The dimensions of the package you’re shipping dramatically influence the cost of its shipping label. If you use ShipStation, you might be wondering if there’s a way to have it automatically apply the right size package to each order. 

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The dimensions you use to request a shipping label matter because carriers provide rates based on the greater of either raw weight or dimensional weight. Dimensional weight is the length * width * height of the package divided by a factor that’s typically 166. Raw weight is simply the weight in ounces of the package. 

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Because of that, you want to make sure you’re buying shipping labels using the correct dimensions and weights of the packages you’re shipping. 

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So, can ShipStation apply the right size package to orders automatically? ShipStation lets you set up 'automation rules' to determine what package to use for an order. To learn more about how to set these up, read more here. But the problem with these rules is that they're static and don't find the right size package for any combination of items in your orders.

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While this might not be a problem if you’re always shipping the same item, if you’re shipping multiple items at once the system can break down quickly. That’s because the ability to find the right size package based on all of the items in an order is incredibly difficult and referred to as “Cartonization”.  To learn more about cartonization and how to do it in ShipStation, you can read more here.

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If you have many SKUs and/or packages and want your orders to be automatically updated with the right size package, consider integrating String.  String integrates directly with ShipStation to update all of your orders in ShipStation with the best package. 

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String can also use the package it finds to select the best shipping rate based on the dimensions and weight of the package. This assures you’re shipping out orders at the absolute lowest cost possible. 

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A cool feature is that String can compare flat rate packages to standard rate packages to find the cheapest shipping option.

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You can have String up and running with your ShipStation account in as little as 15 minutes and you’ll receive weekly reports showing you exactly how much money you saved. You also get a 30 day money back guarantee with String so if you don’t save money, you get a full refund. 

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To find out how much money you’ll save with String, visit www.meetstring.com and request a demo. Using your last 30 days of shipping data, you’ll get a report that shows you how much money you’ll save.