Box fees in 3PL Billing can be scoped to different box types. The distinction between an ad-hoc custom box and a named account box controls which fees fire — and choosing the wrong option means fees that never charge. This article covers what each configuration targets and how to avoid conflicts.
For setup steps and calculation details, see How to Set Up Box Fees in 3PL Billing.
Table of Contents
- Box Types in ShipHero
- How Box Fee Matching Works in 3PL Billing
- Box Fee Conflict Detection in 3PL Billing
Box Types in ShipHero
ShipHero uses two distinct box types during packing:
| Box Type | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Ad-hoc custom box | A generic box used during packing with no specific box code. It is unnamed and not tied to any box record in the account. |
| Account custom box | A named box tied to a specific box record in the account, configured under Shipping > Boxes. |
The distinction matters because the Applies to Custom Box fee setting targets ad-hoc boxes only — not named account boxes. Choosing the wrong option results in fees that do not charge when expected.
How Box Fee Matching Works in 3PL Billing
When ShipHero processes a shipment, it evaluates each box fee in the billing profile and matches it against the boxes used in that shipment.
| Fee Configuration | What It Matches |
|---|---|
| Applies to Custom Box | Labels or packages packed using a generic ad-hoc box with no recognized box code. For wholesale shipments, also matches packages with no box ID at all. |
| Specific box types | Labels that used a particular named account box from Shipping > Boxes. |
| Default | Every label regardless of box type. Acts as a catch-all when no other fee matches. |
| Applies to any box type | Every label regardless of box type. Similar to Default but evaluated alongside other fees rather than as a fallback. |
Box fee matching runs at billing time — when ShipHero reviews shipping labels on a shipment and determines whether each label matches a fee rule.
Box Fee Conflict Detection in 3PL Billing
ShipHero blocks two box fees with overlapping scope from being added to the same billing profile. When you try to add a second fee that conflicts with an existing one, the system returns the error: "Invalid fee, conflicts with existing fee(s) '[fee name].'"
Common conflict scenarios:
- Two fees both configured with Applies to Custom Box under the same order profiles.
- Two fees targeting the same specific named box type under the same order profiles.
To charge different rates for the same box type across different order types, use the warehouse/order profile setting to scope each fee to a different profile. This makes the fees distinct and avoids the conflict.