A pillow weighs one kilogram, but shipping costs as if it weighed twelve. That’s not a mistake — it’s volumetric weight. Here’s how the three carriers online stores in Kazakhstan work with calculate it.
What volumetric weight is
A carrier cares not only about how much a parcel weighs but also about how much space it takes in the van. So it calculates two weights — actual and volumetric — and charges for the greater one.
Volumetric weight is calculated as length × width × height (in centimetres) ÷ a divisor. Each carrier has its own divisor.
CDEK: divisor 5000
CDEK calculates volumetric weight as L × W × H ÷ 5000. We checked this directly with the CDEK calculator:
- a 40 × 30 × 20 cm box weighing 1 kg counts as 4.8 kg;
- the same box weighing 6 kg counts as 6 kg: the actual weight is already higher than the volumetric one.
Example: a 1 kg pillow in a 50 × 40 × 30 cm box. For CDEK, that’s 12 kg.
CDEK’s “warehouse to warehouse” parcel tariff doesn’t accept pieces heavier than 30 kg — heavier freight goes on other CDEK tariffs.
Kazpost: domestic — by actual weight
Kazpost’s official 2025 tariffs for domestic Go Post shipments (Express, City and Standard) don’t mention volumetric weight: the price depends on actual weight and distance. The limits are:
- Go Post Express and Go Post City — up to 30 kg;
- Go Post Standard — up to 75 kg, but courier delivery to the door — no more than 30 kg.
Regular parcels have a size limit: if any side exceeds 80 × 80 × 50 cm, the parcel counts as oversized (maximum 230 × 180 × 110 cm), and 50% is added to the price.
For international shipments (EMS, “Planeta Express”) volumetric weight does apply — with a divisor of 6000. And over 30 kg or longer than 150 cm, a 1.25 surcharge factor applies.
Yandex Delivery: by weight and vehicle
Yandex Delivery in Kazakhstan splits shipments by weight:
- “Courier” — up to 10 kg;
- “Delivery” — up to 20 kg;
- “Cargo” — over 20 kg.
The official page says nothing about volumetric weight. What matters is that the parcel fits the vehicle you choose.
How not to overpay
- Fit the box to the product. An extra centimetre gets multiplied by the other two sides: a 50 × 40 × 30 box instead of 40 × 30 × 20 means 12 kg instead of 4.8 at CDEK.
- Send light, bulky items domestically by Kazpost. Pillows, toys, boxed shoes: within Kazakhstan, Kazpost charges by actual weight.
- Put soft items in a bag. Clothing in a tight mailer takes up almost no volume.
- Include box sizes when calculating shipping. Then the price the shopper sees matches the carrier’s bill instead of coming out lower.
Carrier rules change — this information is current as of October 2026. Before a large shipment, double-check with the carrier’s calculator.
Sources
- Kazpost tariffs for express and courier mail, 2025
- Kazpost parcel tariffs, 2025
- Yandex Delivery: sending a parcel in Kazakhstan
- CDEK: chargeable weight checked with the CDEK API calculator in October 2026.
