Parcel weight price chart: 12 countries add nothing at 5 kg

If your shop sells combinations of products, a second item can move the packed order into a different shipping band. The cost of that change is not the same everywhere. A single European surcharge per extra kilogram hides both flat stretches and sharp increases. This chart shows the observed changes, so you can see where your own order weights deserve closer checking.

Where does the price rise between the measured weights? #

We retrieved the domestic 2 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg columns from the AirPost European rate index on 19 October 2026. The chart sorts countries by the absolute 2–10 kg increase. Each figure is the minimum indexed standard carrier price at that weight; the service producing the minimum may change between observations.

Half the countries have no observed carrier-price rise between the first two points. The full 2–10 kg curve is flat in Estonia, Finland, Croatia and Czechia. That is four measured price coincidences, not a promise that any larger box or every service can travel for the same amount. An eligible 10 kg parcel still needs a suitable service and dimensions.

The largest total increase is Norway’s €7.81, entirely between 5 kg and 10 kg in this snapshot. France rises €2.23 at the first interval and another €3.47 at the second. Those separate increments matter more to a product-bundle decision than simply knowing that France’s 10 kg price is €10.25.

Which weight interval should your webshop pay attention to? #

Start with the interval containing your packed orders. The United Kingdom moves from €2.97 at 2 kg to €6.28 at 5 kg, a €3.31 increase. Its next measured increase is only €0.70. Norway has no increase between 2 kg and 5 kg, then rises from €8.01 to €15.82. A blanket rule that heavier orders always add cost at the same pace would misread both.

Germany illustrates a different pattern: €4.70 at both 2 kg and 5 kg, then €7.20 at 10 kg. In the Netherlands the first increase is €1.40, while the 5 kg and 10 kg points are both €6.05. Those contrasting curves can change which product combinations need a fresh quote, even if the underlying items are sold at the same prices.

The points do not tell you what happens at 2.1 kg, 3 kg or 5.1 kg. A rise somewhere between two observations is not proof that it occurs immediately above the lower observation. To set a checkout boundary, quote the actual packed weights around the service’s real thresholds. Do not draw a smooth line through three prices and sell the interpolated amounts as tariffs.

Can a lighter order still be billed as a heavier parcel? #

Yes. UPS explains that billable weight is the greater of actual and dimensional weight. For the UK guidance consulted here, its dimensional calculation uses the parcel’s cubic centimetres divided by 5,000, with rounding instructions. That is a specific carrier rule to check, not a formula attributed to every service in the AirPost table.

The same UPS page says actual package weight is rounded up to the next half kilogram. It also requires measurements of an irregular parcel to use its extreme points as if enclosed in a rectangular box. A product’s unboxed weight therefore cannot establish the shipping charge. Include its outer packaging and measure the finished parcel.

You do not need to memorise a different formula for every logo to use this study. Keep the observed country increases as a screening tool, then verify the exact service rules for the short list. Our guide to volumetric weight in Europe explains why dimensions can invalidate a weight-only comparison.

Why should you avoid calling the last columns carrier surcharges? #

They are differences between minimum prices, not a carrier’s published surcharge lines. The cheapest eligible service at 10 kg could differ from the one at 2 kg. A €0.00 increase can therefore reflect the way competing services form the minimum-price curve. This index alone cannot identify whether one carrier held its tariff flat or another became cheaper.

That distinction changes how you explain the result internally. Write that the indexed minimum rises by an amount, not that a named carrier charges that amount for extra weight. The chart does not identify the winning carrier at each point. It also does not keep home delivery, collection arrangements or delivery time constant across the minimum-price services.

La Poste’s official weight page separately distinguishes deposit and delivery arrangements for its Colissimo and Chronopost products. It is useful evidence that weight is only one service attribute. We have not imported its public counter prices into this chart: mixing those prices with AirPost’s indexed minima would change the comparison being made.

What happens when platform and preparation are included? #

Take a UK domestic order that fits the small-parcel format at 2 kg. Its measured carrier price is €2.97. Add €0.85 platform cost and the recommended small-parcel preparation amount of €2.25: the illustrative total becomes €6.07. Packaging and any cost of getting stock to the sender remain separate.

At the 10 kg point, assume the parcel fits the medium format and use its recommended preparation amount of €3.00. The carrier label is €6.98, making the same calculation €10.83. The full illustrative increase is €4.76, exceeding the €4.01 carrier-only increase because preparation also changes.

These are format-dependent assumptions, not automatic preparation prices based solely on weight. A bulky light item can need a larger format, and a sender can agree a different fee. In a flat-price country, the carrier component might stay unchanged while preparation or packaging rises. Keep those components visible before telling your team that adding products is free.

Should you make heavier bundles where the chart is flat? #

Only when the whole order works. A flat observed label price can make a compatible bundle worth quoting, but it does not tell you the extra packaging cost or whether the products can be packed safely together. Check the final box, contents and customer’s chosen reception method. Do not add unnecessary weight just to obtain a lower apparent cost per kilogram.

Price per kilogram also answers a different question from price per order. A 10 kg parcel can have a lower unit-weight price while costing more in total. Your shop pays the total shipment charge, so use that number when assessing order margin. Unit-weight comparisons can help describe a tariff; they cannot replace the actual parcel budget.

The Commission’s public parcel calculator has its own scope, below 5 kg and excluding VAT. It cannot validate the 10 kg rows in this study. Use it for the product range it actually covers, and obtain a matching quote for heavier parcels. A source being official does not mean it answers every weight question.

How can you turn three observations into useful shipping rules? #

1. 1

   Measure finished order combinations

   Weigh the products with the box, inserts and protective material. Record dimensions as well as scale weight.

2. 2

   Identify the relevant interval

   Use the chart to find whether your common baskets sit near a potentially material price change. Treat unmeasured weights as unknown.

3. 3

   Quote around actual service limits

   Check the same reception requirement at the precise packed weights and sizes. Record any service change when the minimum price changes.

4. 4

   Reconcile the full amount

   Add the agreed sender fee, platform component and materials. Compare against the order margin after actual dispatch.

AirPost’s local fulfilment arrangement lets a shop place products with a sender near its customers, who prepares orders and hands them to the carrier. This chart helps you discuss the parcel choices with that sender. It does not remove the need to agree packaging or to check which service accepts the finished box.