Expedited Shipping? A Detailed 101 Guide

If there’s one thing that you and your customers expect from shipping, it’s speedy delivery. Research has shown that 41% of customers are willing to pay for same-day delivery, while 24% say they will pay a premium to have their orders delivered within two or three hours; however, only 50% of retailers offer same-day delivery. Everyone wants their shipment to reach them as soon as possible. Expedited shipping can help with this, and indeed, it plays a key role in the whole supply chain.

There are plenty of opportunities to gain more customers by offering more shipping options and fast delivery. One way to do this is to use expedited shipping options. To help you understand this, we’re going to start by answering the question, “What is expedited shipping?” We’ll then discuss how fast the service is, how much it costs, and why you should use it.

What is Expedited Shipping?

Expedited shipping involves giving a particular shipment priority over others, allowing it to be delivered faster. This just means offering faster than normal shipping for many shipping service providers. In practice, this means using courier services such as same-day delivery, next-day delivery, and express delivery. This type of fast shipping usually varies from same-day delivery to three-day deliveries.

In express shipping, every possible means is used to make sure the package reaches its destination as fast as possible. Often, trucking companies are used for this service and they use two drivers who take turns driving so they don’t have to stop during the journey. However, the real delivery time depends on the company policy. For example, USPS Priority Mail Express offers USPS expedited shipping within two days by 3 pm, making it the fastest service offered by the company.

Easyship is the perfect partner for fast and cheap shipping. We have over 250 shipping solutions and some of these are even express shipping services. You can use our shipping rates calculator to figure out how much your shipment will cost and an estimated delivery time to see if you can offer fast shipping to your customers.

How Fast is Expedited Shipping?

Delivery times for fast shipping depend on the courier company’s policy. On average, it takes 2-3 days. But, in practice, it depends on how long your package would take if it were sent through a standard shipping service. For example, if a package would normally take 5-8 days to reach its destination, then the enhanced shipping service would usually take 2-3 days less.

For domestic delivery within the US, the express shipping time can be as fast as same-day or next-day delivery through USPS expedited shipping services such as USPS Priority Express and Priority Domestic. Through these services, you can even get your shipment delivered the next morning.

Express shipping for international destinations like Canada, UK, and the Middle East would, of course, take longer. But, express international courier services like DHL Express can deliver to most international destinations within 1-2 business days. UPS expedited shipping ships to more than 220 international destinations with custom clearance and day-definite door-to-door delivery. FedEx also offers an expedited service in the form of an overnight pickup that delivers the next day.

Tracking and insurance are usually offered with express shipping services. USPS Priority Mail Express - the fastest USPS expedited shipping service - offers $100 insurance coverage and tracking for shipments all year round. Don’t forget that if the insurance and tracking options are provided by your chosen shipping service, Easyship can give you additional options. We offer insurance up to $5,000 and branded tracking emails that provide extra peace of mind and branding for you and your customers.

Related: Easyship’s Domestic Shipping Guide

{{ discover-the-cheapest-shipping-from-usps-ups-and-fedex }}

How Much Does Expedited Shipping Cost?

Any urgent or priority service is understandably more expensive than a standard one, so you can expect that expedited services will cost more than normal courier options. As with any shipping, the exact cost of express shipping depends on the weight, dimensions, destination, and the courier service you’re using. Let’s compare the costs with different couriers.

6 Reasons to Use Expedited Shipping Service

The main reason for using expedited shipping services is to ensure your package is delivered very quickly. This means all other considerations are less important. However, since the service offers plenty of benefits, it might not be the only reason you choose to use it. Here are a few other reasons why this service will be good for both you and your supply chain.

1. To save time

The main purpose of express shipping is to save transit time. In most cases, paying the extra costs isn’t an issue. So if money is a lesser concern than delivery time, then this is a good service to use.

2. To ship perishable items

Many perishable items - like food - require fast shipping. If you sell baked items or frozen food, then this shipping service will ensure that your products reach your customers in good shape.

3. To win (or retain) customers

If most of your customers need fast delivery, then you should make this a standard delivery option for your online store. If you don’t, you may end up losing valuable customers who demand fast deliveries.

4. To increase profits

You could increase your profits by offering express shipping to customers who want it. Perhaps more importantly, it may help encourage more customers to purchase products since they know they can get it quickly.

5. To reduce damage

Expedited shipping services are fast because they are taken directly from the shipper to the receiver. Because there’s very little package handling, there’s less chance of damage.

6. Save on storage

When you offer fast shipping, items spend less time in your inventory. This saves the cost of inventory storage.

How Easyship Can Help

Today, most online shoppers prefer to have their orders delivered as soon as possible. Many are also willing to pay extra for fast deliveries. Sometimes, though, expedited shipping is the only reasonable solution, especially if you’re selling perishable goods, for example.

Different courier companies offer different services for expedited deliveries. The service is more expensive than standard delivery services, but can usually deliver a package within 1-3 days.

Easyship offers fast and affordable shipping solutions, including expedited shipping options. Sign up for free to see how we can help you find fast, affordable shipping solutions and streamline your shipping process with a range of useful automation such as label generation, pre-filled customs forms, and customized tracking.