Pricing guide
What custom shipping boxes really cost, from the people who print them
Box marketplaces show you a price with a reseller margin already baked in. We manufacture in Montreal, so we can explain exactly what moves a corrugated quote up or down, and what to send us for a real manufacturer-direct number within one business day.
What moves the price
1.Quantity: the biggest lever
Setup is a fixed cost: preparing the artwork for press, mounting the cutting die, dialing in the board. Spread over 250 mailers it dominates the unit price; spread over 5,000 it nearly disappears. That is why the per-box price falls in steps as quantity climbs, and why it is always worth quoting two or three quantities at once.
2.Box size and style: mailer versus RSC
A mailer box (the fold-together style with a tuck-front lid) uses a more complex dieline and more board per unit than a plain regular slotted container (RSC), which is why the unboxing-friendly mailer costs more than the basic shipper at the same size. Size then works against you twice: a bigger box consumes more board, and fewer boxes fit on each sheet through the press.
3.Flute and board grade
Corrugated is specified by its flute (the wave between the liners) and its strength rating. A fine E flute prints cleanly and folds crisply for mailers; a coarser B or C flute, or double wall, protects heavier products through the parcel network but costs more per sheet. The right answer is the lightest board that survives your shipping route, and we will tell you honestly which one that is.
4.Print method: digital, litho-laminated, or flexo
Digital print on corrugated needs no plates, so short runs and multiple artworks in one order are economical; the trade-off is a higher print cost per unit at large volumes. Litho-lamination (a printed sheet mounted onto corrugated) delivers photographic quality but carries real setup, so it wins at bigger quantities. Flexo, printed straight on the board, is the economical workhorse for simpler artwork at volume.
5.Print coverage: outside only, or inside too
A one-colour logo on kraft is the most economical print you can buy; full-coverage colour on the outside adds ink and setup; printing the inside as well adds another printed surface, and on some processes another pass. Interior print is where unboxing photos happen, so it often earns its cost, but it is a real line on the quote, not a freebie.
6.The dieline and tooling: one-time, then free
A new box structure needs a cutting die, a one-time tooling cost. Stay close to a standard footprint and the dieline work is minimal; reorder the same box and the die already exists, which is one reason a reorder costs less than a first order. Fully custom structures with inserts or unusual closures are where tooling grows.
7.Who you buy from
A box marketplace or broker resells a manufacturer's work with a margin layered on top. Buying direct from the plant that prints and converts the box removes that layer entirely. It is the one cost driver that has nothing to do with your box, and the easiest one to eliminate.
How to pay less, honestly
Right-size the box
Carriers bill on dimensional weight, so a box even slightly too big adds a surcharge to every parcel you ship, plus void fill you buy and your customer throws away. Sizing the box to the product usually saves more in freight over a year than the box itself costs. Send us the product dimensions and we will spec around them.
Start from a standard footprint
A standard mailer or RSC footprint adapted to your dimensions skips most structural engineering and keeps tooling light. Save the fully custom structure for when the product truly demands it, and put the budget into the print instead.
Order the honest quantity
If you will reorder in three months, quote the larger run now. We will show you the price break points so you can see exactly where the unit cost drops, and decide with real numbers instead of guessing.
Buy direct from the manufacturer
No marketplace margin, no broker fee. You also keep the same plant on every reorder, so the dieline, the fit, and the colour stay consistent as you scale from your first run to your hundredth.
The bottom line
Custom shipping box pricing comes down to quantity, size and style, board grade, print method and coverage, tooling, and who you buy from. Buying direct from a manufacturer like Accent Ship in Montreal removes the marketplace margin, and a complete spec gets you a real, itemized price within one business day.
For an accurate quote in one business day
Include these in your request and we'll come back with a real number, not a vague range.
- Inside dimensions (length, width, depth), or the product's dimensions and weight if you don't have a box spec yet
- Box style if you know it (mailer, RSC), or simply how it ships: parcel network, subscription program, retail
- Quantity, plus any future quantities worth pricing as tiers
- Your print plan: outside only or inside too, number of colours or full coverage, kraft or white board
- Your deadline and where the run ships (your warehouse, a 3PL, a fulfillment centre)
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a custom mailer box cost per unit?
- It depends on quantity, size, style, board grade, print method, and coverage, which is why serious manufacturers quote per project. What we can promise: you see the manufacturer's price with no marketplace margin, and you get it within one business day of sending your specs.
- Does printing the inside of the box cost a lot more?
- It adds a printed surface, so it adds real cost, and on some processes an extra pass. For a DTC brand it often pays for itself, because the interior reveal is the moment customers photograph and share. We will quote it both ways so you can decide on numbers.
- Do I pay for the cutting die on every order?
- No. The die is a one-time tooling cost tied to the box structure. Reorders of the same box reuse it, which is one reason a reorder is cheaper than a first order and why standard footprints cost less than fully custom structures.
- Which is cheaper: a mailer box or a shipping carton?
- At the same size, the plain RSC carton is cheaper: simpler dieline, less board per unit. The mailer costs more and works harder, since it doubles as the unboxing experience. Many brands use both: a printed mailer for the customer, plain RSC cartons for master packs and restocks.
- Can US e-commerce brands get pricing in US dollars?
- Yes. We price in Canadian dollars, which a favourable exchange rate makes attractive for a US budget, and we accept payment in USD. Our Montreal plant is about an hour from the US border, and many boxes cross duty-free or at low duty under CUSMA.
Start your project
Send your specs and get a manufacturer-direct price, itemized line by line, within one business day.