Does UPS Price by Weight or Size?

In this blog post, we will examine how UPS prices its packages and whether it is based on weight, size, or both. Understanding how UPS determines shipping costs can help you save money and make informed decisions about your shipping needs.

How Does UPS Calculate Shipping Cost?

UPS pricing is multi-dimensional especially when it comes to small parcel shipping. That is, UPS considers multiple factors when determining shipping rates. These factors include size, weight, and shipping distance, among others. Let's look into these pricing factors and how they are combined to create rates for various UPS shipping services.

Factors That Determine Your UPS Shipping Rates

Shipping Distance

• Go to the UPS Shipping Costs and Rates page.
• Click on Daily Rates or Retail Rates, whichever applies to you.
• Enter the postal code of the area you're shipping from, and click on 'Download Chart' to get your zone chart.
• Use the zone chart to find the zone of your shipment destination.
• Use the destination zone to check your shipping rates on the rate guide. 

Zones are subject to change, so checking with UPS for the latest information is advisable.

Size and Weight

The weight of a package directly affects how much fuel a UPS vehicle will consume to transport it. For this reason, UPS charges increase as the weight of your package increases. 

The UPS weight limit for most of their shipping services is 150 pounds. You must attach a UPS heavy package sticker to all packages that weigh over 70 lbs (31.5 kgs).

Size is also important. Small items packed in needlessly large boxes cause waste of space in a truck, thereby increasing costs and decreasing the efficiency of the shipping company. To avoid losses and incentivize proper packaging, UPS uses a pricing mechanism known as Dimensional Weight (DIM). 

Dimensional weight is a pricing model that shows the amount of space a package occupies compared to its actual weight. It reflects package density and is calculated as shown below:

Step 1: Determine the package measurement in inches
Measure the package's length, width, and height, rounding each measurement to the nearest whole number.

Step 2: Multiply the package length by the width by the height
Length x Width x Height = Cubic Volume

Step 3: Divide the cubic size by the divisor
Divide the cubic volume (in inches) by a divisor to determine the dimensional weight in pounds. Increase any fraction to the next whole pound.
The divisor varies depending on the rate package you use: 

• For Retail Rates, the divisor is 166
• For Daily Rates, the divisor is 139
  

Actual Weight vs Dimensional Weight

Your UPS shipping rates are calculated using either the total actual weight or the total dimensional weight of all packages in a shipment, whichever is greater.’’

Shipping Speed

The faster you want your shipment to arrive, the more you pay. Below is a list of UPS domestic shipping services, delivery times, and cost ranges. 

For pricing of these services, scroll below to see the UPS shipping rates by weight chart 2023.

Contents of the Package

Under normal circumstances, UPS does not price shipments based on the contents of a package. However, sometimes the items being shipped requires special procedures and therefore special pricing. Examples of such items are:

• Dangerous goods
• Expensive items
• Items with special handling requirements

Additional Costs

UPS also offers various additional services, such as delivery confirmation which may be charged extra.

How Much Does UPS Charge by Weight of a Package?

UPS charges package shipping starting at packages 1 pound in weight. Just like FedEx and USPS cost to ship, UPS prices go up for each pound increase in weight. 

To answer the question 'How much does it cost to ship UPS by weight?', we have compiled a range of costs for each UPS domestic service in the table below: 

These prices are accurate as of March 2023:

For Packages Over 150 pounds: 

Packages weighing more than 150 pounds are charged on a price-per-pound basis. The table below shows the range of price-per-pound costs for packages weighing over 150 lbs. These prices are accurate as of March 2023:

(*For UPS Next Day Air Early packages with a weight of more than 150 pounds, multiply the weight by the price per pound and add $30.00.)

How Do You Calculate Shipping Costs for UPS?

You can use your package weight and shipping zone information to check your shipping cost on the daily rates guide or retail rates guide, whichever applies. Alternatively, you can use the UPS time and cost tool to get an accurate cost estimate and to find the cheapest way to ship a heavy package or a light one.

How Shipsigma Can Help

Backed up with over $1 billion of live market data and more than 300 years of combined experience in the shipping industry, the team at ShipSigma is more than capable of optimizing your shipping portfolio. 

Even before we begin overhauling your shipping accounts, you will already know how much you will save. You pay only if we achieve our promise. 

Reach out today, and let's get you the lowest rates possible.