# Ship every order in the cheapest box that fits

> You get a packing chart anyone can follow, with the cheapest box and total cost for each common order.

List your products and the boxes you stock, and get a simple chart with the cheapest box for every common order, so packing stops being guesswork.

- Page: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/cheapest-shipping-box-for-every-order/
- Category: Make smarter decisions
- Made for: Small business owners, Creators
- Works in: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
- Time: About 15 minutes
- Effort: Just copy and paste
- Published: 2026-10-29

## How do I pick the cheapest shipping box for each order?

List your products and the boxes you stock, then ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to work out the cheapest box for each common order, counting box and postage together. All three handle this as a single paste. If you ship only a few products, a chart for single items is enough. If customers often buy two or three things at once, ask it to cover the most likely combinations too, plus a backup box for when one runs out.

## The prompt

Fill in the parts in [square brackets], or leave them and the AI will ask you for them.

```text
You're a shipping and packing expert for a small online shop. Help me stop wasting money on boxes that are too big. My products, with size and weight: [YOUR PRODUCTS, e.g. mug 12x9x9 cm, 400 g]. The boxes and mailers I stock, with inside size and cost each: [YOUR BOXES, e.g. small box 15x15x15 cm, 0.60 each]. How my carrier charges: [YOUR CARRIER RULES, e.g. by size or weight, whichever's higher]. Padding I use: [YOUR PADDING, e.g. 2 cm of bubble wrap all round]. Work out the cheapest box for each single product and for the 10 most likely combinations of two or three items. Count the box cost and the shipping cost together, and leave room for padding. Show it as a table: order, best box, total cost, and a backup box if the first one runs out. Then tell me if adding one new box size would save me money, and which size. Keep it simple enough to print and tape to the wall.
```

## Step by step

1. List your products with their size and weight
2. List the boxes and mailers you stock with their cost
3. Paste the prompt with both lists into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
4. Print the chart and keep it at your packing table

## What you'll get

A printable packing chart with the cheapest box for every single item and common combination, the total cost of each, and one box size worth adding.

## Good to know

**How do I pick the cheapest shipping box for each order?** List your products and the boxes you stock, then ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to work out the cheapest box for each common order, counting box and postage together. All three handle this as a single paste. If you ship only a few products, a chart for single items is enough. If customers often buy two or three things at once, ask it to cover the most likely combinations too, plus a backup box for when one runs out.

**Which AI tools does this work in?** It works in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. On this page, ChatGPT and Claude open with your prompt already typed in. No paid plan is noted for this one.

**How long does it take?** About 15 minutes. It's rated "Just copy and paste". There are 4 steps, listed above.

**What do I need before I start?** Just your details for 4 blanks: your products, your boxes, your carrier rules and your padding. You can skip any, and your AI will ask for them.

**What will I get back?** A printable packing chart with the cheapest box for every single item and common combination, the total cost of each, and one box size worth adding.

Idea spotted on the web, shared by Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune: https://fortune.com/2026/10/23/david-solomon-frontier-models-not-needed-small-business. The prompt is The Solo Creators' own version.

## Go further

Ready-made skills in the Solo Creators AI Studio (https://thesolocreators.com/studio/) that fit this: Board of Advisors (Convene seven AI advisors who debate your decision, vote, and hand back a stress-tested verdict); Fact Checker (Every quote, number, date, and link in your draft checked against its real source, with the fixes handed back as tracked changes you accept or reject).

From AI Use Cases and Prompts by The Solo Creators: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/. Free to use; please link back to the page when you share it.