What is Express Shipping: Our Top Tips

The world of eCommerce is growing, and today’s consumers expect fast shipping. In fact, 61% of consumers are willing to pay extra for same-day delivery.

Express shipping is any expedited shipping service offered by a shipping courier. Express shipping costs more than standard shipping because express services are flown for much of the distance. That said, if speed is what you need, express shipping is your best option. Plus, express shipping services are delivery-time guaranteed or your money back.

This blog will give you the full rundown of express shipping. To save money on express shipping, try Easyship. You’ll instantly save up to 91% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers, especially for international shipping.

What is Express Shipping?

Express shipping is the fastest way to send a package, but it’s not the cheapest. This is because express packages are flown by airplane for most of the journey. As a result, packages deliver within 24-72 hours. By contrast, standard shipping trucks your parcel from the sender to the recipient, taking much longer.

Express shipping comes with a delivery guarantee. Meaning, if your package doesn’t arrive on time you can request a reimbursement. Merchants use express shipping to satisfy time-sensitive customers, and many offer an expedited delivery option in the checkout experience.

Here are some scenarios where you can offer express shipping:

• Compensating customers after the initial shipment was lost, damaged, or stolen
• Shipping a high-value item
• Thanking customers for spending over a certain dollar amount

Common Types of Express Shipping Services

All courier companies offer express shipping services, but the delivery lead time (speed) depends on which of the following options you choose:

Same-Day Delivery

Same-day delivery is the fastest way to ship your item. Consider same-day delivery if you’re looking to improve customer satisfaction. Your customer will receive their package in just a few hours or by the end of the day when you opt for same-day delivery.

Overnight Shipping

Slightly cheaper than same-day delivery, overnight shipping is excellent for customers who want their item quickly. Overnight shipping guarantees customers will receive their package the next business day.

Depending on the courier, there may be a variety of next-day delivery services. These services may include:

• 9:30 a.m. delivery: You can expect your package to arrive by 9:30 a.m. to most ZIP codes
• 10:30 a.m. delivery: You can expect your package to arrive by 10:30 a.m. to most ZIP codes
• Noon delivery: You can expect your package to arrive by 12:30 p.m. to most ZIP codes

2-Day Air

2-Day air is excellent if you want faster shipping at an affordable price, as compared to other express shipping services. Plus, receive a delivery lead time of one to two business days or your money back.

3-Day Air

3-day air shipping provides faster delivery at an affordable price. This shipping option is also an excellent option for less-time-sensitive shipments. Plus, customers receive guaranteed delivery within three business days.

Pros and Cons of Express Shipping

Today’s customers want instant gratification in the shipping experience, which makes it increasingly more important to offer express delivery as an eCommerce merchant. As a result, customers tend to abandon brands that don’t provide fast shipping or don’t deliver in two days or less.

Offering express shipping offers benefits like retaining customers and increased sales, which is vital for eCommerce success. Here’s more on why people love to use express shipping to ship their packages.

Pros

• Customer experience: Many people expect fast shipping. Ninety-seven percent of consumers consider same-day and next-day shipping fast, making express shipping a priority for many consumers. You can potentially gain these loyal customers with the right shipping options
• Reduces risk of damaged goods: Offering express shipping to your customers reduces the risk of damaged goods. Longer delivery lead times increase the risk of damage, especially for fragile items. Plus, express shipping services come with superior insurance and tracking services
• Retain customers: Customers love fast shipping. You can better serve your existing customers, which can boost retention and loyalty
• Guaranteed delivery time: Major couriers offer guaranteed delivery with most express shipping services. This way, you get a refund for late delivery

Cons

• More expensive: You’ll have to pay extra if you want your package to arrive quickly. For instance, you’ll pay $4.57 for a 3-pound package from New York to Los Angeles for economy shipping services versus $49.04 for express shipping services using Easyship’s free shipping rates calculator

The Costs of Express Shipping

Express shipping will cost you a pretty penny. But, for time-sensitive shipments, it’s your best bet. You can rest assured that your shipment will be delivered quickly and safely, and the customer will be happy with the timeline.

Say you want to ship a 5-pound package from New York City to Los Angeles. We’ll use Easyship’s free shipping rates calculator to calculate the cost of shipping.

As we can see, USPS Priority Mail Express costs $63.25 to ship a 5-pound package from NYC to LA compared to $5.69 for standard shipping services. So the difference between the two is upwards of $50.

Now, let’s say you want to ship a 5-pound package from New York City to China. We’ll use our free shipping rates calculator again to calculate the shipping costs.

It costs $69.10 to ship a 5-pound package from NYC to China with DHL Express Shipping Worldwide. Plus, this DHL express shipping service offers a delivery lead time of 4 to 8 business days.

Alternatively, SF Express Economy Express costs $38.17 and will deliver your package in 10 to 12 business days. For time-sensitive shipments, express shipping is your best bet.

