Handmade shipping / postage estimate
Paste the postage cost from your carrier quote, what you charge the customer and any handling fee, and the calculator shows whether shipping makes or loses money on the order, with a plain suggestion if it's eating your margin. It doesn't look up carrier rates, so the quote comes from you.
Defaults on this page: postage $4.50, shipping charged $6.00, handling $0. Charged minus postage is $1.50 left on shipping. This page does not look up carrier rates.
- Uses the postage quote you paste in
Postage cost vs what you charge
From your carrier quote or the label you bought.
What you put on the listing or order for shipping.
Packing time or materials you add on top of postage.
For your notes only. It isn't used to look anything up.
Matches how you weighed the parcel.
With width and height: cubic-inch note only.
- Postage cost
- —
- What the label costs you
- Charged (ship + handling)
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- What the customer pays for shipping
- Net on shipping
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- Charged minus postage
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Box note: —
This tool has no connection to USPS, UPS or any other carrier. Get a quote from your carrier, paste the number, and decide whether your shipping price covers it.
How to use it
- Weigh and measure the packed order (optional fields help you remember).
- Get a postage quote from your carrier or shipping dashboard.
- Enter that cost, what you charge, and any handling fee.
- If net is negative, shipping is eating your margin. Raise the shipping price, or decide the subsidy is worth it.
Questions
Does this look up USPS or other live rates?
No. You paste the postage cost from your own carrier quote or dashboard. Live rate lookups go stale and differ by account; this tool only does the money math on numbers you already have.
What are length, width and height for?
An optional cubic-inch note (and a rough dimensional-weight hint). Carriers may bill by dimensional weight; this page does not quote them. Measure the box if you want that context.
Weight is in ounces or pounds?
Either. Pick the unit next to the weight field. Weight is for your own notes; the take-home math uses postage cost and what you charge.
What if I charge less than postage?
The calculator says so in plain words: that difference comes out of your product margin. Raise shipping, add a small handling fee, or accept that you are subsidising delivery.
Is this connected to Etsy fees?
Shipping is one piece. For fees on the whole order, use the free Etsy fees vs take-home calculator. For stock and profit after fees, use the free inventory sheet.
Updated