Shipping Cost Calculator
Enter your parcel dimensions and your own your per-desi tariff enter; the chargeable desi, the VAT-inclusive shipping fee and your free-shipping thresholdcalculate instantly.
Parcel and Tariff
The price per desi and the minimum charge vary by carrier and shipment volume — enter your negotiated tariff.
How Is Shipping Cost Set in E-Commerce?
Carriers calculate the fee on desi rather than on kilograms. That's because a vehicle's carrying limit isn't only weight, it is also volume. Twenty kilos of iron and twenty kilos of pillows don't take up the same space, so volume is converted into a "weight" equivalent too.
The calculation runs in two steps:
- Volumetric desi:
(Width × Length × Height) / 3000 - Chargeable weight: whichever is greater of the volumetric desi and the actual weight
Then Fee = Chargeable Desi × Per-Desi Tariff applies; the carrier's minimum shipment charge stops it going below that figure. Finally VAT is added. If you only want the desi, the desi calculatoryou can use.
Common Box Sizes and Their Volumetric Weight (Desi)
Below are the volumetric weights (desi) of commonly used box sizes. If your box is different, enter it in the calculator above.
| Box size (cm) | Volumetric desi | Example product |
|---|---|---|
| 20 × 15 × 10 | 1 | Jewelry, small accessories |
| 30 × 20 × 10 | 2 | Cosmetics, phone accessories |
| 33 × 22 × 12 | 2.9 | Shoe box |
| 35 × 25 × 15 | 4.4 | A few clothing items |
| 40 × 30 × 20 | 8 | Small home products |
| 50 × 40 × 30 | 20 | Home textiles, toys |
| 60 × 40 × 40 | 32 | Bulky home products |
Most carriers round desi up to the next whole number; for example, 2.9 desi is billed as 3 desi. Check your agreement for the exact rule.
Example Shipping Cost Calculations
Both examples use a sample rate of 25 TL per desi (excluding VAT); your own rate will differ.
- Shoes: 33 × 22 × 12 cm box, 1.2 kg. Volumetric weight is 2.9 → 3 desi; since the actual weight is lower, 3 desi is billed. Cost: 3 × 25 = 75 TL, plus VAT.
- Box of books: 30 × 20 × 10 cm box, 4 kg. Volumetric weight is 2 desi, but the actual weight of 4 kg is higher, so 4 is billed. Cost: 4 × 25 = 100 TL, plus VAT.
Real tariffs are usually tiered by desi range, and the price per desi may drop as desi increases. Ask your carrier for the price of the desi range you ship most.
6 Factors That Affect Shipping Cost
- Desi: The main variable that sets the price. Shrinking the packaging lowers cost directly.
- Shipment volume: As your monthly volume rises, the unit price per desi falls — this is your strongest card when renegotiating.
- Delivery region: Within-city, intercity and hard-to-reach areas are priced differently.
- Service type: Standard, express/same-day and scheduled delivery are subject to different tariffs.
- Cash on delivery: An additional service fee applies to collect-on-delivery shipments.
- Return rate: A high return rate means double the shipping cost per shipment — factor it into your pricing.
How Do You Set a Free-Shipping Threshold?
A "free shipping over X" campaign lifts sales, but setting the threshold wrong erodes profit. The right threshold is the point at which your gross profit margin covers the shipping cost:
Free-Shipping Threshold = Shipping Cost / Gross Profit Margin
Example: your shipping cost, VAT included, 60 TL, your gross margin %35 then the threshold 60 / 0.35 ≈ 171 TL Below that figure, covering shipping means losing money on the sale. If you don't know your margin, with the profit margin calculatoryou can work it out.
Enter your margin in the calculator above and the suggested threshold is worked out automatically.
Who Pays for Shipping?
| Model | Who pays | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| Sender pays | Seller | In free-shipping campaigns, to lift your average cart value, |
| Shipping added to the cart | Customer (prepaid) | For low-margin or bulky products |
| Recipient pays | Customer (on delivery) | For corporate/B2B shipments; raises return risk |
| Cash on delivery | Customer + an extra service fee | For new customers with low trust |
Ways to Lower Your Shipping Cost
- Shrink the packaging. Since desi comes from volume, even 5 cm of excess can push you into the next desi bracket.
- Work with more than one carrier. Pick the best-value carrier per order according to region and desi.
- Consolidate your volume. Tariffs drop as volume rises; scattering shipments weakens your negotiating power.
- Reduce returns. Accurate product photos, a clear size chart and an honest description lower the return rate.
- Set the threshold from your profit. Use the figure the formula above gives you rather than a round number.
In Fenikya you can integrate with carriers, define automatic pricing from desi/weight rules and manage your free-shipping threshold from a single screen. Round out the cart and commission side with our Commission Calculator and VAT Calculator tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the shipping fee calculated?
Desi = (width × length × height) / 3000. The chargeable weight is the greater of the desi and the actual weight. Fee = chargeable desi × the per-desi tariff; it can't go below the minimum charge, and VAT is added on top.
Who pays for shipping in e-commerce?
There are four models: sender-paid, shipping added to the cart, recipient-paid, and cash on delivery. The most common is for the seller to cover shipping above a certain cart value.
What should my free-shipping threshold be?
Threshold = Shipping Cost / Gross Profit Margin. At 60 TL shipping and a 35% margin the threshold is about 171 TL. Covering shipping below that erodes your profit.
Is desi or weight used?
Whichever is greater. For a light but bulky item such as a pillow, desi is billed; for a small but heavy one such as a book, the actual weight is.
Why do shipping rates differ between carriers?
The tariff varies with your shipment volume, contract type, delivery region and service level. The unit price falls as your monthly volume rises. For the current figure, go by the price list your contracted carrier gave you.
How much does shipping cost?
There is no single price; the cost depends on volumetric weight (desi), your shipping volume, the delivery region and the carrier you work with. Enter the per-desi rate your carrier gives you into this calculator to find the cost of your own shipment. If you don't have an agreement yet, you can start with the carrier's standard individual shipping price.
Do carriers like PTT, Aras and Yurtiçi calculate shipping the same way?
The logic is the same: whichever is greater of volumetric weight (desi) and actual weight is billed. Carriers differ in their per-desi prices, desi ranges, rounding rules and extra service fees, so the same box can be priced differently.
Run Your Shipping From Your Own Store
Integrate carriers with Fenikya, set up automatic desi/weight-based pricing and manage your free-shipping threshold from one screen. Your own commission-free store, your own rules.
Start 14 Days Free