Yodel vs Royal Mail: 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.

Yodel vs Royal Mail

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

Today we will be analyzing Yodel and Royal Mail’s National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.

Both Yodel and Royal Mail are based in The United Kingdom, playing key roles in the UK market. Yodel exclusively operates in the UK market, whereas Royal Mail effectively serves the international market.

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

Yodel vs Royal Mail: National UK Services 

Below is a table that compares Yodel and Royal Mail’s domestic services within the UK.

Yodel	Royal Mail
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
Yodel Xpress	1-2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm		Same Day Delivery	By end of same business day
Yodel Xpect	1-2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm within a 2 hour window		Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed	Guaranteed next business day by 9:00 am
Yodel Xpert	1-2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm within a 2 hour window		Royal Mail Signed for 1st Class	Aim to deliver by end of next business day
Republic of Ireland Parcel Delivery Service	2-3 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm		Royal Mail Signed for 2nd Class	Aim to deliver by end of 2-3 business days
Channel Islands Parcel Delivery Service	2-3 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm		1st Class Mail	Aim to deliver by end of next business day
Isle of Man Parcel Delivery Service	2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm		2nd Class Mail	Aim to deliver by the end of 2-3 business days

Yodel’s UK services can be broken down into two different categories. Services that guarantee 1-2 day delivery, and services to The Republic of Ireland and the surrounding Islands in the UK.

Yodel Xpress, Yodel Xpect, and Yodel Xpert al

l guarantee delivery in 1-2 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

The only differences between these three services is Yodel Xpect and Yodel Xpert provide a two hour delivery window to make receiving the parcel even more convenient.

Yodel Xpert also handles packages with additional care for a small increase in price.

Republic of Ireland Parcel Delivery Service and Channel Islands Parcel Delivery Service deliver parcels in 2-3 business days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm. 

While Isle of Man Parcel Delivery Service guarantees delivery in 2 days between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm.

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 serviceaims 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.

Yodel vs Royal Mail: Europe

Yodel	Royal Mail
Service	Time of Delivery	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
No service provided	International Tracked and Signed	Aim for end of 3-5 business days
International Tracked	Aim for end of 3-5 business days
International Signed	Aim for end of 3-5 business days
International Standard	Aim for end of 3-5 business days
International Economy	Aim for end of 10-15 business days

Yodel specializes in UK delivery and does not provide services to specifically Europe outside of the UK.

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.

Yodel vs Royal Mail: International 

Below is a table that compares Yodel and Royal Mail’s International services.

Yodel	Royal Mail
Service	Delivery Time	Cost	Service	Delivery Time	Cost
Yodel World Delivery	3-5 business days		International Tracked and Signed	Aim for end of 5-7 business days
International Tracked	Aim for end of 5-7 business days
International Signed	Aim for end of 5-7 business days
International Standard	Aim for end of 5-7 business days
International Economy	Aim for end of 6-12 weeks

Yodel World Delivery has enjoyed a high success rate of completing deliveries to major global locations in 3-5 business days, but this is not a guarantee. Collections are expected to be made between 8:00 am and 6:00p

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.

Yodel vs Royal Mail: Additional Services for E-commerce 

Yodel offers a wide variety of additional services that are geared specifically for business to ship their parcels smarter!

WebReporting provides complete transparency on the progress and status of all your parcels and consignments.

Yodel’s Have Your Say system gathers live feedback from customers on their delivery experience from start to finish.

The Report Centre provides all the details that you need to know, in real time, about the delivery of your parcels.

The POD Viewer provides a proof of delivery (POD) viewing tool as standard for all Yodel contract numbers. 

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.

Yodel 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 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 Yodel 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 metric of transparent judgment we have; the reviews of customers who use Yodel and Royal 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 customers.

Yodel vs Royal 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.