Packing Weight Check
The Packing Weight Check compares the weight measured on the packing station scale to the expected weight of the package — the combined weight of its products and packaging — and stops the packer when the difference is too large. It is one of the most effective ways to catch a mispick, a miscount, or a wrong box before the package leaves your warehouse.
Accurate catalog data is the foundation of this feature: the more accurate your product weights and Packaging Feature weights are, the tighter you can set the tolerance without triggering false positives. See Products for maintaining product weights.
The Allowed Range
The allowed difference is a tolerance band centered on the expected weight:
- Start with the Weight Check Difference Percentage of the expected package weight.
- If that amount is below the Weight Check Difference Minimum, the Minimum is used instead, so light packages are not rejected over a difference of a fraction of an ounce.
- If it is above the Weight Check Difference Maximum, the Maximum is used instead, so a percentage that is reasonable for small packages cannot let an entire missing item slip through on a heavy one.
- Finally, the range is widened outward to the nearest multiple of the warehouse's Scale Precision, so a coarse scale's rounding never causes a failure by itself. For example, a range of 0.741–0.941 lb on a scale with 0.05 lb precision becomes 0.7–0.95 lb.
With the default settings (4%, 0.1 lb Minimum, 2 lb Maximum):
| Expected weight | 4% of expected | Allowed difference | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.8 lb | 0.032 lb | 0.1 lb (Minimum) | 0.7–0.9 lb |
| 20 lb | 0.8 lb | 0.8 lb (Percentage) | 19.2–20.8 lb |
| 80 lb | 3.2 lb | 2 lb (Maximum) | 78–82 lb |
When a submitted weight falls outside the range, the error message shows the measured weight and the accepted range so the packer can immediately see how far off the package is.
Configuration
The tolerance band is configured per Merchant at System -> Configuration -> Warehouse -> Scanner -> Packing:
| Field | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Check Difference Percentage | 4 | The allowed difference as a percentage of the expected weight, bounded by the Minimum and Maximum. |
| Weight Check Difference Minimum | 0.1 lb | A difference below this amount is never considered an error. |
| Weight Check Difference Maximum | 2 lb | The allowed difference never exceeds this amount. The Maximum must be greater than or equal to the Minimum. |
The scale precision is configured per Warehouse at System -> Configuration -> Warehouse -> Scanner -> General:
| Field | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scale Precision | 0.01 lb | Match to the precision of the warehouse's scales to allow additional error for imprecise scales. |
When the Check Fails
What happens after a failed weight check depends on the Max Weight Check Failures setting at System -> Configuration -> Warehouse -> Scanner -> Packing:
- With overrides enabled (Max Weight Check Failures greater than zero) — the packer can re-weigh the package; after the configured number of failed attempts, a weight override request is created for a supervisor to review and approve from the Scanner's Overrides screen.
- With overrides disabled (Max Weight Check Failures set to zero) — the packer is warned on the first failed attempt; submitting a weight a second time records it and allows packing to continue.
Per-Shipment Adjustments
The Minimum, Percentage, and Maximum can be adjusted for individual Shipments using a Packing Start Script, for example to loosen the tolerance for a merchant whose product weights are known to vary. The warehouse's Scale Precision always applies as configured.