Easyship offers 250+ couriers with up to 91% off shipping rates when you use our free shipping rates calculator. Plus, you’ll always get the lowest rates with shipping when you ship with a multi-carrier shipping platform like Easyship.

Do USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL Offer Express Shipping?

All major couriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL offer express shipping services. We’ll go over all the available express shipping services here, so you’re well equipped to take on the world of eCommerce.

USPS Express Shipping Services

USPS handles 173.1 million pieces of First-Class mail every day, making it a popular choice for millions.

Here are the following express services USPS offers for domestic shipments:

Priority Mail Express

• Starting price: $26.35
• Delivery lead time: 1-2 business days guaranteed
• $100 of shipping insurance included

Priority Mail

• Starting price: $7.70
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $50 included of insurance included

First-Class Mail

• Starting price: $0.55
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• Insurance is not included but is available for purchase

First-Class Package Service

• Starting price: $4.00
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• Insurance is not included but is available for purchase

USPS also offers express shipping for international shipments. Here are the shipping options for USPS international shipments:

Global Express Guaranteed

• Starting price: $67.80
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

Priority Mail Express International

• Starting price: $45.95
• Delivery lead time: 3-5 business days
• $200 of shipping insurance included

UPS Express Shipping Services

UPS delivered 21.1 million packages per day in 2020, making it an excellent choice for customers who want reliable, fast shipping.

UPS offers the following express shipping services for domestic shipments for a 3-pound shipment from New York to Los Angeles:

UPS Next Day Air Early

• Starting price: $141.26
• Delivery lead time: Next business day/overnight delivery by 9:30 a.m.
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS Next Day Air

• Starting price: $108.71
• Delivery lead time: Next business day delivery as early as 10:30 a.m. or by the end of the day
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS Next Day Saver

• Starting price: $98.62
• Delivery lead time: Next business day delivery by end of the day
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS 2nd Day Air

• Starting price: $50.83
• Delivery lead time: 1-2 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS also offer express shipping options for a 3-pound package from New York to the United Kingdom, including:

UPS Worldwide Express Plus

• Starting price: $211.67
• Delivery lead time: 1-2 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS Worldwide Express

• Starting price: $168.17
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS Saver

• Starting price: $165.77
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

UPS Worldwide Express Expedited

• Starting price: $152.51
• Delivery lead time: 2-5 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx Express Shipping Services

FedEx offers the following express shipping services:

FedEx First Overnight

• Starting price: $151.25
• Delivery lead time: Next business day by 9 a.m.
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx Priority Overnight

• Starting price: $117.61
• Delivery lead time: Next business day delivery by noon
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx Standard Overnight

• Starting price: $107.52
• Delivery lead time: Next business day delivery by end of day
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx 2-Day A.M.

• Starting price: $63.15
• Delivery lead time: 2 business days by noon
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx 2-Day

• Starting price: $54.58
• Delivery lead time: 2 business days by end of day
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx Express Saver

• Starting price: $44.16
• Delivery lead time: 3 business days by end of day
• $100 of shipping insurance included
• Other services: Guaranteed delivery, FedEx tracking

FedEx also offers the following express shipping services for international shipments:

FedEx International First

• Starting at: $102.50
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

FedEx International Priority

• Starting at: $35.85
• Delivery lead time: 1-3 business days
• $100 of shipping insurance included

DHL Express Shipping Services

DHL delivers over 1.6 billion shipments per year and ships to over 220+ countries. Here are the DHL express shipping services for both domestic and international shipments:

DHL Same-Day

• Starting price: Visit dhlsameday.com to get a quote
• Delivery lead time: End of business day
• Insurance: DHL covers the actual value of your package if it’s lost or damaged

DHL Express 9:00, 10:30, 12:00

• Starting price: $98.21
• Delivery lead time: Offers next-day delivery at the stipulated time
• Insurance: DHL covers the actual value of your package if it’s lost or damaged

DHL Express Worldwide

• Starting price: $122.70
• Delivery timeframe: End of next business day
• Insurance: DHL covers the actual value of your package if it’s lost or damaged

Express Shipping with Easyship

Express shipping is your best bet for time-sensitive or fragile shipments. Though it comes at a hefty price, consider using express shipping to give you some peace of mind for special shipments.

Whether you’re shipping with USPS, FedEx, UPS, or any other major courier service, Easyship will save you time and money. Generate labels, compare shipping quotes, monitor finances, and more with our advanced shipping software.

Plus, Easyship saves users up to 91% on shipping costs, especially for international couriers. With 250+ options, boost sales by selling worldwide when you choose Easyship to supercharge your shipping.

Ready to ship internationally? Scale your business globally with Easyship when you sign up today.

If you found this article informative, you may enjoy the following:

• Same Day Shipping: Is FedEx Same-Day or UPS Express Critical Better?
• Express Vs. Postal Shipping – What you need to know for your customers!
• DHL eCommerce vs. DHL Express: Which is Better for Online Merchants?