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 Parcelforce

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

In this article we will be analyzing DPD vs Parcelforce’s National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

Parcelforce is based in The United Kingdom, playing a key role in the UK market. It also effectively serves the international market as well.

DPD vs Parcelforce: National US Shipments

Both DPD and Parcelforce do not provide services to the United States. Thus, we will be skipping this section.

DPD vs Parcelforce: National UK Shipments

The table below compares DPD and Parcelforce’s domestic services throughout the UK.

DPD	Parcel Force
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
DPD 10:30	Next business day delivery by 10:30 am		Next Morning Express 9	Next business day by 9:00 am
DPD 12:00	Next business-day delivery by 12:00 pm		Next Morning Express 10	Next business day by 10:00 am
DPD Next Day	Next business-day delivery by end of day		Next Morning Express AM	Next business day by 12:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday Delivery	Next day delivery on Saturdays and Sundays		Next Day Express 24	By end of next business day
Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scilly Islands and Scottish Highlands and Islands Delivery	Two business day delivery before 12:00 pm		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

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.

Parcelforce 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.

DPD vs Parcelforce: Europe

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

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.

DPD vs Parcelforce: International 

Parcel Force	DPD
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
Global Express	By the end of next business day for Europe, USA, and Canada. 2 business days for the rest of the world.		DPD Air Classic	2-5 business days
Global Priority	End of 3 business days to Europe and major destinations worldwide		DPD Express	1-3 business days
Global Value	By end of 5-8 working days worldwide		DPD Direct	3-8 business days
Global Economy	28-46 business days worldwide (not available to Europe destinations)		DPD International Mail Priority	2-7 days in Europe and 6-10 days in the rest of the world
HM Forces	Delivery varies based on station		DPD International Mail Standard	7-14 days in Europe and 14-21 days in the rest of the world

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

Parcelforce’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.

Parcelforce 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.

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 Parcelforce: Additional Services for E-commerce

Parcelforce 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.

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 Parcelforce: 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 Parcelforce, 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 meter of transparent judgment we have; the reviews of our customers who use DPD and Parcelforce 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 our customers.

DPD vs Parcelforce: 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.