Deutsche Post & DHL Postage Estimator (Germany)
German postage rates change. This calculator stays accurate by enforcing stable Deutsche Post size bands and letting you enter the latest prices from the official guide.
What This Germany Calculator Solves
Sending mail within or from Germany is usually straightforward—until you need to price something that isn’t a simple postcard. Deutsche Post letters are priced by weight and by strict size/thickness categories (Standardbrief, Kompaktbrief, Großbrief, Maxibrief). If your envelope is even a few millimetres too thick, it can move into a higher band. Parcels handled by DHL Paket follow their own weight steps and size limits, and large lightweight boxes can cost more than you expect.
Deutsche Post and DHL update retail price tables periodically. Hard‑coding a specific year’s euros would make a calculator go stale quickly. Instead, this tool applies the stable, long‑standing German size rules and weight‑band arithmetic, and asks you to enter the current base price and step values from Deutsche Post or DHL for your chosen service. That way your estimate remains accurate even when prices change.
Deutsche Post Letter Categories (Common Retail Limits)
The following limits are widely published and have been stable for years. They apply to domestic retail letters and many international letters routed through Deutsche Post. Always verify if you are using a special product.
- Standardbrief. Up to 20 g, max 235 × 125 × 5 mm.
- Kompaktbrief. Up to 50 g, max 235 × 125 × 10 mm.
- Großbrief. Up to 500 g, max 353 × 250 × 20 mm.
- Maxibrief. Up to 1,000 g, max 353 × 250 × 50 mm.
If an item exceeds Maxibrief limits, it generally becomes a parcel (Päckchen/Paket) and uses DHL pricing. The calculator will flag that case.
DHL Paket Parcel Limits (Retail, Typical)
DHL parcels in Germany are usually priced by actual weight in steps (for example 2 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg, 31.5 kg). Typical maximum size for domestic DHL Paket is around:
- Maximum length 120 cm.
- Length + girth (2×width + 2×height) ≤ 300 cm.
- Maximum weight 31.5 kg.
Domestic retail DHL pricing generally uses actual weight rather than dimensional weight, but if you are shipping internationally or via DHL Express, a volumetric divisor may apply. This calculator includes an optional dimensional check for those cases.
Weight Band Arithmetic
Both Deutsche Post letters and DHL parcels round weight up to the next band. A 21 g letter is not billed at 20 g—it moves into the Kompaktbrief band. A 2.01 kg parcel is billed as if it were in the next weight step. The rule can be expressed as a ceiling function.
Let w be your billable weight in kilograms, b the base band weight in kilograms, and s the incremental step size in kilograms. Let the price for the base band be B euros, and the per‑step price be u euros. Then:
For letters, you can model bands as base‑plus‑increment (e.g., base for first 20 g, then increments). For parcels, bands are often larger (e.g., base for 2 kg, then a jump to 5 kg). Use the step size that matches your table.
Dimensional Weight (Optional)
If you are using a service that charges volumetrically, dimensional weight converts volume to weight using a divisor:
Billable weight is the maximum of actual and dimensional weight.
Worked Example (Letter)
You are mailing a thick A5 envelope that measures 210 × 148 × 7 mm and weighs 32 g. That exceeds Standardbrief thickness (5 mm) and weight (20 g) but fits Kompaktbrief limits (10 mm, 50 g). The current Kompaktbrief domestic price is listed as €1.00 (example only).
The calculator will classify it as Kompaktbrief and then use the rate you enter. If the envelope were 11 mm thick, it would be classified as Großbrief even at 32 g, which changes pricing significantly. This is why size validation matters.
Worked Example (Parcel)
You send a box 40 × 30 × 20 cm weighing 3.6 kg. Your DHL table says: base price for up to 2 kg is €5.49, and each additional 1 kg step adds €0.80 (illustrative). Billable weight is 3.6 kg. Base band covers 2 kg, leaving 1.6 kg extra. With 1 kg steps, steps = ceil(1.6) = 2. Total = 5.49 + 2×0.80 = €7.09.
If you were using an international service with a divisor of 5000 and the same box weighed only 1.0 kg, dimensional weight would be (40×30×20)/5000 = 4.8 kg, making the billable weight 4.8 kg and increasing the cost.
Comparison Table: Typical Reclassifications
| Item | Correct Category | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Letter 22 g, thin | Kompaktbrief | Assuming Standardbrief price |
| Magazine 200 g, 15 mm | Großbrief | Ignoring thickness |
| Book 750 g, 40 mm | Maxibrief | Assuming Großbrief due to weight only |
| Box 2.2 kg | DHL parcel next band | Not rounding up to next kg step |
Limitations and Assumptions
This estimator does not hard‑code euro prices. It assumes:
- You enter up‑to‑date base and step prices from Deutsche Post or DHL for your chosen product and zone.
- The size limits above match your service (they are typical retail inland limits).
- Dimensional weight is optional and should only be used when your service explicitly applies volumetric billing.
- Surcharges, tracking add‑ons, and business discounts are excluded.
Use the calculator for correct band classification and arithmetic, then confirm the final price in the Deutsche Post/DHL online calculator for time‑sensitive shipping.