How Surprise Carrier Fees Can Add to Your Shipping Costs

Shipping packages can sometimes cost more than expected. Let’s learn how to avoid surprise fees that can increase your shipping expenses by up to 25%.

Why Do Extra Fees Happen?

Sometimes, shipping companies add extra charges after you’ve paid for a shipping label. These charges can come from:

• Changing Surcharges: Fees like fuel costs or delivering to remote areas can change quickly.
• Incorrect Package Details: If the weight or size of your package is wrong, you might be charged more.

Common Extra Charges

Here are some common reasons you might see extra fees:

• Fuel Surcharges: These can change daily and are hard to predict.
• Remote Area Delivery: Delivering to out-of-the-way places can cost more.
• Wrong Address: If the delivery address is incorrect, you might pay an extra fee.

How to Avoid Extra Fees

To keep your shipping costs under control, try these tips:

1. Ship Packages Quickly: Send out packages soon after printing the shipping label to avoid changing surcharges.
2. Check Addresses: Make sure the delivery address is correct to avoid address correction fees. Using address validation tools can help prevent costly corrections.
3. Use Accurate Package Details: Measure and weigh your packages carefully. Carriers often charge extra for packages with incorrect weight or dimensions.

How String Can Help

Managing all these details can be tough. That’s where String comes in. String integrates with ShipStation to improve features like rate shopping. It helps automate packing and ensures accurate package details, saving you time and money.

For more tips on saving money on shipping, check out our blog post on Easy Tips for Your Business.

By following these steps and using tools like String, you can avoid surprise fees and keep your shipping costs low.

Stop Leaving Money on the Table — Let String Handle It

Understanding cubic pricing is one thing. Actuallycapturing those savings on every single shipment is another.

The pitfalls are real: wrong box dimensions, inaccurate weights, automation rules that misfire, and adjustments that quietly eat into your margins. Even platforms that claim to handle cubic pricing automatically can leave money on the table if your package data isn't dialed in.

That's exactly what String was built to solve. String automatically selects the right package size for each order and then compares cubic and standard rates side by side — so you always ship at the lowest possible cost, every time, without any manual guesswork.

No spreadsheets. No second-guessing. Just optimized rates on autopilot.

If you're shipping dense, small-to-mid-sized products and you're not 100% confident you're capturing cubic savings on every label, it's worth a conversation.

Click here to book a free shipping audit

We'll take a look at your current setup and show you exactly how much you could be saving.