# 40 kg digital parcel scale > Weighs anything from a card mailer to a boxed pair of boots. - Scales, Best value - Typical UK price: £15 to £25 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, eBay, Vinted, TikTok Shop, Depop, Etsy - Orders a week: 0–2000 - Not yet checked by a person A wrong weight costs you surcharges or overpaid postage. A flat platform scale with a separate display stays readable when a box covers the top. ## Kit rankings - #1 in [Best parcel scales for posting from home](https://sellersetups.com/kit/scales) ## Setups - [Clearance lock-up setup for Whatnot, Etsy and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/clearance-lockup-live-and-etsy): Sort a cleared unit into four zones in a weekend, open mystery crates live, and keep the 20 year old pieces back for Etsy. - [eBay electronics reselling setup](https://sellersetups.com/setups/ebay-electronics-reseller): A testing bench, bagged cables, double-wall boxes and clear battery rules for reselling 10 to 50 phones, consoles and gadgets a week on eBay. - [eBay packing station setup for 50 to 100 orders a week](https://sellersetups.com/setups/ebay-packing-station-100): A fixed packing station with shelving, a thermal printer and supplies in reach, built for one person shipping up to 100 eBay orders a week. - [Garage setup for 150 to 300 orders a week](https://sellersetups.com/setups/garage-150-orders): The step up from a spare room: a garage or small unit with picking shelves, two packing tables and a printer built for volume. - [Golf club and sportswear setup for eBay and Depop](https://sellersetups.com/setups/golf-clubs-sportswear-garage): Single irons in cut-down boxes, retro football and tennis tops in grey mailers, and a garage split into a clubs side and a clothing side. - [Outdoor gear setup for a shed or garage, eBay and Whatnot](https://sellersetups.com/setups/outdoor-gear-shed-seasonal): Tents pitched on the lawn before listing, tackle sold live in lots, and a 40 kg scale for the family tent that a medium parcel will not take. - [Trainer reselling setup for a small room](https://sellersetups.com/setups/trainer-reseller-small-room): Shelving for 60 boxed pairs, authentication-ready photos and double-wall packing for a trainer reseller on eBay and Vinted. - [Spare-bedroom setup for a Vinted clothing seller](https://sellersetups.com/setups/vinted-vintage-spare-room): Rails, a packing table and a photo corner that let one person list, store and post 40 to 80 vintage garments a week. - [Wholesale pallet setup for TikTok Shop and eBay](https://sellersetups.com/setups/wholesale-pallets-tiktok-ebay): New overstock bought by the pallet, sold in live bursts on TikTok Shop and steadily on eBay, packed from a two-table line in a double garage. ## Mixed parcels, from mailers to boxed boots You ship a mix: small mailers most days and the odd large box of homeware, a boxed pair of boots or a pile of vinyl. A 40 kg platform with a separate display stays readable when a wide box covers the whole top. At £15 to £25 it costs more than a 30 kg scale, and the difference buys extra headroom and the cable-mounted screen. ## A cabled display and a 30 cm platform Choose a separate display on a cable or a fold-out arm, a platform at least 30 cm wide, and 1 g steps for lighter parcels. Many 40 kg scales use coarser steps such as 2 or 5 g near the top of their range. Make sure the display can hold the reading after you lift the box, and that the scale runs on batteries or mains. A wall hook for the display keeps it out of the way while you tape up. ## Floor or desk: placing the platform Put the platform on the floor or a low shelf for heavy boxes, and hang the display where you can see it from your feet. For lighter parcels, a desk spot beside your label printer keeps everything in one place. Tare off any tray you use, then weigh each sealed parcel with the label on. Compare the reading against your courier's current price bands and round up when it sits close to a step. ## Smaller scales for smaller parcels The 30 kg digital postal scale costs less and covers most home sellers. Pick it if your parcels stay small and leave the screen in view. Add the 500 g precision pocket scale if you send trading cards or jewellery in Large Letters, where a gram or two decides the service. ## The cost of a wrong weight Declare too little and couriers can charge you the difference plus a fee, or return the parcel; they check weights. Overpaying postage on every parcel adds up over a year. A scale at £15 to £25 pays for itself the first time it stops one surcharge. Test it with a known weight every few months to keep it accurate. ## Common mistakes - A soft rug makes heavy boxes read low. Move the platform to a hard floor. - Route the display cable away from the load; trapped under the box, it can press on the platform. - Weigh the finished parcel. A weight taken before you tape the box shut leaves out the packing materials. - Round up when a reading sits on a weight step. Rounding down risks a surcharge. ## Guides - [eBay packaging: what to buy for 50–100 orders a week](https://sellersetups.com/guides/best-packing-station-ebay): Compare tables, printers and shelf layouts for a 50–100 order eBay station, and choose the one that fits your room and your stock. - [How to post bulky items: bikes, golf clubs, prams](https://sellersetups.com/guides/how-to-post-bulky-items): Courier size limits for long and heavy parcels, how to work out length plus girth, and how to pack a bike, a golf bag, gym weights and a pram. - [Small business packaging setup for 100 orders a week](https://sellersetups.com/guides/packaging-setup-100-orders): The kit, stock levels and daily routine that keep packing 100 orders a week from home down to an hour or two a day. ## Questions ### Do I need a 40 kg scale? Only if you ship heavy or bulky boxes. For mostly small parcels, the 30 kg scale does the same job. ### Why does the display come off the scale? A wide box covers a built-in screen. The separate display stays visible whatever the size of the parcel. ### How do I check it is accurate? Weigh something of known weight, such as an unopened 1 kg bag of flour or sugar, and compare. ### Can it weigh small card mailers? It can. Near a Royal Mail weight limit, a 0.1 g pocket scale reads light mailers more precisely.