WooCommerce Shipping Adjustment Fees

This is a guide for shipping fee adjustments when using the WooCommerce Shipping & Tax extension.

Why was I charged/refunded an adjustment amount for a label I previously bought?

Carriers may determine that you paid insufficiently or excessively which may result in an adjustment charge or refund. Carriers verify the accuracy of the information you provided when purchasing the shipping label. When inaccurate, it can result in an incorrect shipping label price which causes the adjustment. Adjustments are good news for merchants and customers alike. This replaces the older system where some carriers would either return packages to merchants or require customers to pay postage due in order to receive their package. They’re now a standard industry practice. The most common mistakes that can result in price adjustments include entering incorrect package weight, package dimensions, destination address, or mail class used.

What can I do to avoid adjustments?

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Making sure the information that you provided when purchasing a label is accurate, can help avoid adjustments. Here are a few things you can do:

Measure and weigh your packages carefully. Use a postage scale and round up fractional ounces to the next ounce.
Accurately weigh your products and enter them in the product data meta box. WooCommerce Shipping uses this product weight to help you efficiently determine the overall weight of your package.
Carrier uses dimensional rates which may impact the cost of your shipment. Generally, this means that for packages with larger boxes that weigh very little, the carrier will charge based on the size of the box versus the weight.
Review your mail classes to make sure your shipment is classified properly. For example, if you’re using one of the flat rate Priority Mail boxes, make sure you select the appropriate flat rate service when purchasing postage for it.
Make sure you have the correct shipping origin and destination address.
Avoid unacceptable or undelivered scenarios as they could occur additional fees.

Disputing an adjustment?

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Shipping label adjustments are determined by your carrier.

USPS – You need to contact USPS directly to file a claim. But first, you will need to contact us to get the adjustment ID. If USPS decides in your favour, you’ll need to forward that email to us including the reference number so we can process your refund.
DHL – Contact us and we’ll process your claim with DHL on your behalf. Please include all relevant details such as the tracking number, proof of dimensions, proof of weight, delivery information, and proof of which label was used. It can take some time for DHL to process disputes and refunds.