Noticed a price difference between shipping rates shown on the EasyParcel web portal and the rates retrieved via the API? You're not alone!
This article explains why those prices might differ slightly and what’s happening behind the scenes.
Why is the price difference?
The difference in prices is primarily due to how shipping rates are handled across various courier partners in real time. Here's what you need to know:
Not all couriers are fully integrated
Some courier partners are not fully integrated with EasyParcel's API. While we strive to provide up-to-date rates, not every courier updates their pricing dynamically through the API.
To avoid undercharging or quotation errors, EasyParcel applies a standard buffer when calculating API rates. This ensures that the pricing returned via API is safe and consistent for your users—even if the courier updates its rates later.
Example:
| Source | Quoted Price (SGD) |
EasyParcel Web Portal | 5 |
API Quotation | 5.2 |
In the example above, the API adds a 0.20 safety margin to account for backend or courier-side discrepancies.
Additional Notes
This price buffer is not an extra fee. It's a precaution to ensure your quoted rates do not fall below actual costs. The final charge after booking may still reflect the actual price, especially if you're deducting from your EasyParcel wallet after payment. You can always compare the rate with the EasyParcel dashboard to cross-verify.
Slight price differences between the EasyParcel web portal and API are normal and are in place to prevent undercharging. This happens because not all couriers update their rates in real-time via API, so we apply a standard buffer to API quotations to ensure accuracy and protection for developers and merchants.
Still unsure or want to confirm a specific rate? Reach out to EasyParcel Support and we’ll be happy to assist you.