Packaging guide
Wholesale Corrugated Shipping Boxes: Sizes, Board Grade and Cost per Box in Bulk
How to buy cartons in bulk: standard sizes such as 12 x 9 x 6 in, B or C flute, published prices from $0.522 down to $0.378, and how a smaller box cuts freight.
Updated Nov 6, 2026
Wholesale shipping boxes, boxes for shipping wholesale and bulk cartons are searched for across the United States and Canada, plus specific sizes such as 12 × 9 × 6 in. A box is simple, so most buyers choose on price alone. The two things that change your cost most are the size and the board, and both are cheap to get right.
What we supply and what it costs
Our corrugated shipping boxes are single-wall regular slotted cartons in B flute (3 mm) or C flute (4 mm) board, in the sizes ecommerce businesses reorder. The published price at the standard size, flat-packed:
| Boxes | Price per box | Order value |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 (the minimum) | $0.522 | $522 |
| 2,500 | $0.486 | $1,215 |
| 5,000 | $0.45 | $2,250 |
| 10,000 | $0.414 | $4,140 |
| 25,000 | $0.378 | $9,450 |
Other sizes carry a price difference shown on their size pages, for example 12 × 9 × 6 in. Dimensions are internal. Boxes are packed flat in bundles, so a pallet holds many more than a stack of made-up boxes.
B flute or C flute
- B flute (3 mm) is the general-purpose ecommerce board. It resists crushing and prints well.
- C flute (4 mm) adds cushioning for the same weight class and is common in larger cartons.
For anything over about 15 kg or stacked high in transit, ask about a stronger board. Our guide to choosing the right shipping box gives the full rules.
How box size changes your freight
Carriers bill the greater of the actual weight and the dimensional weight, which is the volume of the box divided by a divisor that differs by carrier and country. An oversize box of air can cost more to ship than the heavier, smaller box it replaces. Try the dimensional weight calculator with your current box and the next size down. The box size finder helps you pick one from your product’s measurements.
A worked example: a parcel in a 12 × 9 × 6 in box is 648 cubic inches. Move to a 10 × 8 × 4 in box and it is 320, about half. Whether that saves money depends on your carrier’s divisor and your weights, but it is the first thing to check.
Boxes that sell as well as ship
For a retail unboxing, our ecommerce mailer boxes are made for it, and the small parcel boxes cover light items.
Buying from Canada
Canadian orders ship from the United States or from our manufacturing partners, confirmed before you pay. Boxes are bulky, so freight is a large part of the delivered cost, and we quote the whole delivered price. See our Canada page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for shipping boxes?
1,000 boxes at the standard size, worth $522.
Do you make custom or printed boxes?
Custom printing is available on this product. Send us the internal dimensions you need, the quantity and any artwork, and we confirm what is possible and the price before you pay.
Are the dimensions internal or external?
Internal. External dimensions are a little larger.
How do I pay?
By bank transfer or USDT, against a proforma invoice.
Products in this guide
More guides on this topic
- Packaging for Electronics — Two risks other categories do not have: static damage you cannot see, and batteries that are regulated as dangerous goods.
- Why Your Packing Tape Keeps Failing — Tape that lifts at the corners is almost never a tape problem. It is usually the board, the temperature or the way the carton was sealed.
- Packaging for Food and Drink Businesses — Outer packaging for food has a different job: protect the product, survive temperature, and never be the reason a customer questions whether it is safe.
- Packaging for Cosmetics and Skincare — Leaks, pumps and presentation. Skincare is judged on arrival condition more harshly than almost any other category, and most of that is decided by packaging.
Still not sure?
Tell us what you ship and roughly how much of it, and we will recommend a specification and price it.