When it comes to parcel delivery for your business, shipping looks simple on the surface. Just pay for postage, send the parcel, and you’re done, right?

The reality is a little bit more complicated than that however.

Aside from the top level delivery cost, there are a range of other fees and additional charges that businesses may not be aware of. We’ve taken a look into some of the most common hidden costs that pop up when shipping parcels, the impact they can have on your delivery, and how to avoid them.

1. Volumetric Weight Charges

Volumetric weight charges are added when parcels take up more space than their declared weight would suggest. That’s because couriers are concerned with not only the weight of the goods being shipped, but by how much space they take up too.

For example, if you ran a business selling bedding and wanted to ship a parcel full of pillows (relatively light but bulky items), then your 2kg parcel might be billed as 15kg+ instead.You can work out the volumetric weight of your package by using a formula (length × width × height ÷ a set divisor) and comparing it to the actual weight of your parcel. Whichever number is height (volume or weight) is what the courier will charge you.

To avoid this, try using tighter packaging to reduce the empty space inside a box, and make sure that you’re measuring parcels accurately.

If you’re unsure about how to work out volumetric weight then it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so consider speaking with a member of our customer service team.

2. Accessorial Charges

These fees are added on by couriers when a service sits outside of their standard offering. This can include, for example, things like weekend or out of hours deliveries, items that need special handling (oversized parcels), or residential delivery fees (as opposed to delivering to a business address).

While couriers don’t hide these fees on purpose, these are often only applied after an item has been shipped, and in many cases can only be found in the terms and conditions or fine print of contracts.

An additional £10 here or there might not seem like a big deal, but costs can quickly add up if you’re shipping multiple parcels regularly. That’s why it’s really important to double check the courier’s terms and conditions before booking a parcel delivery.

In addition, booking via ParcelBroker means that common surcharges are often bundled into a single price to give you a true overview of costs before shipping.

3. Fuel and Remote Area Surcharges

Couriers often face operating costs that are fluctuating including fuel prices. To combat these rising prices, couriers will often apply fuel surcharges to deliveries that are reviewed and updated regularly (as often as every week).

Similarly, deliveries to remote or hard-to-reach postcodes such as the Scottish Highlands, islands, or extremely rural areas often require extra time, distance, and fuel in order to complete. These additional costs are passed on by couriers in the form of remote area surcharges.

There is no way to avoid additional surcharges like these, but you can minimise the impact that they have on your business. If you currently offer nationwide shipping at a flat rate, adding delivery zones that increase the cost for those more rural areas is a good place to start.

Booking via ParcelBroker means that you’ll be able to see fuel and remote area surcharges up front as opposed to after delivery. This additional level of transparency can help you to budget accurately and means that customers aren’t surprised with unexpected fees later in the process.

At ParcelBroker, our goal is to make parcel deliveries as simple as possible. Our dedicated team can help you to save up to 60% on your shipping costs and - as the highest rated comparison site on Trustpilot - you can be sure you’re in safe hands.