DPD vs UK Mail: A Comparison

If you manage an e-commerce business then 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.

DPD vs UK Mail

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

In this article we will be analyzing DPD vs UK Mail’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. It also effectively serves the international market as well.

DPD vs UK Mail: National UK Shipments

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

UK Mail	DPD
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
Pre 9:00 am	By next business day by 9:00 am		DPD 10:30	Next business day delivery by 10:30 am
Next Day	By end of next business day		DPD 12:00	Next business-day delivery by 12:00 pm
Saturday Delivery	By 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays		DPD Next Day	Next business-day delivery by end of day
Flexible Option	By end of 3-5 business days		Saturday and Sunday Delivery	Next day delivery on Saturdays and Sundays
Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Scilly Islands and Scottish Highlands and Islands Delivery	Two business day delivery before 12:00 pm

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.

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.

DPD vs UK Mail: Europe

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.

UK Mail also 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.

DPD vs UK Mail: International 

TNT	DPD
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
Express	By the end of next business day		DPD Air Classic	2-5 business days
Special Services	As soon as possible next business day		DPD Express	1-3 business days
Express Economy	By end of defined day		DPD Direct	3-8 business days
Air Freight	By end of 1-3 business days		DPD International Mail Priority	2-7 days in Europe and 6-10 days in the rest of the world
Road Freight	By end of 1-5 business days		DPD International Mail Standard	7-14 days in Europe and 14-21 days in the rest of the world

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.

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 UK Mail: 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.

DPD 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 UK Mail: 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 DPD and UK Mail, 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 UK Mail 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 our customers.

DPD vs UK Mail: 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.