---
title: "Are flat rate box shipping costs always the best deal?"
url: "https://www.shipstation.com/faq/are-flat-rate-box-shipping-costs-always-the-best-deal/"
type: "faq"
modified: "2026-06-10T09:37:22-05:00"
---
Not always. Flat rate can be a smart choice for dense, heavy items, but standard packaging may cost less for lighter orders or shorter zones. ShipStation makes those tradeoffs easy to compare at a glance.