UPS size limit checker
Enter your package to check it against the UPS domestic maximums, and to see whether it crosses into Large Package territory — which is accepted, but handled and billed differently.
How UPS size limits work
UPS caps three things: weight, the longest side, and length plus girth. Above certain thresholds a package is still accepted but is classed as a Large Package, which changes how it is handled and carries a minimum billable weight.
- Most packages go up to 150 lb.
- The longest side caps at 108 in.
- Length plus girth caps at 165 in.
Large Package
Any one of these conditions makes a package Large: a longest side over 96 in, length plus girth over 130 in, a cubic size over 17,280 cu in, or a weight over 110 lb. A Large Package is billed on a minimum weight of 90 lb regardless of what it actually weighs.
We flag when a package meets a condition. We do not quote the surcharge, because we do not quote prices at all — check the current UPS rate guide for that.
Worked example
A 100 × 10 × 8 in box weighing 10 lb.
- Length plus girth is 100 + 2(10) + 2(8) = 136 in, inside the 165 in cap.
- The longest side is 100 in, inside the 108 in cap.
- But 100 in is over the 96 in Large Package threshold, so it is a Large Package.
- It ships, but it is billed as though it weighed 90 lb rather than 10 lb.
Edge cases worth knowing
- Accepted is not the same as cheap. Large Package status is the difference between a 10 lb bill and a 90 lb one.
- Any single condition triggers it. A light package can be Large on dimensions alone.
- Cubic size counts. 17,280 cu in is ten cubic feet, which a 26 in cube exceeds.
- Daily and Retail rates differ elsewhere. The size limits are the same, but the dimensional weight divisor is not.
Common questions
- What is the maximum weight for UPS?
- 150 lb for most packages, above which it becomes a freight shipment.
- What is a UPS Large Package?
- A package over 96 in long, over 130 in length plus girth, over 17,280 cu in, or over 110 lb. It is accepted, handled separately, and billed on a 90 lb minimum.
- Does this cover international shipments?
- No. These are the domestic maximums. International limits vary by destination and are a discovery item we have not completed.