Estimating Shipping for Multiple Items

[Former_Member]

How do all of you calculate a shipping price for multiple items? I've gotten pretty good at pricing per item. I pack it, weigh it and check USPS and get a relatively accurate price. When it comes to the "with another item" price, I am always a bit off. My problem is that my items can be very different weights and very different sizes. I never know which items will be purchased together ahead of time. Also, because my items are fragile I have to add a lot of packing material, which can lead to having to use large boxes. I was just wondering how you guys calculate shipping for multiple orders. Thanks for any advice!

[kzannoart]

It's tricky..maybe use the flat rate shipping box, medium size, as it gets bigger. I know it is $12.35 so make the add on amount equal the difference. I would say estimate higher and you can always send a refund.

[Former_Member]

I simply look at the weight of the item being sold and determine how much extra it will cost to add that item to a package.

For example, if I'm selling an item that weighs 3 oz then the additional cost to add 3 oz to a package within the USA is about $1.25 including packaging materials. So that's what I use.

On some items I don't have a reduced rate for another item generally because its something that cannot easily be combined. For example if something is shipped in a flat rate box and takes the entire space, there isn't any way that I can combine shipping on that item

A lot of it is trial and error as well.

[PrairiePrimitives]

If you're not sure that you can ship multiple items together, just use the same postage amount in each field, and refund any overpayment, if it comes to that.