Consolidation Shipping Cost Calculator 2026

How much is 1 kg? Quick reference for Sea Express and Air, 1–20 kg

A parcel of 1 kg actual weight costs about NT$150 by Sea Express (NT$50 shipping + NT$100 delivery fee) and about NT$220 by Air Express (NT$100 + NT$120). The table below assumes the parcel's "actual weight ≥ volumetric weight" (according to the core data below, 71.4% of billing records are of this type) and applies the formulas below directly; amounts are in New Taiwan dollars and include only shipping + delivery fee:

👉 Two patterns: ① when actual weight ≥ volumetric weight, sea express is cheaper than air freight at every weight (1 kg: NT$150 vs NT$220); ② the delivery fee is determined by "actual weight under 10 kg" (NT$100 for sea express, NT$120 for air freight), so an actual weight of 9 kg actually costs more than 10 kg (sea express NT$550 vs NT$500, air freight NT$1,020 vs NT$1,000) — combining boxes to reach 10 kg saves the delivery fee. If the volumetric weight exceeds the actual weight (light, bulky goods), use the calculator above and enter the length, width and height instead.

How is consolidation shipping calculated? The formula and how volumetric weight works

Consolidation shipping cost = chargeable weight × rate + delivery fee. Consolidation shipping is the transport fee for moving an online-shopping parcel from mainland China, via the HowBridge Shenzhen warehouse, to Taiwan and then delivering it to the recipient; it does not include import duties and taxes. Sea Express costs NT$50 per unit: the chargeable weight is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height ÷ 10000), rounded up to a whole kg, and when the actual weight is under 10 kg a NT$100 delivery fee is added; Air Express costs NT$100 per kg on actual weight only, and when the actual weight is under 10 kg a NT$120 delivery fee is added; Sea LCL consolidation starts at NT$25/kg or NT$150 per cubic foot and is quoted by item through customer service.

Differences in shipping cost come from the chargeable weight: Sea Express takes the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight, Air Express counts actual weight only, and Sea LCL consolidation is quoted by item through customer service.

Why calculate volumetric weight?

Because sea express is billed by the "cargo space occupied." A light but bulky down comforter (e.g., 50×60×40 cm — Sea Express volumetric weight = 12 kg, actual weight 3 kg) takes up as much space as a 12 kg block of iron; charging only for its 3 kg actual weight would make carriers lose money. So Sea Express (÷10000) takes the greater of actual and volumetric weight, then rounds up to the nearest whole kilogram. Air is billed directly on actual weight, with dimensions not counted. Sea Freight is quote-based, priced by item through customer service (from NT$25/kg or NT$150/cu ft), with no fixed calculation.

Rate Comparison

• Sea Freight: from NT$25, minimum NT$3,500 per shipment, 7-14 days, same rate for standard and special goods, no delivery fee (quote-based · actual price varies by item, contact customer service for a quote · no fixed calculation)
• Sea Express: NT$50 per unit, 5-10 days, same price for standard and special goods, volume ÷10000, chargeable weight rounded up to a whole kg, and a NT$100 delivery fee when the actual weight is under 10 kg
• Air Express: NT$100 per kg, 3-5 days, same price for standard and special goods, actual weight only (volume not counted), and a NT$120 delivery fee when the actual weight is under 10 kg
• Commercial Sea Express: project quotes for bulk shipments

HowBridge core data (free to cite)

• Share where volumetric weight exceeds actual weight: 28.6% — of 2,921 billing records from 2025-11-10 to 2026-09-30 (all shipping methods), 28.6% had a volumetric weight greater than the actual weight; if such light, bulky goods go by sea express, the chargeable weight is determined by volumetric weight (air freight counts actual weight only) (data verified 2026-10-10, test accounts excluded).
• Median days from billing to signed delivery in Taiwan: 6 days — across 774 billed and signed-for shipments from 2026-08-01 to 2026-09-30 (all shipping methods combined, not the transit time of any single method), from billing in China to signature by the Taiwan carrier: within 7 days 76.9%, within 10 days 96.4%, P90 9 days. Standard transit times for each method are still as shown in the "Rate comparison" above.
• Customs release within 24 hours: 97.8% — of 692 sea express declarations submitted to Customs in the same period, calculated from the event times returned by the Customs-Port-Trade Single Window, 98.6% were released within 48 hours.

Source: HowBridge back-office billing and shipment status records (config/lucky_stats.php, generated 2026-10-10); these are operating statistics of a single company, not official data.

Shipping cost examples: what do 5 common parcels cost?

👉 The pattern: Sea Freight is quote-based (from NT$25, actual price varies by item, contact customer service for a quote, no fixed calculation); Sea Express (÷10000) rounds chargeable weight up to the nearest whole kilogram, and volumetric weight dominates for light, bulky goods; Air is charged on actual weight only, unaffected by dimensions but with the highest unit price.

