Standard Shipping vs Express Shipping – What’s the Difference?

In the fast-paced world of eCommerce, where convenience and speed often come first, the shipping choices you offer to your customers can significantly impact your success. 

When it comes to delivering your products to customers, two options stand at the forefront: standard shipping and express shipping. These two methods couldn’t be more different, and choosing the right one for your business can make all the difference in customer satisfaction, loyalty, and your bottom line.

Nearly 44% of the consumers have stated they were willing to wait for two days for orders delivered via fast shipping. This highlights the importance of express shipping in today’s world.

While some of them might need items urgently, others may be satisfied with the speed that a product usually reaches them. Therefore, based on your customers’ needs, you will need to provide different options for shipping, such as standard shipping and express shipping.

When we talk of shipping, standard and express are the two variants that are quite popular. In an eCommerce business, both of these may be required based on the type of shipment and the delivery time. Let us try and understand the differences between standard shipping and express delivery.

Standard Shipping

Standard shipping or delivery refers to regular shipping. It does not include shipping overnight or any special provisions to deliver products fast. Usually, standard shipping is cheaper and done via surface couriers.

Express Shipping

Express Shipping refers to expedited shipping. It is usually done by air couriers and provisions are made to make sure orders are delivered overnight or the next day.

Standard Shipping VS Express Shipping

Here are a few differences between the two:

Delivery Time

One of the main differences between standard and express shipping is the delivery time. In standard shipping, the regular delivery time ranges from two to eight days, while in express shipping, it is around one day as the product is shipped via air couriers. In some cases, the shipment may even reach the recipient on the same day. Express shipping is apt for urgent and quick deliveries. However, if you have extra timespan, standard shipping is a better choice.

Cost Effectiveness

Secondly, standard shipping is cheaper as compared to express shipping or delivery as the shipment is sent via road using surface couriers. As express shipping means urgent and faster delivery, the price and rates are also higher than other forms of transportation due to the use of air couriers. Based on the delivery timelines, you need to decide on the right shipping approach.

Dispatch from warehouse

In the case of standard delivery, the average time taken to leave the warehouse is around 2-8 days, whereas, in the case of express shipping, the time taken to leave the warehouse is about 1-3 days.  

Shipping cost

For express delivery, the shipping cost is usually incurred along with the price of the product. However, in the case of standard shipping, the shipping can be provided free of charge to the customer. Sometimes customers are also provided with the option of choosing between express and standard shipping based on their urgency.

To have a seamless shipping and logistics service, eCommerce companies can tie up with renowned courier agencies. This way, you can be assured of good delivery within the prescribed time limit.

Another great choice is to use a couirer aggregator like Shiprocket. We let you work with multiple courier partners and pick the right features for either quick or standard shipping, giving you full control over your deliveries. It’s a simple way to keep your customers happy and make your shipping and logistics run like a well-oiled machine.

The following table summarises the major differences between standard delivery and express delivery. This will definitely help you make informed decisions about shipping your products to your customers.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)