How volumetric weight decides your shipping cost.

A light, large box can cost more than a small, heavy one. Carriers bill the space a carton takes on the vehicle, not only the kilograms on the scale. That second number is volumetric weight.

The number that gets billed

Chargeable weight is the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is length × breadth × height, in centimetres, divided by the partner’s divisor. Delhivery B2B uses 4000. Delhivery B2C uses 5000. Measure the outer carton, not the item inside it.

A carton of 40 × 30 × 25 cm is 7.5 kg at ÷ 4000 and 6 kg at ÷ 5000. If the contents weigh 6 kg, a B2B lane bills 7.5 kg and a B2C lane bills 6 kg. If the contents weigh 9 kg, both bill 9 kg. The scale does not get a discount for empty space, and the tape measure does not get a discount for a dense item.

Why the outer carton matters

Measure the box you are handing over, not the item inside it. A laptop in a carton twice its size is billed as that carton. Extra void fill, a gift box inside a shipping box, or a carton chosen because it was the one you had all increase the product of the three sides.

Tight packing is the simplest way to keep the rate honest. Use a carton that clears the item by a few centimetres of padding, not a carton you can drop a second box into. For multi-piece bookings, enter each box. The volumetric weight is the sum across pieces, and the quote should match that total.

What the hub does with your numbers

Every package is scanned and weighed at the hub. If the measured weight or size is higher than the category you booked, a weight dispute is raised and the difference in shipping charges is deducted from your wallet. You are notified by email. If you believe the measurement is wrong, raise it within 3 days with photos of the package on a scale and of the dimensions.

The categories on the booking form are under 5 kg, 5 to 10 kg, 10 to 20 kg, and more than 20 kg, with a limit of 25 kg per package. Pick the category that covers the chargeable weight, not the weight you hoped the item was.

If you only remember one step: length, breadth, and height of the sealed carton, then the greater of that volumetric weight and the scale.

Run the dimensions through the rate calculator before you tape the box shut. Changing carton size is cheap. Arguing about it after the hub scan is not.