UK Mail vs. Parcel Force: Ein Vergleich (auf Englisch)

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.

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

UK Mail vs Parcel Force

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

Today we will be analyzing UK Mail vs Parcel Force’s National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

UK Mail is based in The United Kingdom, playing a key role in the UK market. 

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

UK Mail vs Parcel Force: National UK Services

Below is a table that compares UK Mail and Parcel Force domestic services within the UK.

UK Mail	Parcel Force
Services	Delivery Time	Cost	Services	Delivery Time	Cost
Pre 9:00 am	By next business day by 9:00 am		Next Morning Express 9	Next business day by 9:00 am
Next Day	By end of next business day		Next Morning Express 10	Next business day by 10:00 am
Saturday Delivery	By 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays		Next Morning Express AM	Next business day by 12:00 pm
Flexible Option	By end of 3-5 business days		Next Day Express 24	By end of next business day
Two Day Express 48	By end of next 2 business days
Large Parcel Express 48	By end of next 2 business days
Ireland Express	By end of next business day

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.

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 vs Parcel Force: Europe

UK Mail	Parcel Force
Services	Delivery Time	Cost	Services	Delivery Time	Cost
Road Express	Delivery by end of 2-6 business days		No service provided

UK Mail offers a single European specific service, Road Express.

Road Express aims for delivery by the end of the day in 2-6 business days. At a fair price point and reasonable delivery time, this option is vary popular in the European market.

Parcel Force does not have Europe specific services, they fall into the category of international services.

UK Mail vs Parcel Force: International 

The table below lists the international shipping services provided by UK Mail and Parcel Force.

UK Mail	Parcel Force
Services	Delivery Time	Cost	Services	Delivery Time	Cost
Air Express	By end of 6-10 business days		Global Express	By the end of next business day for Europe, USA, and Canada. 2 business days for the rest of the world.
Global Priority	End of 3 business days to Europe and major destinations worldwide
Global Value	By end of 5-8 working days worldwide
Global Economy	28-46 business days worldwide (not available to Europe destinations)
HM Forces	Delivery varies based on station

UK Mail’s International services are the same as their European services so this section will look very similar to their European services with adjusted longer delivery times, with both economic and more pricey options. 

International Tracked aims to complete the delivery by the end of 5-7 business days. This service also provides end to end tracking of the parcel, giving you peace of mind from start to finish.

International Signed aims to hand you the parcel by the end of 5-7 business days as well. The difference with this service is it requires a signature upon the arrival of the package. This is perfect for sensitive parcels that are too important to be left out sitting on the porch.

International Tracked and Signed brings the best of both worlds to the table. Offering end to end tracking on top of the required signature upon arrival. With the same delivery time of 5-7 days this option is very popular and is the most expensive of Royal Mail’s European/international options.

International Standard is the first of the two economic European options. With a goal of delivery in 5-7 business days and no required signature or tracking system, it is a happy middle ground between cost effective and expensive additional services.

International Economy is the most bare bones European service Royal Mail offers. Completion of the package is expected between 6-12 weeks with none of the frills of the other services.

Parcel Force’s services can be broken down into premium expedited delivery time services, slower but more economic options, and their special HM Forces service.

Parcel Force’s Global Express service is at the top of the market when it comes to expedited international shipping services. This service guarantees delivery by the end of the next business day in Europe, USA, and Canada. For the rest of the world, delivery time is around 2 days, which is still very fast for international shipping. Of course this service will cost a significant amount, but you definitely get what you pay for.

At a slightly lower price point Global Priority delivers the parcel in 3 business days to all European and major destinations worldwide. While still expensive, this service does offer a slightly more affordable expedited shipping option. 

 Global Value providesa nice middle ground between premium services and economic options. Delivery ranges from 5-8 working days worldwide, which is still very fast, but far less expensive than the previous two options. This middle ground makes the Global Value service very popular in the international market space. 

At the far end of the economic spectrum is the Global Economy option. A significantly slower delivery time of 28-46 business days worldwide (not available to Europe destinations) is matched with a significantly lower price. This options is perfect if time is not important in the arrival of the parcel.

Parcel Force also offers a special international service for HM Forces. This service is heavily discounted in order to keep service mean and women connected globally. Delivery times vary based on the destination, but it is often very expedited.

UK Mail vs Parcel Force: Additional Services for E-commerce 

UK Mail offers a very unique Articles for the Blind option. This additional service will specially ship books, printed materials, letters, relief maps, audio and electronic media, equipment such as magnifiers and mobility aids up t 7 kg all made to aid visually impaired people. They come delivered at a First Class International rate and are very reasonably priced for a service that can spare no expense.

HM Forces Mail offers special discounted prices for delivering mail to The British Forces Post Office. With guaranteed Special Delivery, First Class Signed For, and Royal Mail 1st Class it is the perfect option for staying connected with the men and women serving their country. They deserve the best mails services and this additional service provides that to them.

Parcel Force offers many additional services catering specifically to businesses and their customers.

Business Convenient Collect the parcel can be picked up the next business day after the parcel is dropped off at a Post Office in the UK. This is a very economic option as the package can be picked up as late as 10:00 pm, providing both convince and savings for the customer.

Business Express Collect similarly offers parcel pick up the next business day at a post office in the UK. The difference is that this service offers pickup as early as 8:00 am, resulting in a slightly higher price point.

Business Express Exchange takes care of the parcel exchange process with ease and low costs. This service handles collection and delivery in one single transaction. Delivery speed options range from 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 24 hour exchanges are available.

UK Pallet is specially set up for large and heavy shipments. This service delivers pallets to every area code in the UK. Different delivery times are met with different prices. The delivery times range 12:00 pm the next business day, end of the next business day, or by the end of two business days. Pallet can weigh up to 1000kg total, serving very heavy shipments. Compensation is also offered in line with Road Haulage Association (£1.30 per kilo).

For even larger deliveries theres Business Global Bulk. This service can handle pallets weighing up to 1,200kg, serving even the largest shipments. Delivery times vary, but collection starts usually the day of booking. CMR compensation is also included.

For large quantity shipments, Business Global Direct is a great solution for businesses. The requirements for this service are the sender must send a minimum of 40 parcels per country. With this service, Parcel Force can deliver a large quantity of parcels to all major European destinations, in 3 working days. Individual parcels can weigh up to 30kg with compensation up to £25 per parcel, that is included in the price. While this service is very expensive, in the long run businesses save a lot of money by using this bulk shipping option.

UK Mail vs Parcel Force: 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 couriers. 

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

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

In this article we have introduced the main services of both UK Mail and Parcel Force, 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 UK Mail and Parcel Force daily to ship domestically and around the globe.

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

UK Mail vs Parcel Force: Who do we choose to ship?

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