DPD vs UPS: A Comparison

If you manage an e-commerce business than you know the importance of choosing the right carrier.

Choosing the correct carrier is not just a search for the right supplier. It’s about identifying a serious ally that will help you deliver the best value and service to your customers.

The right carrier will satisfy your customers with the best quality, speed, and cost effective services. 

DPD vs UPS

Here at ShippyPro, we want to help you in your search for that perfect carrier.

Today we will be analyzing DPD and UPS’ National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

DPD is based in Germany while UPS is based in the US. Both play are significant players in the global shipping market.

In this article, we will see what services are offered by the two companies for the national, UK, European and international market.

DPD vs UPS: National US Shipments 

DPD does not provide services in the United States, so we will just focus on UPS for this section.

UPS
Service	Delivery Time	Cost
UPS Express Critical	Best available time, provided when order is placed
UPS Next Day Air Early	Next business day delivery by 8:00 a.m.
UPS Next Day Air	Next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m.
UPS Next Day Air Saver	Next business day delivery by 3:00 a.m.
UPS 2nd Day Air a.m.	Delivery by second business day by 10:30 a.m.
UPS 3 Day Air Select	Delivery by the third business day by the end of the day
UPS Ground	Delivery between 1 to 5 business days

The table above lists UPS’ services for US to US deliveries. 

UPS’ services mainly fall into four categories: Same day, next day, two day, and three or more day delivery.

Same Day Delivery is for those critical packages that must arrive on the same day, no matter what day of the year.

Next Day Delivery guarantees delivery your packages the next business day with options of by 8:00am, 10:30am, or 3:00pm.

Two Day Delivery delivers your packages in two business days with the options of 10:00am or by the end of the day.

Three or More Day Delivery provides economic options with a guaranteed delivery by the end of the third business day. Or for the most economic option of delivery between one and five business days.

DPD vs UPS: National UK Services 

Below is a table that compares DPD and UPS domestic services within the UK.

UPS			DPD
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
UPS Express Plus	Before 9:00 am the next business day		DPD 10:30	Next business day delivery by 10:30 am
UPS Express	Before 10:30 am the next business day		DPD 12:00	Next business-day delivery by 12:00 pm
UPS Express Saver	Before 12:00 pm the next business day		DPD Next Day	Next business-day delivery by end of day
UPS Express Critical	Same day delivery within one hour of shipment collection, 365 days a year		Saturday and Sunday Delivery	Next day delivery on Saturdays and Sundays
UPS Standard	By end of day, 1-5 business days		Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scilly Islands and Scottish Highlands and Islands Delivery	Two business day delivery before 12:00 pm

UPS offers a wide range of services that can be broken down into same day, next day, and 1 to 5 day categories.

UPS Express Critical offers same day delivery within one hour of collection.  This is the perfect option if time is critical and money is no issue.

UPS Express options deliver the package the next business day with times of delivery ranging from 9:00am, 10:30am and 12:30pm.

UPS Standard offers the most economic option with delivery times falling between 1 and 5 days.

DPD provides domestic UK services that will deliver the parcel the next business day with varying times of delivery.

They also provide a special Saturday and Sunday delivery service for those packages that just can’t wait until the working week.

DPD has a sophisticated service that provides parcel delivery to all parts of the UK as well.

DPD 10:30, 12:00, and Next Day offers next business-day delivery by their respective times Monday through Friday.

Saturday and Sunday Delivery provides the option of next day delivery specifically on these days, Some other companies don’t deliver on these days and this becomes very advantageous.

Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scilly Islands and Scottish Highlands and Islands Delivery provides two business day delivery before 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to all these locations.

DPD vs UPS: Europe

DPD			UPS
Service	Time of Delivery	Cost	Service	Time of Delivery	Cost
DPD Classic	1-4 Business Days		WorldWilde Express	1-3 business days
			Express Saver	By the end of the day, 1-5 business days
			Standard	By the end of a defined business day
			Express Plus	By 9:00 am in 1-3 business days
			Expedited	By the end of the day in 2-5 business days

DPD provides one European service, DPD Classic.

DPD Classic reaches all major European destinations in 1-4 business days to serve your European delivery needs.

UPS offers all the same services for Europe that it offers internationally.

Standard Service is the most basic service, trading slightly longer delivery times for cost effectiveness.

Express Service offers the opposite with shorter delivery times at a slightly higher cost.

The main difference between UPS’s standard and express services is the mode of transportation. UPS standard services use a truck while express services use an airplane.

DPD vs UPS: International

DPD			UPS
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
DPD Air Classic	2-5 business days		Worldwide Express	By end of 1-3 business days
DPD Express	1-3 business days		Worldwide Freight	By end of 1-3 business days
DPD Direct	3-8 business days		Standard	By end of defined day
DPD International Mail Priority	2-7 days in Europe and 6-10 days in the rest of the world		Express Plus	Before 9:00 am, 1-3 business days
DPD International Mail Standard	7-14 days in Europe and 14-21 days in the rest of the world		Expedited	By end of 2-5 business days
			Express Saver	By end of 1-5 business days

UPS offers several international services, some of these services are the same for shipments in Europe.

