Shipments destined for U.S. addresses may qualify for special pricing with our partner carrier USPS based on their size. This ‘cubic pricing’ is an additional discount that is often applied to heavier packages which have smaller volumes. 

Cubic shipping is a cost-effective option that helps you save with pricing that is not based on weight. Postage costs are determined by the shipment’s cubic dimensions and zone instead. 

How to calculate cubic volume

To calculate the cubic volume of your shipment, please use the following formula:

Cubic feet = (L X W X H) / 1,728

L, W, H in inches (rounded down to the nearest 1/4 or 0.25 inch).

For example, the cubic volume of a shipment with dimensions 6, 5 ¾, 6 ¼ inches would be calculated as below:

(6" x 5-3/4" x 6-1/4")/1728 = 0.125"

  1. Measure your package's outer dimensions
  2. If any of the measurements exceed the nearest quarter inch, round down to the nearest quarter inch (i.e. 4.6 inches would be rounded to 4.5 inches)
  3. Multiply Length x Width x Height and divide by 1728

Does my shipment qualify for a cubic pricing?

To qualify for cubic pricing, the following criteria must be met:

  • Package type must be parcel and dimensions must be provided 
  • Max weight: 20 lbs or less
  • Longest side cannot be greater than 18"
  • Shipments must measure 0.5 cubic foot or less, 1 cubic foot or less for Chit Chats U.S. Edge shipments 
  • The shipment must not be a roll or tube
    Note: If a shipment is a roll or tube and cubic pricing has been applied, a postage adjustment may be applied by our partner carrier to correct the discrepancy.

For thick envelope (SoftPack) package types, there are additional requirements:

  • Packaging must be flexible and fit tight to the contents (e.g. poly mailers, plastic or vinyl envelopes)
  • Dimensions must be provided and taken prior to packaging with the envelope
    • Use the original dimensions of the empty packaging (i.e. envelope) so don't fold it or tape it down to make it smaller
  • The shortest dimension may not exceed 2 inches
  • The sum of the two longest dimensions may not exceed 36 inches

Chit Chats automatically provides you with the cubic pricing for your postage based on the weight and dimensions of your USPS or Chit Chats U.S. Tracked parcels.

Please note, that cubic pricing is also impacted on the zone your shipment is destined to as well as any measurements that are converted to determine the cubic volume. For example if dimensions are provided in centimeters the dimensions are converted to inches to determine the cubic volume.

Cubic pricing is based on cubic volume tiers. Parcels measuring up to: 

  • .10 cubic foot
  • .20 cubic foot
  • .30 cubic foot
  • .40 cubic foot
  • .50 cubic foot
  • .60 cubic foot
  • .70 cubic foot
  • .80 cubic foot
  • .90 cubic foot
  • 1 cubic foot 

For example: If there are two parcels 4 lbs and 15 lbs, each with a cubic volume between 0.30 and 0.4 cubic feet they will both have the same cubic price.