Purpose: In this article, you'll learn why your final shipment cost may differ from the price shown at label creation, and how to find and understand the charges on your invoice.
Related articles
- Surcharges FAQ
- How can I prevent surcharges?
- Shipment invoicing
- How to download and read Sendcloud invoices
- Analytics: Costs Surcharge Breakdown
How to find your final costs
To view your invoices, go to Account > Financial & invoices in your Sendcloud panel. Select an invoice and click View details to open it. From there, you can download it in two formats:
- PDF — shows a summary of your total costs for that billing period, including any surcharges.
- CSV — provides a detailed breakdown per shipment, including the tracking number, base shipping cost, and any surcharges applied.
Why the final price can differ from the initial label price
When you create a shipping label, you see the initial shipping cost. However, carriers measure and weigh your parcels at their sorting center, not at the moment you create the label. If the actual weight, dimensions, or delivery area differ from what was entered, the carrier may apply additional charges (surcharges). These are passed on to you via your Sendcloud invoice.
For a full explanation of what surcharges are and how they are calculated, read our Surcharges FAQ.
Common reasons for surcharges
Surcharges can be applied for a range of reasons, depending on the carrier and shipping method. The most common ones include:
- Incorrect or exceeded weight or dimensions
- Parcel shape not suitable for automatic processing
- Wrong shipping method selected for the destination or parcel type
- Remote or hard-to-reach delivery area
- Fuel surcharge (applied to most carriers)
To learn how to avoid these charges in the future, read How can I prevent surcharges? To check the specific surcharge thresholds for your carrier, go to our carrier overview in the Help Center and open the surcharges article for your carrier.
Analyze surcharges across your shipments
If you want to understand surcharge patterns across multiple shipments, use the Analytics > Costs > Surcharge Breakdown dashboard. It shows the types, frequency, and cost impact of surcharges applied to your shipments, broken down by carrier, destination, or shipping lane. Read Analytics: Costs Surcharge Breakdown to learn how to use it.
Something doesn't look right?
If you believe a surcharge was applied incorrectly, you can submit a dispute via the Support page in your Sendcloud panel. Make sure to include all required evidence, such as photos of the shipment's dimensions and the sales invoice.
For more details on how surcharges appear on your invoice and how the dispute process works, read our Surcharges FAQ.