Expedited shipping is any shipping or delivery service that guarantees that the customer’s shipment reaches them faster than standard shipping methods would.
Why is Expedited Shipping Important?
Expedited shipping is any shipping or delivery platform that guarantees that the customer’s shipment reaches them faster than standard shipping methods would.
Expedited shipping varies from carrier to carrier, although it usually is the quickest service of the shipping company. On average, the delivery times would be between overnight and 2-day shipping for most domestic deliveries.
The customers exceedingly expect speedier delivery options with an option of expedited shipping a compelling factor for their purchase, and they are ready to pay a premium for the service.
A small business can tremendously increase the value add to the customers and retain them with the inclusion of multiple shipping options with faster deliveries.
Moreover, faster shipping usually means lower shipping costs, directly impacting your cost of goods sold and gross profit.
What is Expedited Shipping?
Primarily Expedited shipping means providing a specific shipment priority over others, allowing for faster delivery. In the majority of the Shipping carriers, it means that it will guarantee a quicker delivery when compared to standard shipping.
In reality, though, some examples of expedited shipping are express delivery, overnight delivery, same-day delivery, and delivery within two days.
Expedited Shipping vs. Standard Shipping
Every shipping carrier offers a Standard delivery option, which would ordinarily be the cheapest shipping option.
The big four of shipping FedEx, USPS, UPS, and DHL fulfill their orders for domestic shipments from 3-7 business days from the placing of the order to reach its end location for their standard option.
While some carriers offer two-day delivery as their standard, others let the customers know that standard delivery would mean it will take more time for the order to be fulfilled.
If the shipping of standard orders takes over two days, the companies provide faster alternatives at a premium price.
It is crucial to understand that most carriers measure shipping time based on when the order is dispatched and not when placed.
It means that if an order is placed with expedited shipping(2-day delivery), the two days will not count the order processing time, notably if the order is placed on the non-working day.
Expedited Shipping vs. Express Shipping
Depending on the shipping carriers involved, the term expedited shipping might have a variation in what it means and is sometimes used interchangeably.
In general, when both express and expedited shipping options are offered, express shipping is faster, often involving 2-day or next-day delivery, while expedited means “faster than standard.”
In express shipping, every plausible way is explored to ensure that the package arrives at its destination as quickly as possible.
How Expedited Shipping Varies With Shipping Companies?
USPS Expedited Shipping
The most popular service for domestic shipments is USPS, as they cover most addresses in the United States.
They provide an expedited option called Priority Mail Express, which is their fastest domestic service. Parcels under seventy pounds ship overnight through Priority Mail Express with options that guarantee delivery by 10:30 am the next day.
Priority Mail Express includes things like USPS tracking with optional add ons like a certificate of mailing and sign-on-delivery. USPS will also come with 100 dollar insurance.
UPS Expedited Shipping
UPS provides an array of expedited services such as same-day, next-day, two-day, and three-day delivery. The standard UPS ground service is slower than all the previously mentioned expedited options.
From an international perspective, UPS Worldwide provides fast, guaranteed deliveries to over 220 countries for small packages.
FedEx Expedited Shipping
FedEx has several ways to ship expedited orders that depend on the package’s size, destination, and urgency. These include FedEx Express Same Day, FedEx Express Saver, and FedEx Expedited Freight Services — just to name a few.
How Much Does Expedited Shipping Cost?
Any priority or urgent service is obviously a more expensive proposition than a standard one; therefore, the business must be ready to spend more to offer these services.
The shipping of these packages would be primarily based on the dimensions, weight, destination, and the courier service you’re using.
To know more about how to calculate the weight using these parameters, visit our ultimate shipping guide.
Why Businesses Use Expedited Shipping ?
The primary reason to use these services is to ensure that the package reaches its final destination quickly. But there are plenty of added benefits, here are some of them listed below.
Saving Time
The primary purpose of express shipping is to save transit time. In most cases, paying extra costs isn’t an issue. So if money is of a lesser priority than the delivery time, then this is an appropriate service to use.
For Perishable Items
Heaps of perishable items - like food - require fast shipping. If you sell frozen food or baked items, then this shipping service will ensure that your products reach your customers in good shape.
To Grow The Customer Base
If lion's share of your customers need quick delivery, then it should be a standard delivery option for your business. If it is not, you may end up losing customers who demand expedited shipping.
To Increase Profits
You could boost your profits by providing express shipping to customers who require it. More importantly, it may inspire more customers to purchase products since they know they can get it in a timely manner.
To Reduce Damage
Expedited shipping services are quick because they are moved directly from the shipper to the receiver. Due to this, there’s minimal package handling, and as a result less chances of damaging the package.
Save On Inventory Space
When you offer expedited shipping, things spend less time in your inventory. This reduces the amount of inventory storage.
Did You Know
You can easily track your orders and shipments from picking stage to packing to shipping and actual tracking via USPS or FedEx using Deskera Books?
