When ordering products online, there’s always one area where people fall into one of two categories: express or standard shipping. Which to choose and why? What’s the difference between the two?

Classic Delivery

Standard shipping is for those who don’t have an urgent need to receive their parcel right away. The parcel order will usually be picked up from the warehouse on the business day after the order was placed and will be shipped in the most economical way (usually by truck, depending on the location). The company will give you a window of time during which to expect the parcel to arrive, for example, 3-7 days. And you’ll be able to track your delivery with a tracking code provided when you place your order.

Pros: More economical.
Cons: Takes longer for the shipment to arrive.

Classic Delivery is perfect for those:

• Who wish to save money sending their parcel.
• Who prefer not to send their parcel through the post office.
• Who are not in a rush to receive their shipment.
• Who have a business that needs to send goods, but without urgency.

Express Delivery

Express service, on the other hand, is the fastest form of shipping. That means the parcel will leave the warehouse or pick-up site ASAP and be on its way to you through the fastest courier route (usually by plane, especially if it’s international shipping). Express post normally comes with a guarantee deliver by date since it will include an extra shipping cost to get it delivered faster. The delivery time usually varies between 24 and 72 hours. You’ll also be able to track your delivery for express shipping.

Pros: Fast delivery.
Cons: Higher shipping costs.

Express Delivery is ideal for:

• Who are traveling and sending their luggage to meet them at their destination.
• Executives sending urgent documents.
• Businesses who need to send their quickly.
• Anyone who needs to receive their parcel urgently.

Classic Delivery vs. Express Delivery

It may not come as a surprise that the majority of people prefer free shipping. In fact, 9 out of 10 customers say that free shipping is their #1 reason to shop online more often. The convenience of shopping online coupled with the economical offer of free shipping make it an appealing option to most consumers. And, when given the option, 67 percent of online shoppers preferred the cheapest form of shipping while only 2 percent preferred the fastest form of shipping. Free or discounted shipping is definitely a priority with most shoppers with 58 percent declaring that they would like businesses to improve this area of their shipping options (i.e. cheaper options). Most customers (58 percent) don’t mind waiting 4-7 days for a parcel to arrive while 23 percent are willing to wait 8 days or more.

Low cost or free shipping are clear winners among consumers with the majority expressing their preference for economical shipping options. However, shipping companies can’t ignore the percentage of consumers who prefer express services or whose business requires urgent shipping services. Offering quality express and standard shipping is essential to a shipping business’ success.

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Tracy Blanchard

Tracy Blanchard is a content maven who specializes in ecommerce and mobile marketing with five years of driving traffic to websites with quality content

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