- Short answer
- It depends on carrier and service — e.g. 70 lb for domestic USPS, 150 lb for most UPS and FedEx services; over it, carriers can bill steep fees.
- Going over
- Carriers can charge substantial fees; Shopify's UPS example is more than $875 USD over 150 lb.
- Buying the label
- No Shopify page we read on September 16, 2026 says whether the admin blocks a label over the maximum.
- UPS surcharges start earlier
- UPS 2026 domestic Hundredweight rates: a Large Package is over 110 lb or 130 in length plus girth, among others.
- Europe's small ceilings
- DHL Kleinpaket caps at 1 kg; Colissimo to a pickup point caps at 20 kg, not 30 kg.
Who sets the maximum, and what happens if you go over it?
The carrier sets it, service by service. Shopify's packaging page says "Package shipment limits are set by the carrier", and each carrier in Shopify's list by fulfillment location has a Help Center page with its maximums.
The USPS, UPS and FedEx pages pair a weight with length and girth combined, where girth is 2x width + 2x height. The same carrier pages name minimums too.
Going over is a billing question, and Shopify's label billing page says so directly:
Carriers have maximum package sizes and weights. If a shipment is larger than the maximum size or weight, then they can charge you substantial fees.
The page's example: if you're using UPS and your package weighs more than 150 pounds, you can be charged more than $875 USD for being over their weight limit, and fees can also apply when dimensions exceed the carrier's limits. Packaging weight "above the maximum threshold for that mail class" is one more price adjustment.
No Shopify page we read on September 16, 2026 — the label billing, label-buying, rates and packaging pages and the carrier pages — says whether the admin blocks a label over the maximum; they describe the fee.
What are the maximums for labels from a US location?
A US location buys labels from USPS, UPS (not in Puerto Rico), DHL eCommerce (continental US only), DHL Express (continental US only), and FedEx:
US location: maximums by carrier and service
| Carrier and service | Maximums on Shopify's carrier page |
|---|---|
| USPS, domestic | 70 lb; 108 in length and girth combined; international varies by destination country |
| UPS, all services except Ground Saver (domestic and international) | 150 lb; 165 in length and girth; 108 in length |
| UPS Ground Saver, domestic | 70 lb; 130 in length and girth; 60 in length |
| FedEx Ground Economy | 70 lb; 130 in length and girth (84 in under 1 lb); no side over 60 in |
| FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Ground | 150 lb; 108 in length; 165 in length and girth |
| FedEx Express Saver, 2Day, 2Day AM, Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight | 150 lb; 119 in length; 165 in length and girth |
| DHL Express, international | 154 lb; 47.2 × 31.5 × 31.5 in |
| DHL eCommerce Parcel International Direct | 44 lb (66 lb to Canada); 42 in length (79 in to Canada); 79 in length plus girth (118 in to Canada) |
| DHL eCommerce Parcel International Standard | 44 lb (66 lb to Canada); 47 in length; 24 in width; 24 in height |
Each row: Shopify's Help Center page for that carrier, read September 16, 2026.
The trap is the service, not the carrier: domestic USPS stops at 70 lb, and so do UPS Ground Saver and FedEx Ground Economy, while other UPS and FedEx services reach 150 lb.
The UPS Large Package surcharge starts below that ceiling. The UPS 2026 Hundredweight Service rates for domestic shipments treat a package as a Large Package when it weighs over 110 lb, is over 130 in length plus girth, is over 96 in long, or is over 17,280 cubic inches.
What are the maximums for labels from Canada?
A Canadian location buys labels from Canada Post, DHL Express Canada, Purolator and UPS:
Canada location: maximums by carrier
| Carrier and service | Maximums on Shopify's carrier page |
|---|---|
| Canada Post | 66 lb (30 kg); 118 in girth; 78.7 in any dimension |
| UPS, domestic | 150 lb; 165 in length and girth; 108 in length |
| Purolator | 150 lb; 108 in length; 165 in length and girth |
| DHL Express Canada, international | 70 kg; 120 × 80 × 80 cm |
Each row: Shopify's Help Center page for that carrier, read September 16, 2026.
Canada Post stops at 66 lb (30 kg); UPS and Purolator reach 150 lb.
What are the maximums for labels from the UK and Australia?
