Overview
The units of weight and dimensions being used in ShipperHQ and on your eCommerce platform are a key factor in ensuring the rates generated by ShipperHQ are as accurate as possible.
Setting ShipperHQ Weight and Volume Units
The Unit of Weight and Unit of Volume (dimensions) that you’ll use across your ShipperHQ configuration is set in your ShipperHQ account under My Account > Global Settings. ShipperHQ supports configuration in pounds (Lbs) or kilograms (Kgs) for weight and inches, feet, yards, centimeters, or meters for volume/dimensions.
The units set here will be used in different elements of your ShipperHQ configuration including Filters, Live Rate and Table Rate Carriers, Dimensional Boxes, and more.
Units of Weight and Dimension and eCommerce platforms
The best practice is to use the same units of weight and volume in your ShipperHQ account as you use in your eCommerce platform. For example, if products in your eCommerce platform are configured in pounds and inches you’ll want to set your ShipperHQ Weight Unit to pounds and Volume Unit to inches. Using the same units helps avoid confusion and mistakes when configuring ShipperHQ.
With our Shopify and BigCommerce apps, it is possible to configure your ShipperHQ account with different units of weight and volume than your website. Both of these platforms indicate the units of weight and volume used when they request shipping rates from ShipperHQ and we will convert these units to the units set in your ShipperHQ account for processing. However, be aware that conversions may introduce slight differences which may make it more challenging to configure things like weight-based filters.
For other platforms, they do not indicate the units of weight and volume used on the website so for those you will need to use the same units on your eCommerce platform and ShipperHQ account.
Units of Weight and Dimension and Carriers
Some carriers require that ShipperHQ sends shipping rate requests using specific units of weight. For certain carriers this is always the same units but for others it may be depended on the country in which your account is based.
Carriers with Conversion Support
For these carriers, ShipperHQ can convert from your ShipperHQ account units to the units required by the carrier. For carriers which always require the same units, this is done automatically. For carriers which use different units by account the units to use are configured in Account Settings on the Basic tab or on the Optional tab on the Carrier.
- UPS
- FedEx including SmartPost and Hold At Location.
- DHL Express
- DHL Ecommerce
- DHL Express via ILS
- Puroloator
- Sendle
- Star Track
- TForce Freight
- UPS Ground with Freight pricing
- Australia Post
- Global Trans Freight (Under optional tab)
- Keystone Freight (Under optional tab)
- Blue Grace Freight (Under optional tab)
- Transplace Freight (Under optional tab)