Meaning & use
plus shipping and handling
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Used after a price to show that the buyer must also pay extra for delivery and for packing the item.
Grammar: Comes after a price: $20 plus shipping and handling. It is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- price + plus shipping and handling
The jacket costs $45 plus shipping and handling.
Tickets are $30, plus shipping and handling if you order online.
The ad said the set was $19.99 plus shipping and handling.
Common combinations
- cost plus shipping and handling
- The total cost plus shipping and handling came to $62.
- price plus shipping and handling
- Check the price plus shipping and handling before you buy.
- an additional charge for shipping and handling
- There is an additional charge for shipping and handling on heavy items.
- free shipping and handling
- This month the store offers free shipping and handling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plus postage and packing
- British English prefers this wording for the same idea.
- plus delivery charges
- This is a broader phrase; it may not include the cost of packing.
Word family
Commonly confused: plus shipping and handling or free shipping and handling?
plus shipping and handling vs free shipping and handling
This means the seller pays those costs, so the buyer pays nothing extra.
Practice
The lamp costs $35 ______ shipping and handling.
Choose one answer.
'Plus' adds the extra cost to the price. 'Minus' would subtract it, and 'beside' and 'except' do not fit the price context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plus shipping and handling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.