A UK location buys labels from Evri, DPD, Royal Mail, Yodel and DHL Express Europe; an Australian location, from Australia Post alone:
UK and Australia: maximums by carrier
| Carrier and service | Maximums on Shopify's carrier page |
|---|---|
| Royal Mail, UK domestic | 20 kg; 61 × 46 × 46 cm |
| Evri, UK domestic | 15 kg; 245 cm length plus girth |
| DPD, UK domestic | 20 kg; 230 cm length plus girth; 60 cm any side |
| Yodel, UK domestic | 10 kg; 90 × 50 × 50 cm |
| Australia Post | 22 kg; 0.25 cubic metres; 105 cm any side |
Each row: Shopify's Help Center page for that carrier, read September 16, 2026.
Among the four UK domestic carriers, Royal Mail and DPD take the most weight, 20 kg.
DHL Express Europe is not open to every store: its Help Center page says it "is in early access, and is available only for certain stores and certain origin countries and regions". Within that early-access reach, its "Maximum package size is 120 cm x 80 cm x 80 cm".
What are the maximums for labels from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands?
These five locations split by carrier and, often, by service or delivery method; DHL Express Europe, in early access for certain stores and origins, is in the UK section above:
France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands: maximums by carrier and service
| Location | Carrier and service | Maximums on Shopify's carrier page |
|---|---|---|
| France | Colissimo, to your customer's address | 30 kg; 100 cm any side; 200 cm sum of sides |
| France | Colissimo, to a pickup point | 20 kg; 100 cm any side; 200 cm sum of sides |
| France | Chronopost | 30 kg; 150 cm length; 300 cm sum of sides |
| France | Mondial Relay | 30 kg; 150 cm sum of sides; 120 cm length |
| Germany | DHL Paket | 31.5 kg; 360 cm length and girth; 200 cm length |
| Germany | DHL Kleinpaket | 1 kg; 35.3 × 25 × 8 cm |
| Italy | Poste Italiane Business Express | 70 kg; 450 cm sum of sides; sides up to 280 and 170 cm |
| Italy | Poste Italiane Business Standard (four delivery options) | 15 kg; 56 × 37 × 36 cm; 220 cm length plus twice height and width |
| Italy | BRT | 20 kg; 0.2 cubic metres; 100 cm longest side; 250 cm sum of sides |
| Spain | Correos | 30 kg; 210 cm sum of sides; 120 cm length |
| Spain | SEUR | 20 kg; 170 cm sum of sides; 100 cm any side |
| Netherlands | DHL eCommerce, DHL service point drop-off | 20 kg; 120 × 60 × 60 cm; 300 cm girth; no bulky packages |
| Netherlands | DHL eCommerce, DHL locker drop-off | 20 kg; 60 × 40 × 25 cm; must fit the locker |
Each row: Shopify's Help Center page for that carrier, read September 16, 2026.
Inside one carrier the ceiling moves: DHL Kleinpaket caps at 1 kg against 31.5 kg for DHL Paket, Colissimo to a pickup point caps at 20 kg, not 30 kg, and Poste Italiane Business Standard stops at 15 kg against 70 kg for Business Express.
DHL eCommerce Netherlands is domestic only and, per its Help Center page, "available only to eligible stores".
For the guaranteed Chronopost 13 and Chronopost 18 services, Shopify's Chronopost page adds: "Packages that exceed the maximum size and weight requirements aren't eligible for a refund in the event of a late package."
What if your package is heavier or bigger than every option?
Check the other services first: UPS Ground Saver's 70 lb gives way to 150 lb on other UPS services, FedEx Ground Economy's to 150 lb on FedEx Ground and Home Delivery, DHL Kleinpaket to DHL Paket, and Poste Italiane Business Standard to Business Express. Then compare the other carriers listed for your fulfillment location.
Every UPS and FedEx maximum on Shopify's carrier pages is 150 lb or lower, so heavier goods become a parcel-versus-freight decision.
If the carrier that can move your package isn't listed for your fulfillment location, see what Shopify says to do when it doesn't support your carrier.
This article was written entirely by AI under human editorial direction. The editor sets the topic and structure, runs multi-stage validation on facts, links, and interactive elements, and verifies the output is useful from a business perspective. All claims are checked against official Shopify sources. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
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