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DHL vs Royal Mail: 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.

DHL vs Royal Mail

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

Today we will be analyzing DHL and Royal Mail.

Royal Mail is based in The United Kingdom, playing a key role in the UK market. DHL is headquartered in Germany and has a large presence in the global shipping market.

In this article we will be analyzing DHL vs Royal Mail National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

DHL vs Royal Mail

DHL vs Royal Mail: National US Shipments

DHL    
Service Delivery Time Cost
DHL SmartMail Parcel By end of one 2-3 business days
DHL SmartMail Parcel Plus By end of one 2-3 business days
DHL SmartMail Parcel Return By end of one 1-3 business days
DHL Smart Mail Flats By end of one 2-5 business days
DHL SmartMail Bundle Printed Matter By end of one 2-5 business days
     
     
     
     

Royal Mail does not provide services in the United States, so we will just take a look at DHL first.

DHL’s US domestic services can be broken into three categories based on delivery time.

DHL SmartMail Parcel and DHL SmartMail Parcel Plus both guarantee delivery between 2-3 days. The only difference between the two is DHL SmartMail Parcel Plus has a maximum weight 25lbs while DHL SmartMail Parcel only has a maximum weight of 1lb.

Subsequently DHL SmartMail Parcel Plus costs a bit more.

DHL SmartMail Bundle Printed Matter and DHL Smart Mail Flats both guarantee delivery in 2-5 days. The only difference between the two is DHL SmartMail Bundle Printed Matter has a maximum weight 15lbs while DHL Smart Mail Flats only has a maximum weight of 1lb.

As a result, DHL SmartMail Bundle Printed Matter costs slightly more than DHL Smart Mail Flats.

There is also DHL SmartMail Parcel Return that easily handles return packages within 1-3 days.

                     

DHL vs Royal Mail: National UK Shipments

This table compares DHL and Royal Mail’s domestic services throughout the UK.

DHL     Royal Mail    
Service Delivery Time Cost Service Delivery Time Cost
DHL Domestic Express 9:00 Delivery by 9:00 am next business day Same Day Delivery By end of same business day
DHL Domestic Express 12:00 Delivery by 12:00 pm next business day Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed Guaranteed next business day by 9:00 am
DHL Domestic Express Delivery by end of next business day Royal Mail Signed for 1st Class Aim to deliver by end of next business day
DHL Domestic Express Easy Delivery by end of next business day once handed over to a DHL Service Point Royal Mail Signed for 2nd Class Aim to deliver by end of 2-3 business days
      1st Class Mail Aim to deliver by end of next business day
      2nd Class Mail Aim to deliver by the end of 2-3 business days

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. 

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 service aims 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 vs Royal Mail

DHL vs Royal Mail: Europe

Royal Mail does not have Europe specific services, but their European and international delivery times differ slightly. The table below compares the Royal Mail’s European aspect to DHL’s European service.

DHL     Royal Mail    
Service Time of Delivery Cost Service Delivery Time Cost
DHL Same Day
Sprintline
One business day after the withdrawal International Tracked and Signed Aim for end of 3-5 business days
DHL Express Worldwide One business day
after the withdrawal
International Tracked Aim for end of 3-5 business days
DHL Express 9:00 By 9:00 am next business day International Signed Aim for end of 3-5 business days
DHL Express 12:00 By 12:00 pm next business day International Standard Aim for end of 3-5 business days
DHL Economy Select By end of day in 1-4 business days International Economy Aim for end of 10-15 business days
           

DHL ships to Europe using many of the same services it uses for international shipments. Express Worldwide is the most used service, reaching around 220 countries worldwide.

The Economy Select service is the most used service in Europe. It is a door to door service that allows to send single, multicolored packages and pallets in Europe.

The delivery is from 1 to 4 working days, with a weight limit of is 30 kg per package and volumetric weight of 200 kg per m³.

It is the cheapest service DHL provides for shipments in Europe, the service can be integrated with additional options to improve the quality.

One of these additional options is continuous monitoring, which allows you to follow progress of the goods from start to finish.

The Same Day Sprintline service is the fast road service that reaches the entire euro zone. The speed of the service does raise the cost, even if the distances are relatively short.

Royal Mail’s international services are also offered in Europe with the reduction of delivery times.  These services can be broken down into two economic options and three slightly more costly options based on the delivery needs.

International Tracked aims to complete the delivery by the end of 3-5 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 3-5 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 3-5 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 3-5 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 10-15 business days with none of the frills of the other services.

DHL vs Royal Mail: International

The table below lists the international shipping services provided by DHL and Royal Mail.

DHL     Royal Mail    
Service Delivery Time Cost Service Delivery Time Cost
DHL Sameday Jetline By end of business day via air International Tracked and Signed Aim for end of 5-7 business days
DHL Sameday Sprintline By end of business days via ground International Tracked Aim for end of 5-7 business days
DHL Express Worldwide By end of 1 business day from withdrawal International Signed Aim for end of 5-7 business days
DHL Express 12:00 By 12:00 pm in 1 business day International Standard Aim for end of 5-7 business days
DHL Express Envelope End of one business day (documents only) International Economy Aim for end of 6-12 weeks

Internationally, both DHL and Royal Mail offer a large variety of services with different costs and shipping times.

Royal 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.

DHL provides many services, some as expensive as the Same Day service available both by air and by road.

WorldWide Express  is the most frequently used service, with slightly longer times but at a lower cost.

The exclusive DHL Envelope service reserved only for documents, enables rapid delivery of documentation in approximately 220 countries around the world.

DHL vs Royal Mail: Additional Services for E-commerce

Both companies have well-structured services that are full of additional options.

Royal 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.

DHL offers its customers express delivery at DHL Service Points. These are authorized stores where DHL customers can choose to receive the goods.

This service allows the customer to pick up the package when it best suits them.

Specific industries such as fashion and food have their own special services.

DHL offers services designed for the fashion industry: DHL Express for Fashion offers solutions for the fashion industry and an ad hoc packaging, with an elegant and refined design.

DHL vs Royal Mail

DHL Medical Express manages the transportation of time sensitive and temperature sensitive shipments for the Life Science sector.

For non-perishable food products, DHL Express Food & Beverage packages and places these items in suitable packaging.

DHL vs Royal Mail

DHL vs Royal 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 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 DHL and Royal 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 DHL and Royal Mail 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.

DHL vs Royal Mail

DHL vs Royal Mail: 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.

Sign up for ShippyPro   →

ShippyPro Team

ShippyPro is the complete shipping software for online and offline retail. With Label Creator, Track & Trace, Easy Return and Analytics features, our software simplifies your shipping operations. ShippyPro integrates with over 160 couriers and 80 sales channels, making it compatible with a wide range of products and use cases.