensions are handled separately, and some carriers round them to the nearest centimeter or inch, which can go either way. This calculator rounds air, express, and custom-divisor results up to the next 0.5 kg and leaves LCL results as they are.
Is dimensional weight the same as volumetric weight?
Yes, they're two names for the same thing: a weight assigned from the size of the shipment. IATA and DHL say volumetric weight; UPS says dimensional weight and calls its divisor a DIM factor. Whatever the name, chargeable weight is the higher of this figure and the actual weight.
What's the difference between gross weight and chargeable weight?
Gross weight is what the shipment really weighs: goods plus packaging, plus the pallet if there is one. Chargeable weight is the higher of gross weight and volumetric weight. The two are the same only when gross weight is equal to or greater than volumetric weight (before rounding). Otherwise chargeable weight is higher.
How can I reduce chargeable weight?
If the shipment is charged on volume, make it smaller: use right-sized boxes, cut out empty space, and nest items inside each other where you can. Smaller dimensions lower the chargeable weight directly. If it's charged on actual weight, shrinking the packaging won't change the chargeable weight.
What's the formula in inches and pounds?
For air freight, 166 in³ equals 1 lb and 366 in³ equals 1 kg (Korean Air's tariff). Divide the volume in cubic inches by 166 for pounds, or by 366 for kilograms. UPS in the US divides cubic inches by 139 for Daily Rates or 166 for Retail Rates, and rounds the result up to the next 1 lb.
How do express carriers charge multi-package shipments?
UPS in the UK works out the chargeable weight of each package on its own (the higher of its actual and dimensional weight), then adds them up. This calculator totals volume and weight across all rows before comparing, so it can come out lower. At ÷5,000, a 30 × 30 × 30 cm package weighing 20 kg plus a 60 × 60 × 60 cm package weighing 5 kg comes to 20 + 43.5 = 63.5 kg package by package, but 49.0 kg from combined totals (243,000 cm³ ÷ 5,000 = 48.6 kg, rounded up).
Sources
All calculations run in your browser. Figures are based on published standards, carrier-published values and nominal dimensions, so check them against your carrier's own numbers before you book.
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