Shipping several items? Bagging them together shrinks the volume and cuts the freight Work out freight + duties + oversize fees in one go, and compare sea, sea express and air automatically Calculate multi-item freight

3 Common Billing Traps

Beyond shipping, which duties and taxes must you pay on imports?

Shipping is only the cost of transport; total door-to-door cost = shipping + import duties and taxes, and the Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance assesses the import duties and taxes with the following formulas:

• Import duty: dutiable value × the rate listed in the Customs Import Tariff (depends on the item's tariff code; use the import duty and tax estimator below to look it up). The Customs Administration's formula: duty = dutiable value × rate (Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance).
• Trade promotion service fee: dutiable value × 0.04% (four ten-thousandths), waived when the amount is NT$100 or less (Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance; Trade Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs).
• Business tax: (dutiable value + import duty + commodity tax [only if applicable]) × 5%, and the trade promotion service fee is not part of the tax base. Under Article 20 of the Value-Added and Non-Value-Added Business Tax Act: "For imported goods, business tax is calculated at the rate set in Article 10 on the amount of the dutiable value plus import duty." (Laws & Regulations Database of the Republic of China)
• NT$2,000 low-value exemption: when the dutiable value of the same shipment (goods, freight and insurance) is NT$2,000 or less, customs duty and the business tax and commodity tax that Customs collects on behalf of the authorities are waived; once the same taxpayer has had goods released under the exemption more than 6 times in a half-year (January–June, July–December), it no longer applies, except for tobacco, alcohol and agricultural products under tariff-rate quotas (Article 49, paragraph 2 of the Customs Act; Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance explanation). The count already used can be checked on the Customs-Port-Trade Single Window under "Frequent Import Data Inquiry (GB377)" (a digital certificate is required; Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance).
• Import inspection or permit (if required): some goods must go through import inspection or a permit under the competent authority's rules; fees follow the competent authority's rules and the agent's quote.

Duty and tax estimator: Import Duty and Tax Estimate · Tariff code lookup: Look up tariff codes in the Republic of China Customs Import Tariff

To understand the whole consolidation process first, read the Complete Beginner's Guide to Taiwan Consolidation; to compare how different providers charge, see Taiwan Consolidator Comparison and How Consolidation Shipping Is Calculated, and Money-Saving Tips.

Quick glossary: common consolidation shipping terms

Volumetric weight

Weight converted from the parcel's volume: length × width × height (cm) ÷ volumetric divisor. HowBridge Sea Express ÷10000 and Sea LCL consolidation ÷28316 (converted to cubic feet, for reference only); air does not count volume.

Chargeable weight

The weight actually used for charging. Sea express takes the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight and rounds it up to the next whole kg; air freight rounds the actual weight up to the next whole kg.

Delivery fee

The delivery fee within Taiwan. Charged when the actual weight is under 10 kg: Sea Express NT$100, air NT$120 (the same for home delivery and convenience-store pickup), waived at 10 kg or more; Sea LCL consolidation has no fixed delivery fee.

Same rate for general and special goods

Standard goods and some special goods (such as items containing batteries, or cosmetics) use the same shipping rate; please ask customer service first whether items containing batteries or liquids can be shipped.

Dutiable value

The basis on which Customs calculates import duties and taxes, equal to goods price + freight + insurance (CIF). When the dutiable value of the same shipment is NT$2,000 or less, customs duty, business tax and commodity tax are waived, but the exemption no longer applies once the same taxpayer exceeds 6 times in a half-year.

Sea Express

Short for sea express courier service, cleared with a sea express declaration. HowBridge Sea Express costs NT$50 per unit, where the unit is the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷10000), rounded up to a whole kg; when the actual weight is under 10 kg a NT$100 delivery fee is added.

Sea LCL consolidation

HowBridge's sea transport option in which your goods share a container with other shippers; the price varies by item, so ask customer service for a quote (from NT$25/kg or NT$150 per cubic foot, minimum NT$3,500 per shipment; volume = length × width × height in cm ÷28316, i.e. converted to cubic feet). The calculator on this page does not offer a fixed estimate for Sea LCL consolidation, and there is no fixed delivery fee.

Volume in cubic feet (cuft)

The Taiwanese unit "cai" is a unit of volume: 1 cai = 1 cubic foot (cuft) ≈ 28,316 cubic centimeters, and Taiwanese LCL freight is often priced per cai. Cubic feet = length × width × height (cm) ÷28316, and 1 cubic meter (CBM) is about 35.3 cubic feet. HowBridge's Sea LCL consolidation "from NT$150 per cubic foot" is priced in this unit; Sea Express instead uses ÷10000 to convert to volumetric weight (kg).

How to Pay Your Freight Bill: Methods and Full Process

Once your parcels have been consolidated and shipped, the system issues a freight bill for that batch. You can settle it online by card or bank transfer; a successful payment clears the bill automatically, so there is no need to report the last five digits of a transfer. Below are the payment methods currently available, every step of the process, and what online payment on this site may be used for.

