--- title: "Canada parcel cost calculator in kg and cm | AumnI tools" description: "Get the billable weight of a Canadian parcel in kg and cm, compare services using rates you type in dollars, add insurance and estimate duty and 5% GST on imports." url: https://aumnitools.com/ca/tool/shipping-cost-calculator category: "Lifestyle" country: "Canada" updated: 2026-11-08 --- # Shipping Cost Calculator Canadian couriers charge for the larger of a parcel's scale weight and its volumetric weight, and the page opens in kilograms and centimetres to match. Type in the rates you were quoted in dollars, set divisor 5000 or another, and add an import duty and GST estimate if the parcel crosses the border. ## Canada rules and figures - GST is 5% across Canada, per the CRA's GST/HST rate page. HST provinces charge 13% to 15% in total, which includes the federal 5%. - The customs tab fills its single tax box with 5, which is federal GST alone. Provincial taxes that may also apply at the border are not modelled. - Parcels in the Canadian settings are measured in kilograms and centimetres, so the calculator opens in metric at divisor 5000. - Threshold, duty rate and goods value are example entries, not figures from the CRA or the Canada Border Services Agency. Sources: [CRA: GST/HST calculator (and rates)](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/charge-collect-which-rate/calculator.html) (checked 2026-11-08) ## How the shipping cost calculator works A box's volume divided by the divisor is its volumetric weight in kilograms. Whichever is greater, that or the scale weight, becomes the billable weight, and each service prices it per kilogram with a fee per parcel and a surcharge percentage. Formula: `volumetric kg = L × W × H ÷ divisor; billable = max(actual, volumetric); price = (billable × rate + fee × parcels) × (1 + surcharge %) + insurance` - Centimetres and kilograms are selected first, with divisors 5000, 6000 and 4000 on offer. Divisor 5000 is the start. - Economy, Standard and Express at $2.20, $3.40 and $7.80 a kilogram are only examples. They are not Canada Post, Purolator or any other carrier's figures. - Billable weight is exact, with no rounding up to a carrier's next band and no zone or remote-community loadings. - Length plus girth appears on each parcel card, flagged over 330 cm, and never changes a quote. - The tax box on the customs tab starts at 5 for federal GST. Provincial taxes are left out, and the tax is applied to goods, the cheapest shipping and duty when the value is over your threshold. ## How to use the shipping cost calculator 1. **Check the units and divisor.** Metric units and divisor 5000 are preselected. Choose a different divisor if your carrier states one. 2. **Describe the parcel.** Give each box's length, width, height and weight, and a count for identical boxes. 3. **Type in the rates you were quoted.** Replace the example services with the rate per kilogram, parcel fee and surcharge you were quoted. 4. **Add cover for the goods.** Switch on insurance, then type a percentage and the declared value. 5. **Estimate import charges.** For a parcel coming from outside Canada, turn on the border switch and enter goods value, threshold and duty rate. The GST box already reads 5. 6. **Copy or export the quote.** Copy sends a brief quote to the clipboard. Export downloads a CSV listing each parcel and each service. ## Example: A heavy carton: 9 kg in 55 × 40 × 35 cm Multiplying the sides gives 77,000 cm³, which divisor 5000 turns into 15.40 kg of volumetric weight. The scale shows only 9.00 kg, so the courier charges for 15.40 kg. The example rows price this at $42.99 for Economy, $66.53 for Standard and $155.90 for Express. Take goods worth $250 and a typed threshold of $150: duty at 6% is $15.00, 5% GST on $307.99 is $15.40, and Economy gives a landed cost of $323.38. ## When to use the shipping cost calculator - **Finding out if the box is too big.** A volumetric weight above scale weight is flagged on the card with the number of kilograms of air. - **Lining up carrier quotes.** Add one row per quote and read them cheapest first with a per-kilogram cost. - **Estimating a cross-border purchase.** Enter goods value and duty, with 5 as GST, to see what arrival may cost. - **Multi-parcel shipments.** Use a card for each size and the counts feed one combined billable weight. ## What the shipping cost calculator does not do - Prices are typed examples. The tool does not call any courier and knows no real rates. - Zones, remote surcharges and weight tiers are outside its scope. - Insurance is a percentage of the declared value, added once to each service. - Provincial taxes are not added to the import estimate, and a single duty rate covers the whole parcel. - Brokerage fees from the carrier are not included in the landed cost. - The tool shows one currency symbol and converts nothing. ## When something else is a better fit - **When you need a rate you can book**, use the carrier's own quote tool, then enter its numbers here. - **When you need to convert sizes between units**, use the [Unit Converter](https://aumnitools.com/tool/unit-converter.md). ## Questions about the shipping cost calculator ### Why does a 9 kg box bill as 15.40 kg? Its 77,000 cm³ volume divided by 5000 gives 15.40 kg, which is more than the scale reading, so the larger figure is used. ### How much does the divisor matter? Divisor 4000 gives 19.25 kg for this carton, 5000 gives 15.40 kg and 6000 gives 12.83 kg. Use whichever your carrier's terms name. ### Are these courier prices? They are not. The three services are illustrative rows that you replace with your own quotes. ### Which GST rate is used for imports? The box starts at 5, federal GST. Provincial tax is not modelled here, so add it yourself if it applies. ### When does the tool charge duty? Only when the goods value is above the threshold you typed. At the threshold or below, duty and GST both show nothing. ## Related tools - [Unit Converter](https://aumnitools.com/tool/unit-converter.md): Converts 102 units in 11 categories, with temperature offsets and 0 to 12 decimals - [Invoice Generator](https://aumnitools.com/tool/invoice-generator.md): Build an invoice with line items, tax and discount, then export it as a PDF file. - [Profit Margin Calculator](https://aumnitools.com/tool/profit-margin-calculator.md): Calculates gross, operating and net profit margins and markup from revenue and costs ## About this page Runs in your browser: what you enter is processed on this device and is not uploaded. Last checked against the tool's code on 2026-11-08. Interactive version: https://aumnitools.com/ca/tool/shipping-cost-calculator