Desi (Volumetric Weight)
Definition
Desi is the Turkish shipping term for volumetric weight: a parcel's size converted into a weight figure so carriers can charge for bulky but light packages. It is calculated as length times width times height in centimetres, divided by 3000. The carrier bills whichever is higher, the desi value or the actual weight in kilograms.
Why it matters for your store
Shipping is often the largest cost after the product itself, and desi is where stores get surprised. A pillow weighs almost nothing but fills a big box, so the carrier bills it at its desi, not its weight. If your shipping price is based on weight alone, you pay the difference on every order.
Getting desi right affects three decisions. The price you show at checkout should match what the carrier will bill you. Your free shipping threshold should sit high enough to cover the real cost of your bulkiest products. And your packaging choices, box sizes and padding, directly change the number.
Carrier contracts in Turkey are almost always priced in desi bands, so the figure also decides which band each parcel lands in.
How Kambloo handles it
Each product variant carries its dimensions and weight. When a shipping price is calculated, Kambloo computes the desi from the dimensions, compares it with the actual weight, and uses the larger value, which is exactly what the carrier will do.
The price then comes from your own tariff. You upload the rates from your carrier agreement as a CSV, by desi band and by origin and destination province, and the cart shows the shipping cost from that table. Yurtiçi, Aras, MNG, Sürat, PTT, and HepsiJet connect through the same shipping interface, so the tariff logic does not change when you switch carriers.
Free shipping is a campaign rule rather than a separate setting, so a threshold can be combined with cart-total conditions and shown as a progress bar in the cart.
Questions about Desi (Volumetric Weight)
How is desi calculated?
Multiply the parcel's length, width, and height in centimetres and divide by 3000. A 40 x 30 x 25 cm box is 10 desi. If the box weighs 4 kg, the carrier charges for 10, because desi is higher.
Why did the carrier charge more than the parcel weighs?
Because the parcel is large for its weight. Carriers price space as well as mass, and desi converts space into a billable weight. Smaller boxes and less padding reduce it.