Understanding why shipping costs what it costs

A shipping price is built from four things: the parcel's weight, its size, how far it travels and how fast it must arrive. Size often matters more than weight — a large light parcel can cost more to move than a small heavy one, which is why furniture and lamps carry surprising delivery fees.

Speed is the part you control most directly. Standard delivery is priced on batches moving together; express is priced on your parcel getting special treatment. If the delivery date is not actually important to you, the standard option is usually the better spend.

Watch how shipping combines across items. Many sellers bundle several products into one parcel, so ordering two things together can cost less in delivery than two separate orders. Check whether the checkout shows a combined rate before placing split orders.

If a delivery fee looks far beyond what the item could reasonably cost to post, compare the same item from another seller before assuming the product price is the good part of the deal. Some listings are priced low and recovered through delivery, and the delivered total is the only number that is real.