How to Choose the Best Courier in UK for E-commerce

If you manage an e-commerce business than you know the importance of choosing the proper mail courier. Choosing the correct courier 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. How to choose the best courier in UK?

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

Here at ShippyPro, we want to help you in your search for that best courier in UK, the perfect one for your business!

Today we will be analyzing a variety of couriers within the national UK market to help you decide which one works best for you!

TNT

TNT provides quick and cost effective courier services within the UK. Their services can deliver the package the next business day with timing depending on how much they want to spend.

Next Day delivery guarantees delivery of the package by the next business day with the timing options 9:00am, 10:00am, and 12:00pm Monday through Friday.

If it is essential a package be delivered on a Saturday, TNT also offers Saturday Service. This provides same day delivery or collection from a local TNT depot.

Royal Mail

Royal Mail offers cost effective options for same day, next business day, and 2-3 business day delivery. These services also differ on potential compensation coverage based on your needs. The other key difference to note is some services offer guaranteed delivery while others cannot promise the parcel will arrive on time, but the success rates are high.

Same Day Delivery guarantees delivery by the end of the day on the same day the delivery order was placed. A special £10,000 compensation coverage option is available for those who need it. Due to the expedited nature of this service it does cost more than their other options.

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed offers guaranteed delivery the next business day by 9:00 am. Royal Mail is so confident they can fulfill their guarantee that if the package does not arrive on time, they delivery is 100% free. A special £10,000 compensation coverage is also offered.

Royal Mail Signed for 1st Class aims to complete the delivery by the end of the next business day. While this is not a guarantee, the success rate of these deliveries is extremely high. There is an option to add up to £50 of compensation coverage as well.

The Royal Mail Signed for 2nd Class option aims to deliver the parcel by the end of 2-3 business days for a cost effective price. It is worth noting this 2-3 day delivery is only a goal and is not guaranteed, however it does enjoy a high success rate. The optional £50 of compensation coverage is also available.

Royal Mail’s 1st Class Mail serviceaims to complete the delivery by the end of the next possible business day. The success rate of this goal is also very high. Again the difference in compensation coverage is noticed. The potential coverage in this service is only up to £20 instead of the £50 option offered by its similarly priced services.

The 2nd Class Mail service aims to deliver the parcel by the end of 2-3 business days. While not a guarantee it is the most economic option if leniency in delivery time is allowable. Again the compensation is only £20 instead of £50.

DHL

DHL’s UK services all offer next business day delivery with variations in time of delivery.

The options for time of delivery the next day are 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, by the end of the day, and by the end of the day once the parcel reaches a DHL Service Point.

Additionally, all of these services come with tracking and liability protection.

DPD

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.

Yodel

Yodel is based in the UK and exclusively operates in the UK market.

Yodel’s UK services can be broken down into two different categories. Services that guarantee 1-2 day delivery, and services to The Republic of Ireland and the surrounding Islands in the UK.

Yodel Xpress, Yodel Xpect, and Yodel Xpert all guarantee delivery in 1-2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

The only differences between these three services is Yodel Xpect and Yodel Xpert provide a two hour delivery window to make receiving the parcel even more convenient.

Yodel Xpert also handles packages with additional care for a small increase in price.

Republic of Ireland Parcel Delivery Service and Channel Islands Parcel Delivery Service deliver parcels in 2-3 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. 

While Isle of Man Parcel Delivery Service guarantees delivery in 2 days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm.

FedEx

FedEx offers a range of times for their next business day delivery services. They also offer an economic option.

The next day delivery options are by 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, or by the end of the day Monday through Friday.

FedEx Economy offers delivery by the end of 1-3 business days Monday through Friday.

UPS

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. 

Parcel Force

Parcel force services can fall into the more expensive category but they are very reliable and offer a wide selection of services in the UK. These services can be separated into next day, two day, and Ireland services.

Next Morning Express 9, Next Morning Express 10, Next Morning Express AM, Next Day Express 24 all offer delivery the next business day with arrival times at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and by the end of the day respectively.

Two Day Express48 and Large Parcel Express48, offer delivery by the end of two business days. The weight of the parcel for Two Day Express48 is limited to 3okg. However, Large Parcel Express48 will take as many individual 30kg as you could ever want.

Their Ireland Express service will complete a special delivery to Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland by the end of the next business day.

UK Mail

UK Mail offers very reasonably priced next day delivery options to the UK. But also offers more economic options if time is not as important of a factor. UK Mail provides special value in that they offer many services that will deliver on Saturdays, a service that is rather unique in the shipping industry.

Pre 9:00 am offers delivery by 9:00 am the next possible business day Monday though Saturday. At a reasonable price and next day delivery, this is one of UK Mail’s most popular options.

UK Mail’s Next Day delivery service promises delivery by the end of the next business day. This is available Monday through Saturday and is rather close in price to the Pre 9:00 am service.

There is also a special Saturday Service for parcels that are intended to arrive ahead of time on a Saturday. This is beneficial because you are able to selectively pay only for the Saturday service without paying for the expedited delivery.

UK Mail’s Flexible Option is their most economic shipping service in the UK. Delivery is guaranteed by the end of 3-5 business days. This service is only available Monday through Friday but is the best option in terms of cost.

Which is the Best Courier in UK for Next Day Shipping Options?

Which is the Best Courier in UK for 2 Day Shipping Options?

Which is the Best Courier in UK for 3+ Day Shipping Options?

Which is the Best Courier in UK for my Ecommerce Business? 

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

In fact, it does not exist a “best courier in UK”, but sure there is the best provider for your needs.

Golden Rule #1 is to make your needs clear in order to understand which courier could be the best partner for you, your “best courier in UK”.

And what about Golden Rule #2?
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 couriers.

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 couriers, 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.

The best way to manage this important decision is to choose a software that automatically compares the prices of different vendors and / or allows you to set shipping rules, saving you time and money.