Understanding the consequences of the packaging option settings in Eniture's parcel quoting apps.
Parcel shipping providers like FedEx and UPS charge for shipping based on billable weight. Billable weight is defined as the greater of the actual weight or the dimensional weight. If you're unfamiliar with the concept of "dimensional weight" please read the following document:
Generally, Eniture's parcel quoting solutions have several options that a merchant can choose from. The purpose of this document is to describe the choices and their implications.
Package rating method when Standard Box Sizes isn't in use...
Quote each item as shipping as its own package
Each item in the Cart will be quoted as shipping as its own package when enabled. The rate tables of the parcel shipping providers assign a higher price per pound the lighter the weight of a package. When this setting is chosen, the cost per pound is at its highest, and therefore the quoted price for shipping will be higher than other options.
Combine the weight of all items without dimensions and quote them as one package while quoting each item with dimensions as shipping as its own package.
You can have all the items in the Cart quoted as if they are in one package rated solely by the total weight by choosing this option and not entering the dimensions for your products. When this setting is chosen, shipping rate estimates will tend to be lower than the actual charges for the shipment.
An item with dimensions will continue to be quoted as if it were shipping as its own package.
Use the default Eniture packaging algorithm.
You may or may not have access to this setting, depending on the application's version date and install date. If it is available to you, the plugin uses a modified volume calculation to approximate a virtual box for the contents of the Cart. It can help determine if the billable weight of the shipment will be based on dimensional or actual weight. The Standard Box Sizes feature is more accurate, but this option can be an acceptable alternative in some cases.
Standard Box Sizes
The Standard Box Sizes feature allows you to identify the sizes of the boxes you inventory for shipping. The packaging algorithm will identify the box(es) most suitable for the shipment. The total weight and dimensions of each box is provided to the shipping provider so that penny-accurate shipping quotes are returned.
The Standard Box Sizes feature is the best way to get accurate shipping quotes presented to your online shoppers.