Package weights and how they work

On this manual page, you will find out which parcel weights are available and how you can customise them.

We distinguish between the item weight, the individual weight (the weight of the packaging, e.g. the box), the weight adjustment (e.g. an increase in weight due to additional packaging material or a reduction in weight) and the resulting total weight.

Table 1. Package weights
Name	Explanation	Customisable
Item weight	Weight of the item excluding packaging	The item weight is maintained in the item UI.
Individual weight	Enter the weight of the packaging (e.g. carton, box).	The packaging weight can only be changed in the package settings.
Weight adjustment	Any weight added during packing (e.g. additional packaging material)	Additional weight can be added in the shipping centre and in the package content list. You can also enter negative values. This allows you to reduce the weight if necessary.
Total weight	Total of all weights: item, packaging and, where applicable, packaging materials

Item weights continue to be maintained for the relevant variations and are only applied to the packages when a new package is created or when a recalculation is performed due to changes made to the package.

Any changes will only become visible once you have saved them.

If you change the weight of the shipping packages (such as the standard package), this change will only apply to new packages when calculating costs. The modified value may already be present in existing packages, but it will only be applied to the calculation once the shipping package has been updated.
In general, we recommend that you do not change the weight of shipping packages, as this may inadvertently affect existing parcels; instead, if necessary, change the total weight or use the weight adjustment (increase or decrease) accordingly.

1. Adjusting the package weight

Sometimes the weight of a package needs to be adjusted, for example if additional packaging material is added or if the item turns out to fit into a smaller box than originally thought.
In the following examples, we will show you how to make these adjustments.
To this end, we start with the following initial calculation:

Table 2. Initial calculation
Weight	Value
Item weight (5 items, 250 g each)	1.25 kg
Individual weight (standard package 200 g)	0.2 kg
Additional weight (packaging material, 100 g)	0.1 kg
Total weight	1.55 kg

For example, the “Standard package” is included in the system as standard. Depending on your specific requirements, further items can be added and customised under Setup » Orders » Shipping » Shipping packages.

1.1. Example 1: Changing the shipping package

The items have been packed into a smaller package than was previously specified in the shipping profile. → The individual weight must be adjusted.

Table 3. Changed individual weight
Weight	Value
Item weight (5 items, 250 g each)	1.25 kg
Individual weight (Kleinpaket 100 g)	0.1 kg
Additional weight (packaging material, 100 g)	0.1 kg
Total weight	1.45 kg

You can create a new shipping package with the desired weight in the Setup » Orders » Shipping » Shipping packages menu.

1.2. Example 2: Changing the shipping package, but the item weight is also adjusted

When checking the weight of the item, it was noticed that it is now lower.

Table 4. Changing the individual weight and item weight
Weight	Value
Item weight (5 items, 200 g each)	1.0 kg
Individual weight (Kleinpaket 100 g)	0.1 kg
Additional weight (packaging material, 100 g)	0.1 kg
Total weight	1.2 kg

Once the updated weight has been saved for the item, the total weight is adjusted accordingly.

1.3. Example 3: Increasing the total weight

To ensure the items are packed securely, more packaging material is added.
Based on the initial calculation, the new calculation looks like this:

Table 5. Increased additional weight
Weight	Value
Item weight (5 items, 250 g each)	1.25 kg
Individual weight (standard package 200 g)	0.2 kg
Additional weight (packaging material, 100 g)	0.55 kg
Total weight	2.0 kg

You can add the weight of any additional packaging materials in the Shipping centre by clicking on the line for the package to which you wish to add additional weight. A pop-up window will then open, allowing you to configure the package.

1.4. Example 4: Reducing the additional weight

The items are sturdy and do not require any packaging material. The additional weight is removed, making the package lighter.

Table 6. No additional weight
Weight	Value
Item weight (5 items, 250 g each)	1.25 kg
Individual weight (standard package 200 g)	0.2 kg
Additional weight (packaging material, 100 g)	0.0 kg
Total weight	1.45 kg

You can reduce the additional weight in the Shipping centre by clicking on the row of the package from which you wish to remove the additional weight. A pop-up window will then open, allowing you to configure the package.

Why have the settings for package weights been changed?

Due to the labelling requirements imposed on shipping service providers for heavy packages, we would like to have the details calculated more accurately using an automated system. It is therefore necessary to be able to take other weights into account in addition to the item weight.
Previously, only the item weight was taken into account as the total weight.

The aim is to reduce the physical strain on delivery staff. From 1 January 2025, weight information (for parcels weighing 10 kg or more and 20 kg or more) must be printed on the labels so that the weight of the parcels can be identified immediately and appropriate measures (such as two-person handling or the use of technical aids) can be taken.