Online payment covers freight service fees only

Online payment on this site is used solely to pay consolidated freight and related logistics service fees (international freight, forwarding, domestic delivery, customs clearance and warehousing-related service fees). We do not collect payment for your goods, we do not pay sellers on your behalf, and we are not a party to your transaction with the seller. Payment for items bought on Taobao, Tmall, 1688, Pinduoduo or any other platform must still be made to the seller through that platform as usual. We charge only for the logistics service of moving your goods from the warehouse to you.

Payment methods currently available

LINE Pay

Confirm in the WeCom app or scan a QR code, using a linked card or balance.

Credited instantly

JKOPay

Confirm in the JKOPay app or scan the QR code; pay with a linked bank account or card.

Credited instantly

PXPay Plus

Confirm in the PXPay Plus app, or scan the QR code with the app to pay.

Credited instantly

Credit card (VISA / Mastercard / JCB)

Single payment, authorised online in real time. Cards issued in Taiwan and overseas are both accepted; every charge is settled in TWD.

Credited instantly

Pay Apple Pay

On iPhone, iPad or Mac using Safari, authorised with Face ID / Touch ID. Web-based Apple Pay is supported only in Safari; it will not appear in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

Credited instantly

ATM transfer (virtual account)

A virtual account is issued for this bill; the amount must match exactly.

3-day window · cleared automatically once the bank posts it

Convenience-store code payment

You receive a payment code, print the slip at a 7-ELEVEN, FamilyMart, Hi-Life or OK Mart kiosk and pay at the counter; our checkout limit is NT$20,000 per payment.

7-day window · cleared automatically once payment posts

Pay Google Pay

On Android or in Chrome, paid with a saved card.

Credited instantly

Samsung Pay

On a Samsung device or in Samsung Internet, paid with a saved card.

Credited instantly

Taiwan Pay

Scan the QR code with the Taiwan Pay app or a supported bank app; our checkout limit is NT$49,999 per payment. The page does not return to our site after payment — your bill updates automatically once the payment notification arrives.

Credited instantly

E.SUN Wallet

Scan the QR code with the E.SUN Wallet app. The page does not return to our site after payment — your bill updates automatically once the payment notification arrives.

Credited instantly

Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Taiwan Pay, E.SUN Wallet, ATM transfer and convenience-store code payment are collected through NewebPay; LINE Pay is handled by LINE Pay itself. We do not add any payment processing fee. The amount shown is exactly what you pay. Mobile wallets have device requirements: web-based Apple Pay works only in Safari, Google Pay needs Android or Chrome, and Samsung Pay needs a Samsung device or Samsung Internet; on unsupported browsers the checkout simply does not show that option. JKOPay is contracted directly with JKOPay. PXPay Plus is contracted directly with PXPay Plus.

Convenience-store barcode payment and WebATM are not yet available. Please use one of the methods above for now.

How online payment works

1. 1
   A freight bill is issued after your parcels ship

   Once your parcels have been received at the consolidation warehouse, packed and shipped, the system issues a freight bill for that batch, covering international freight, forwarding and domestic delivery charges.

2. 2
   Sign in and open "My Bills"

   Sign in to your account and open My Bills to see the amount due, the number of parcels and a line-by-line breakdown of the charges before you pay.

3. 3
   Tap "Pay Now" to open the secure checkout

   The checkout shows the parcels being settled and the total due once more, and lists the available payment methods. Amounts are always calculated on the server, so they never vary by device or browser.

4. 4
   Choose a payment method and complete payment

   You are then taken to the payment page for the method you chose. Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are completed on the NewebPay page; choosing LINE Pay takes you to the LINE Pay payment page, where you simply confirm in the WeCom app; choosing JKOPay takes you to the JKOPay payment page, where you confirm in the JKOPay app or scan the QR Code; choosing PXPay Plus takes you to the PXPay Plus payment page, where you confirm in the PXPay Plus app or scan the QR Code; choosing ATM transfer gives you a dedicated virtual account, bank code and payment deadline; choosing convenience-store code payment gives you a payment code to print the slip at a store kiosk and pay at the counter. Please complete non-instant payments before the deadline. If you choose Taiwan Pay or E.SUN Wallet, a QR code appears — pay by scanning it in the matching app; the page will not return to our site afterwards, and your bill updates once the payment notification arrives.

5. 5
   The bill clears automatically

   On successful payment the gateway notifies us immediately and the bill switches to paid, so there is no need to report the last five digits of a transfer. ATM transfers update automatically once the bank posts the funds.

Payment security and things to note

All payments are completed on the NewebPay or LINE Pay payment page. We never receive or store your full card number or security code, and every connection is TLS-encrypted. If you have paid but the bill has not updated yet, please do not pay again: methods that are not instant take time to clear by design. Contact customer service and we will check it for you.

FAQ