Express Saver and the Expedited Service are the most cost effective solutions guaranteeing safe delivery with reasonable delivery times.

Both are door-to-door services with delivery scheduled within 5 business days. Customs clearance is even included.

The Worldwide Express Saver is the fastest international solution UPS has to offer. Delivery times range from 1 to 3 days depending on the destination location (time slots are preset). Three free delivery attempts are included.

Finally, if you choose the Worldwide Express Saver option, free packaging is included in the service at a slightly lower price point.

DPD provides multiple international services, catering to both economic and luxurious options. 

DPD Air Classic reaches 230 countries and can get parcels to these worldwide locations in 2-5 business days.

DPD Express can reach the same 230 countries in 1-3 business days for an increased price from the DPD Air Classic option.

DPD Direct partners with local postal carriers in 34 countries to expedite delivery time to 3-8 days.

DPD International Mail Priority provides different delivery times based on the destination location. A delivery time of 2-7 days in Europe and 6-10 days in the rest of the world is guaranteed by this service. This service is reserved for businesses sending 2 kg of mail a day.

DPD International Mail Standard also provides different delivery times depending on what part of the world the parcel is being sent. Delivery time range from 7-14 days in Europe and 14-21 days in the rest of the world. This service is also reserved for businesses sending 2 kg of mail a day. This is also the most economic international option DPD has to offer.

DPD vs UPS: Additional Services for E-commerce 

UPS’s offers an extensive list of useful additional services to its customers.

The physical UPS stores offer customers business services as well as shipping materials. 

The most used additional service is the UPS Access Point.

A UPS Access Point is an efficient and convenient location that allows customers to send and collect their parcels.

Through this service you can also deposit parcels being returned and choose the preferred time to pick up the parcel.

It is an extremely simple service to use.

Once you select the time the package will arrive at the access point, the customer will receive an email or sms message notifying them when their package will be ready to be picked up. Allowing them to collect their package at their earliest convenience.

Only a valid identification card is required for the withdrawal.

UPS Returns is the UPS service that deals with simplifying and managing the returns of its customers. The service consists of 3 options:

• UPS Returns is the standard return service that allows you to create and deliver customer-generated labels that attach to the original shipment or to a new delivery.
  Labels can be sent via email or traditional delivery.
• UPS Returns Plus, is the service where UPS is responsible for everything. From label creation to delivery of the item up to final destination, all the responsibly is off your shoulders.
  The service has two additional options, a one-day return attempt or a 3-day return attempt.
• Returns via the UPS Web is the service that allows the end customer to complete the reselling process online (via a web browser), including the creation of a UPS return label.
  Additionally, companies can link their back-end databases to the yield process, making the most of return product information, thereby reducing costs and improving customer service.

DPD also offers a large selection of additional sophisticated features.

• Euro Bullet – Dedicated delivery by ground to and from Europe

• Euro Freight – Heavy shipments into and out of Europe

• Air Freight – Heavy shipments via scheduled or chartered flights

• Ocean Freight – Large shipments by sea

• Exhibition Services – Delivery to or from exhibitions, plus on-site services

• On-Board Courier – Personal delivery service by air

• UK Freight and Same Day – For pallets, bulk movements and book-ins that cannot be moved through our network (over three pallets per collection)
• Worldwide Imports – The shipment of goods into the UK where the UK customer is paying for the distribution

DPD vs UPS: Reviews and Considerations

We at ShippyPro operate in the e-commerce sector, especially in the field of online shipments. We are in daily contact with many domestic and international carriers. 

Evaluating all the work of a carrier is not an easy task.

The one perfect carrier does not exist, however, there are certain carriers that are more suited for the needs of your business. 

In this article we have introduced the main services of both DPD and UPS, used heavily at a national and international level.

We want to help you choose the ideal logistics partner for your needs, but there are other considerations we need to look at. 

To do this, we will show you the only metric of transparent judgment we have; the reviews of customers who use DPD and UPS daily to ship domestically and around the globe.

Below are the total reviews of the two carriers formed on the basis of daily feedback from customers.

DPD vs UPS: Who do we choose to ship?

At this point you understand how difficult it is to determine which carrier is better than another.

It is well known that some carriers work better in some areas than others.

Now, considering that your goal is to provide the best customer service, there is nothing better than trying to enter into a contract with not one, but multiple carriers.

This way you will be able to offer excellent service in every area and every category of product.

Don’t limit yourself to a single shipping service provider.

Instead, look to choose different carriers, each for a specific scope, significantly reducing asset management costs.

In fact, each freight forwarder charges very different tariffs in relation to the weight, size, and destination of the goods.

Compare and choose the best carriers for any type of shipping you make!

Comparing all these carriers is a time-consuming process, but there are services for managing the various shippers that can help.

It’s convenient to pick a software like ShippyPro, which automatically compares the prices of different vendors and allows you to set shipping rules, saving you time and money.