Pack before pricing postage
Measure the ready-to-send parcel and match the service to the delivery you actually need.
Everyday bills · 3 min read
Sources checked
AI-assisted, source-based guide. Not a hands-on review.
The short answer
The item’s weight alone is not enough: packaging, dimensions, destination and the chosen service affect the quote.
Measure what you send
SingPost’s domestic support page distinguishes small packages from larger parcel services and gives service-specific size and weight limits. Use the limit for your selected service; do not apply one category’s allowance to every shipment. Confirm the current details when buying postage.
Pack the item with appropriate protection, then measure the outer length, width and height and weigh the complete parcel. Include any box, inserts and label materials. A listing that gives the product’s bare weight cannot substitute for the parcel measurements.
Compare the needed service
Write down whether you need tracking, collection, a particular delivery method or a delivery-time commitment. Compare quotations that include the same requirements. A cheaper letterbox service is not automatically an alternative to a service your recipient needs delivered another way.
As an invented example, postage of S$5 plus S$3 packaging costs S$8. A S$7 quote including suitable packaging could cost less overall. Neither figure is a SingPost tariff, and included packaging must still be appropriate for the item rather than merely cheaper.
Check before handing over
Read the chosen service’s prohibited-item and packaging requirements, particularly for batteries, liquids or fragile goods. Do not assume an item is acceptable because it fits in the box. Ask the carrier when the classification is unclear, and never conceal the contents to obtain a lower price.
Keep the final dimensions, service name and receipt with the tracking details where provided. If selling an item, quote shipping after preparing a representative parcel rather than promising a price based on memory. We have not tested delivery times or assessed the protection needed for a specific item.
Sources & limits
Facts were checked on the date above, not continuously. Follow the provider’s current information before spending or travelling. Suggestions are our editorial reasoning; we do not claim a product test, a site visit or a whole-market comparison.
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