Reference · Last reviewed 24 August 2026
Every carrier divisor, with a receipt.
Most divisor tables copy each other and none of them say where the number came from or when anyone last looked. Every figure below is taken from the carrier's own published guidance, linked, and dated. Where a carrier doesn't publish something, this page says so instead of guessing.
Verified divisors
The divisor converts volume to a weight. Chargeable weight is whichever is greater — the dimensional weight or the actual scale weight.
| Carrier & scope | Divisor | Units | Dimension rounding | Result rounding | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPSUS Daily Rates | 139 | in / lb | Up, to next whole inch | Up, to next whole pound | Rate & Service Guide | 2026-08-24 |
| UPSInternational | 5,000 | cm / kg | To nearest whole cm | Up, to next half kg | Shipping dimensions | 2026-08-24 |
| FedExUS, Puerto Rico & intl | 139 | in / lb | To nearest whole inch | Not published | What is dim weight | 2026-08-24 |
| FedExMetric | 5,000 | cm / kg | Up, to next whole cm | Not published | FedEx FAQ | 2026-08-24 |
| DHL ExpressInternational | 5,000 | cm / kg | Not published | Not published | Volumetric weight | 2026-08-24 |
| DPDUK | 5,000 | cm / kg | Not published | Not published | DPD FAQ | 2026-08-24 |
Carriers that don't use volumetric weight
Two names people expect on a list like this, and why they aren't on it.
Royal Mail
No volumetric weight for UK domestic post. Pricing runs on fixed format categories — Letter, Large Letter, Small Parcel, Medium Parcel — and actual weight. A bulky light box costs the same as a dense one in the same format band. International items routed by air can fall under airline volumetric rules, which is a separate calculation from the courier divisors above.
Evri
Prices UK domestic parcels on weight and size band, not a published volumetric divisor. Evri does apply volumetric weight to some international destinations, but doesn't publish the divisor where the couriers above do. Third-party tables circulate a figure of 4,000 for Evri; that couldn't be confirmed against Evri's own guidance, so no number is given here. Get one from your account quote.
Figures deliberately left out
Numbers that appear on other cheat sheets but couldn't be confirmed on the carrier's own pages. Listing them unverified would defeat the point of this page.
UPS Retail Rates. Commonly quoted as 166 for walk-in counter shipments, as distinct from the Daily Rates figure of 139. UPS's own Daily Rates guide documents 139; the retail figure couldn't be confirmed from UPS directly.
Air cargo / IATA. A 6,000 cm³/kg divisor is standard in air freight and differs from express parcel divisors. That's a different pricing regime from the parcel services above and isn't covered here.
Common questions
What is a DIM divisor?
A number the carrier sets to convert a package's volume into a weight. Multiply length by width by height, divide by the divisor, and you get the dimensional weight. A lower divisor produces a higher dimensional weight, so it costs the shipper more.
How is billable shipping weight calculated?
Carriers compare the dimensional weight against the actual weight on the scale and bill whichever is greater. That figure is the billable, or chargeable, weight.
Why does the same box cost different amounts with different carriers?
Two reasons. The divisors differ, and the rounding rules differ. Rounding is the one people miss: a fractional dimension rounded up before the multiplication can add a pound or more to the billed weight before the divisor is even applied.
Can I negotiate a different divisor?
High-volume accounts sometimes negotiate a higher divisor, which lowers dimensional weight. A negotiated contract figure overrides anything published, so your rate agreement is the final word — not this table.
How often do these change?
Divisors are stable for years at a time, then move without much warning. Rounding rules have changed more recently than the divisors themselves. This page is rechecked quarterly and every row carries the date it was last verified.
Run your own numbers
The calculator applies each carrier's divisor and rounding rules exactly as they're documented above, and shows the largest box that still bills on actual weight.
Open the calculator