Extra costs

Thanks to this article, you'll learn how to avoid extra costs applied by carriers to your contracts and the contracts provided by isendu

Carriers apply surcharges to your invoice if the package shipped does not meet the criterialaid out in their shipping policies.

However, you can take a number of actions to avoid having to pay unwanted surchargeswhen it comes time to pay the bill.

At one point or anther, anyone who owns an e-commerce has received an unexpected or unwanted additional shipping expense on the invoice.

Extra costs are an unpleasant and sometimes unavoidable aspect of shipping, but by carefully studying each carrier's shipping conditions, you can learn how to prevent them in most cases.

Each carrier will establish their own conditions that allow them to charge a surcharge on each shipment, but some of the most common surcharges include:

• • Errors in declaring the weight and/or dimensions of a package

• • It does not fall within the minimum or maximum dimensions
  • The shape of the package cannot be processed automatically (such as tubes, L-shaped boxes, boxed glued together, etc.)
  • The package has a "fragile" or "breakable" sticker on it to imply extra caution or handling is required

• • The delivery address is incorrect or incomplete
  • The package goes into storage then must be released
  • The address is in a non-residential, remote or rural area
  • The label is illegible or needs to be relabelled due to incorrect address or data
  • Delivery times fall within the peak season (Christmas period)
  • The package is returned to the sender due to inability to delivery

Now let's explore a few strategies to try to avoid having extra costs and surcharges added to the invoice. 

Tip 1: Make sure to weigh and measure each package correctly

Errors in the size or weight of a package constitute the most common reason for extra costs.

It's always recommended to carefully weight your packages and round up to avoid incurring re-weighing.

The weight communicated must include both the goods shipped and the package itself.

Tip 2: Pack the product properly

Packing your product for shipping refers to much more than accurately weighing and measuring the box; you should also make sure the box isn't in an odd shape (think cylindrical boxes or multiple boxes stuck together) because it will eventually have to fit and travel up an automatic processing belt when it reaches the sorting area.

If a package doesn't fit or travel effectively on the belt, it will be removed for manual sorting, which results in a surcharge.

Make sure to use sturdy packing materials, that the contents of the box don't leak or slide around, and that you don't ship restricted products.

Tip 3: Address and position the label correctly

One of the benefits of isendu is that the platform will detect any missing address information.

If a detail is missing, such as your post code, you'll need to correct the problem before you'll be able to print your label.

Don't forget to stick the label horizontally on the longer side of the package so the barcode can be picked up correctly by the automatic barcode scanners.

Tip 4: Select the correct shipping method

You may receive a surcharge for using the wrong shipping method to deliver your package.

Tip 5: Surcharges for return to sender

If a package is refused by a customer, is not collected from a delivery point on time, or cannot be delivered due to a missing or incorrect address, you will be responsible for paying the return fee when the package is sent back to the sender's address.

This is one of the hardest supplements to avoid, but you can install a plug-in suitable for your online store to avoid missing or incorrect address data.

Tip 6: Use isendu's pricing calculator to determine the best shipping method

When you use isendu, you can see a range of routes and rates available to ship your package depending on the size, weight and destination country of the items in each shipment.

This serves as a guide to help you determine the fees for each label, but it also helps you choose the  most suitable shipping method based on the size/weight of the package you are shipping.

Tip 7: Review each carrier's shipping rules to avoid volumetric weight surcharges.

Most carriers charge a surcharge if the shipment exceeds the permitted volumetric weight.

Therefore, to avoid receiving a surprised surcharge, you should always carefully check each individual shipping condition for your chosen carrier before packing and labeling your orders.

 

Happy shipping!