Volumetric Weight Calculator for Indian Couriers: Chargeable Weight in kg

Volumetric weight (also called dimensional weight) is the weight a courier charges for the space your box takes up. The usual formula is length × breadth × height in centimetres, divided by 5000, and the result is in kilograms. Delhivery's help page gives that formula for both surface and express delivery, and says the chargeable weight is the higher of dead weight and volumetric weight once dead weight is over 1 kg. Enter your box and weight below. Checked November 2026.

Which divisor should I use: 5000 or 4000?

The calculator defaults to 5000 and lets you change it. Here is what I could and could not confirm.

• 5000 is confirmed for Delhivery. The Delhivery help page states "(Length × Breadth × Height) / 5000" and that for surface and express, chargeable weight is the higher of dead weight and that figure.
• Shiprocket's blog uses 5000 as an example and says the figure "is not constant and varies from carrier to carrier". Another Shiprocket page says "for most courier companies this constant is 5000" and does not give separate surface and air divisors. Its applied-weight page repeats 5000 and the same caveat.
• 4000 for air or premium services is not confirmed. Some third-party blogs say premium air services use 4000. I did not find that on a courier's own page, and some blogs name 4000 for couriers whose own page says 5000. Treat 4000 as a possibility to check, not a rule. Ask your courier, or read the rate card or service guide attached to your contract.
• Other couriers and marketplace logistics. Blue Dart, DTDC, Ekart and marketplace-run networks publish their terms in contracts or seller panels. I could not confirm their divisors from a public page, so do not assume.

If you ship through an aggregator, the divisor shown in its dashboard for your chosen courier is the one that counts.

How is volumetric weight calculated?

Volumetric weight (kg) = length (cm) × breadth (cm) × height (cm) ÷ divisor. Chargeable weight = the higher of volumetric weight and actual weight. Shiprocket's example: a 1 kg flower vase in a 20 × 20 × 20 cm box has volume 8,000, so at 5000 the dimensional weight is 1.6 kg, and the carrier charges 1.6 kg, not 1 kg.

Delhivery's page gives another example: a 60 × 25 × 40 cm box with 6 kg dead weight has volumetric weight 12 kg, so the chargeable weight is 12 kg.

The same box at a divisor of 4000 would be 8,000 ÷ 4,000 = 2.0 kg. That is the arithmetic of the formula. It does not mean any named courier uses 4000.

What are the special cases?

• Small parcels under 1 kg. Delhivery's page says dead weight is used as is when it is under 1 kg, and flyer packs are charged on dead weight up to 1 kg. Other couriers may differ.
• Rounding. Many rate cards bill in slabs such as 0.5 kg. I could not confirm a slab for any courier from a public page, so the slab field is yours to set. The default 0.5 is only an example.
• Measurement. Measure the packed outer box, including any bulge from the contents. Dimensions in listings and in the courier's system should match.
• Marketplace logistics. Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho run their own weight and fee rules for their own networks. Check the fee notice in your seller panel before using this page for marketplace shipments.

How do I cut volumetric weight?

Shrink the largest dimension first, since all three multiply. Use a box sized to the product, ship soft goods in poly mailers where the courier allows, and avoid fixed standard cartons for items of different sizes. A 20 × 20 × 20 cm box at 5000 is 1.6 kg; a 20 × 20 × 15 cm box is 1.2 kg.

When a courier or marketplace re-weighs your parcel and bills more than you booked, see weight discrepancy disputes. To compare couriers before you commit, read best courier for D2C in India. Weight is one cost line among several, so add it to your RTO cost calculator inputs, and see the volumetric weight glossary entry.

FAQ

What is the volumetric weight formula in India? Length × breadth × height in cm, divided by a divisor, gives kg. Delhivery's help page uses 5000 for surface and express. Shiprocket's blog also uses 5000 and notes it varies by carrier.

Is the air divisor 4000? Not confirmed. Some blogs say so, but I could not find it on a courier's own public page, and Delhivery's page gives 5000 for express. Ask your courier for the divisor in writing, or check your rate card, before you price any air shipment.

Which weight do couriers charge, actual or volumetric? The higher of the two. Delhivery states chargeable weight is max(dead weight, L × B × H ÷ 5000) for surface and express when dead weight is over 1 kg.

Do I enter weight with or without packaging? With packaging. Dead weight is the weight of the sealed parcel as handed to the courier. Weighing a product alone is a common reason a parcel is re-weighed and billed higher.

Does this calculator give the shipping price? Only if you enter a rate from your own rate card. Rates depend on courier, zone and contract, and I do not quote any. The weight result is the useful part.

Why is my chargeable weight different from what the courier shows? The courier may use a different divisor, round to slabs, or have measured the box differently. Ask for the dimensions and divisor they used. Slab rounding is a field in the calculator for this reason.

What to do next

Measure your five best-selling packs, run them through the calculator, and see whether volumetric weight beats actual weight on any of them. If catalogue dimensions and weights are wrong across marketplaces, Blooprint's Amazon account management team can audit and correct them.