Order boxing

Order boxing is an advanced feature designed for stores that sell many small items. Instead of quoting each item individually, the plugin packs items into predefined box sizes and quotes based on the packed result — often producing cheaper shipping costs.

How it works

When order boxing is enabled, the plugin takes all items in the cart and calculates the most efficient way to pack them into your defined box sizes. The quote is then based on the packed boxes rather than individual items.

The packing logic:

Multiple items are consolidated by total dimension and volumetric weight.
Items are placed into the smallest capable box that fits them.
If items span multiple boxes, each box is quoted separately and the costs are combined.

This approach typically results in lower shipping costs because couriers price based on the outer dimensions of the package, not the individual items inside.

Define box sizes

You can add up to 5 box sizes that match the packaging you use in your warehouse.

For each box, enter:

Field	Description
Name	A label for the box (e.g. “Small”, “Medium”, “Large”)
Length	Internal length in centimetres
Width	Internal width in centimetres
Height	Internal height in centimetres
Max weight	Maximum weight the box can hold in kilograms

Minimum fill

The minimum fill setting controls what happens when the last box in a packing calculation isn’t full enough to justify using that box size.

Set a percentage threshold (e.g. 60%). If the remaining items don’t fill the last box by at least that percentage, those items are quoted individually instead of being placed in the box.

This prevents situations where a single small item gets quoted at the price of a much larger box.

Example: Minimum fill at 50%

A customer orders 7 items. The first 6 fit perfectly into two medium boxes. The 7th item only fills 20% of a third medium box. Because 20% is below the 50% minimum fill threshold, the 7th item is quoted individually rather than in a medium box.

Example: Minimum fill at 0% (disabled)

With minimum fill set to 0%, every item is always packed into a box regardless of how much space is used. The 7th item from the example above would be placed in a medium box even though it only fills 20% of the space.

Best practices

Start with your most common box sizes — You don’t need to define all 5 slots. Start with 2-3 sizes that cover most of your orders.
Test with real orders — After enabling order boxing, place test orders with various item combinations to verify the quotes look reasonable.
Set a sensible minimum fill — A value between 40-60% works well for most stores. Too high and items get quoted individually too often; too low and you pay for oversized boxes.
Review regularly — As your product range changes, revisit your box sizes to make sure they still reflect your actual packaging.