Skip to content
All posts

TNT vs UPS: A Comparison

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.

TNT vs UPS

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

Today we will be analyzing TNT and UPS National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

TNT is based in the Netherlands and has been present in the international market for many years. Below you can see the TNT network presented by the same company.

UPS is based in the United States and is one of the world’s largest freight carries.

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

TNT vs UPS: National US Shipments 

UPS    
Service Delivery Time Cost
UPS Express Critical Best available time, provided when order is placed
UPS Next Day Air Early Next business day delivery by 8:00 a.m.
UPS Next Day Air Next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m.
UPS Next Day Air Saver Next business day delivery by 3:00 a.m.
UPS 2nd Day Air a.m. Delivery by second business day by 10:30 a.m.
UPS 3 Day Air Select Delivery by the third business day by the end of the day
UPS Ground Delivery between 1 to 5 business days

The table above lists UPS’ services for US to US deliveries. 

UPS’ services mainly fall into four categories: Same day, next day, two day, and three or more day delivery.

Same Day Delivery is for those critical packages that must arrive on the same day, no matter what day of the year.

Next Day Delivery guarantees delivery your packages the next business day with options of by 8:00am, 10:30am, or 3:00pm.

Two Day Delivery delivers your packages in two business days with the options of 10:00am or by the end of the day.

Three or More Day Delivery provides economic options with a guaranteed delivery by the end of the third business day. Or for the most economic option of delivery between one and five business days.

TNT is now FedEx in the United States. For a comparison of their services, check out this “article.”

TNT vs UPS: UK National Services 

TNT     UPS    
Service Delivery Time Cost Service Delivery Time Cost
Next Day 9:00 Before 9:00 am the next business day UPS Express Plus Before 9:00 am the next business day
Next Day 10:00 Before 10:00 am the next business day UPS Express Before 10:30 am the next business day
Next Day 12:00 Before 12:00 pm the next business day UPS Express Saver Before 12:00 pm the next business day
Saturday Service Same day delivery or collection from a local TNT depot is available UPS Express Critical Same day delivery within one hour of shipment collection, 365 days a year
UPS Standard By end of day, 1-5 business days      

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.

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. 

TNT vs UPS: Europe

TNT     UPS    
Service Time of Delivery Cost Service Time of Delivery Cost
Express 12:00
Economy
By 12:00 pm on a specified day WorldWilde Express 1-3 business days
Express 9:00 Next business day by 9:00am Express Saver By the end of the day, 1-5 business days
Express 10:00 Next business day by 10:00am Standard By the end of a defined business day
Special Services The same day if possible Express Plus By 9:00 am in 1-3 business days
Express By the end of the next business day Expedited By the end of the day in 2-5 business days
Express Economy By the end of a specified business day      

UPS offers all the same services for Europe that it offers internationally.

Standard Service is the most basic service, trading slightly longer delivery times for cost effectiveness.

Express Service offers the opposite with shorter delivery times at a slightly higher cost.

The main difference between UPS’s standard and express services is the mode of transportation. UPS standard services use a truck while express services use an airplane.

As you can see from the table above, TNT offers a wide variety of options in the European market.

The most popular options are their Express Packages. These are so popular due to their balance of reasonable delivery time and very competitive price.

Express Packages guarantee fully airfreighted delivery and are intended primarily for European countries.

The Economy Express 12:00 service is exclusive to the eurozone and is designed for greater convenience at the expense of prompt delivery.

The Economy Express service provides transportation to areas and lorries.

TNT vs UPS: International 

The table below outlines the different international services TNT and UPS have to offer.

TNT UPS
Service Delivery Time Cost Service Delivery Time Cost
Express By the end of next business day Worldwide Express By end of 1-3 business days
Special Services As soon as possible next business day Worldwide Freight By end of 1-3 business days
Express Economy By end of defined day Standard By end of defined day
Air Freight By end of 1-3 business days Express Plus Before 9:00 am, 1-3 business days
Road Freight By end of 1-5 business days Expedited By end of 2-5 business days
Express Saver By end of 1-5 business days

UPS offers several international services, some of these services are the same for shipments in Europe.

Express Saver and the Expedited Service are the most cost effective solutions guaranteeing safe delivery with reasonable delivery times.

Both are door-to-door services with delivery scheduled within 5 business days. Customs clearance is even included.

The Worldwide Express Saver is the fastest international solution UPS has to offer. Delivery times range from 1 to 3 days depending on the destination location (time slots are preset). Three free delivery attempts are included.

Finally, if you choose the Worldwide Express Saver option, free packaging is included in the service at a slightly lower price point.

TNT’s international service details are listed below.

  • International Express Services are used to deliver goods to over 40 countries worldwide. Deliveries according to needs and price are scheduled by 9:00am, 10:00am, and 12:00pm with a maximum weight of 500kg.
  • Air Freight Service is a convenient solution for large and less urgent international shipments. Choose the speed and the price according to your needs.
  • Road Freight Service is a convenient solution for large national and international road freight. The advantage of choosing a dedicated vehicle for point-to-point, or groupage transport, is they can stop at different points, consolidate the merchandise, and make the final delivery in one elegant solution. 

TNT vs UPS

TNT vs UPS: Additional Services for E-commerce 

UPS’s offers an extensive list of useful additional services to its customers.

The physical UPS stores offer customers business services as well as shipping materials. 

The most used additional service is the UPS Access Point.

A UPS Access Point is an efficient and convenient location that allows customers to send and collect their parcels.

Through this service you can also deposit parcels being returned and choose the preferred time to pick up the parcel.

It is an extremely simple service to use.

Once you select the time the package will arrive at the access point, the customer will receive an email or sms message notifying them when their package will be ready to be picked up. Allowing them to collect their package at their earliest convenience.

Only a valid identification card is required for the withdrawal.

UPS Returns is the UPS service that deals with simplifying and managing the returns of its customers. The service consists of 3 options:

  • UPS Returns is the standard return service that allows you to create and deliver customer-generated labels that attach to the original shipment or to a new delivery.
    Labels can be sent via email or traditional delivery.
  • UPS Returns Plus, is the service where UPS is responsible for everything. From label creation to delivery of the item up to final destination, all the responsibly is off your shoulders.
    The service has two additional options, a one-day return attempt or a 3-day return attempt.
  • Returns via the UPS Web is the service that allows the end customer to complete the reselling process online (via a web browser), including the creation of a UPS return label.
    Additionally, companies can link their back-end databases to the yield process, making the most of return product information, thereby reducing costs and improving customer service.
TNT vs UPS

TNT vs UPS: 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 TNT and UPS, 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 TNT and UPS 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.

TNT vs UPS

TNT vs UPS: 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.

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.