QKitBoxShip-by & delivery date calculator
Order date + your handling time + carrier transit time = when it must leave your desk and when the buyer can expect it.
Transit estimates are yours to enter — carrier delivery dates vary by service and destination. Weekend movement is counted in calendar days for delivery.
Why handling time is worth getting right
- Marketplaces measure on-time ship rate against your stated handling days — padding it slightly is safer than missing it.
- Paste the copied line straight into an order message or shipping notification.
How to use — step by step
Tell buyers the truth: when the order leaves your desk and when it should arrive. This turns order date + handling time + transit estimate into both dates, plus a paste-ready message.
- Set the order-received date (defaults to today).
- Enter your handling time — the days you promise before shipping, as listed in your shop's policies.
- Choose whether handling counts business days (Mon–Fri) or calendar days. Business days matches how most marketplaces read your handling promise.
- Enter your carrier's typical transit estimate for the service you use — this is your input, based on experience or the carrier's published estimates.
- Read the ship-by date and the estimated delivery date, then press 'Copy for the buyer' to get a friendly sentence you can paste into an order message or shipping notification.
How it works
Ship-by is computed by advancing the order date through your handling time. In business-day mode, weekends are skipped — an order received Friday with two business days of handling ships Tuesday, not Sunday. Delivery adds your transit estimate as plain calendar days from the ship-by date, because parcels do move on weekends in most networks.
The copied message is deliberately specific: it names the ship-by date, gives a delivery date with the word 'around', and states the total day count. Vague promises ('ships soon') generate 'where is my order' messages; concrete dates generate patience.
Marketplaces measure your on-time ship rate against your stated handling window, and consistent lateness affects seller standing. A small buffer in your handling setting is cheaper than a late-shipment strike — the calculator shows you exactly how much room a given setting gives you.
Holiday cutoffs are the calculator's highest-value moments: before a sale, work backwards from the carrier's 'order by' date for delivery-by-Christmas, add your handling, and that's the real last order date to advertise — not the carrier's date, which assumes zero handling. Publishing that derived date prevents the annual inbox full of December 23rd despair.
Frequently asked questions
Do holidays count as business days?
Not in this calculator — it skips only weekends. If a public holiday falls in your handling window, add a day yourself.
Should I count handling in calendar days?
Only if you genuinely pack and ship seven days a week. Most sellers should use business days so the promise is keepable.
What transit estimate should I enter?
Use the carrier's published estimate for the specific service plus a day of margin for domestic runs you know are slow — or your own average from recent shipments.
Does the buyer see this page?
No — it's your working tool. The 'Copy for the buyer' button produces a plain sentence you paste anywhere you message customers.
How should I handle international orders?
Add your handling exactly the same way, then use the carrier's international transit estimate — and expect customs to add days no calculator can predict. The copied message's 'around' wording matters double internationally.
When should I mark a tracking number as shipped?
When the label is scanned by the carrier, not when it's printed. The ship-by date you computed is when the scan must happen — marketplace on-time metrics track that scan.
If I change my handling time, do old orders follow?
No — the promise at purchase time governs each existing order. The calculator reflects whatever you set now, for orders from now on.