Economy shipping and standard shipping are often lumped up together when it comes to shipping options. But what exactly does each one entail?
This guide clears up confusion and outlines essential factors to help you choose a suitable shipping service for your business.
What Is Economy Shipping?
It is the most cost-effective shipping option for businesses operating on a tight budget. This service is suitable for sending all kinds of packages, including small and large packages, documents, crates, pallets, etc.
Basically, economy shipping is the cheapest shipping service offered by most couriers and freight brokers.
And since shipping costs are often tied to delivery speed, economy delivery is relatively slower than other options.
The typical delivery time for economy shipping is 1-15 days depending on the destination.
The time will be much shorter for local deliveries, while international economy shipments take slightly longer to deliver. The latter is usually subject to courier status and shipping distance.
Pros Of Economy Shipping
There are many benefits of economy shipping. Here is a quick overview:
- Suitable for all kinds of senders
- Inexpensive compared to other shipping options
- Ideal for shipping small and bulk packages
- Shipments can be tracked at a basic level
- Just as quick as regular shipping when sending domestically
Due to its low price and dependability, economy shipping offers the best value for money, especially local shipments.
Cons Of Economy Shipping
- Not suitable for time-sensitive deliveries
- Economy shipment tracking is not as efficient as other alternatives
- It is challenging to keep track of individual packages when sending via economy shipping
- Turnaround time for international deliveries can be too long
What Is Standard Shipping?
Now that you know what economy shipping is, let’s look at how standard shipping is different.
Standard shipping is a feasible shipping option for packages that are a bit time-sensitive. Usually, these are packages that can be processed within a day and delivered within ten days.
Standard shipping offers a wide choice of costs. You can make use of the plethora of online shipping calculators to get the best deals.
This might help you save money as well as plan your delivery and budget accordingly.
Please note that the standing shipping service is designed for all kinds of senders. It is ideal for small and large businesses that send packages of different sizes and weights.
This option also allows you to ship to different regions, including international destinations.
In addition, standard shipping offers reasonable shipping times. It also offers full tracking to allow you to keep track of your shipments at different locations in real-time.
The shipment’s size, dimensions, and destinations influence standard shipping costs just as they do in economy shipping.
Pros Of Standard Shipping
Some advantages of standard shipping include:
- Provides the best of both worlds; it is economical yet speedier than economy shipping
- It offers a shorter delivery time! Although the difference is only by a few days, it may be beneficial to your supply chain.
- Guarantees safe delivery of goods, no matter the delivery location
- This form of shipping has full tracking options
- Many couriers companies offer it
Cons Of Standard Shipping
The benefits of using standard shipping outweigh the cons.
As a matter of fact, the only downside in using standard shipping is the amount you’ll have to pay for the service.
It is slightly costlier than economy shipping but cheaper than other expedited shipping solutions.
Difference Between Economy And Standard Shipping
At this point, you may have noted that the economy and standard shipping options have more similarities than differences.
The main difference lies in the price, turnaround time, and available tracking options.
Economy shipping focuses on providing a cost-effective shipping solution for businesses that ship bulk regularly.
It helps them save money while ensuring safe sending and receiving of goods.
On the other hand, standard shipping caters to senders looking to send or receive packages within a tight deadline.
It is only faster than economy delivery by two to three days but costs comparatively more.
For example, economy delivery may cost you $30 to ship a 20kg parcel. Standard shipping will set you back $50 to send a package of similar weight to the same destination.
The price difference is because economy shipping vessels involves sending large volumes at a time.
They must be at full capacity at the time of shipping to ensure profits for the shipping company.
But in standard shipping, vessels leave at the scheduled time, whether full or not. Thus the high price!
Regarding shipment tracking, this is possible in both types of shipping. Only that tracking in economy shipping is not as fast and effective as it is with standard shipping.
The tracking restrictions in economy shipping tend to be greater, especially for international shipments. Couriers only provide tracking information at the time of an economy shipment delivery.
But in standard shipping, couriers provide GPS tracking, allowing real-time monitoring of shipments while in transit.
When To Consider Economy Or Standard Shipping
As a business, you must determine which shipping option is suitable for your needs. Usually, choosing the best shipping method depends on how fast you want the delivery to be made.
If there is an urgent need for the goods you want to ship, then standard shipping is the right solution for you.
Otherwise, we recommend that you choose an economy shipping service. It is slow! But it offers affordable rates, which may benefit your business, mainly if you often ship large packages domestically.
Some carriers don’t offer economy deliveries for goods with special shipping conditions. So, in this case, you’ll have to rely on standard shipping or the express shipping service.
Major Companies That Offer Economy And Standard Sipping Services
Most courier companies offer economy and standard shipping as they’re currently the most sought-after shipping services.
This variety gives senders the benefit of researching and choosing a reliable partner for their shipping operations.
To name a few, you can choose economy or standard shipping services from the following providers:
- FedEx
- UPS
- DHL
- USPS
- EMS
Including other multi-national carriers, these are the main ones that you can trust with confidence for cost-effective shipment delivery.
They are each professionals in their fields and will ensure safe and timely delivery of your shipments.
Conclusion
There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing the best shipping services for your parcels. Every sender has different needs and preferences.
Therefore, it is essential to consider the pros and cons of choosing between economy shipping versus standard shipping.
But when it comes to successfully navigating through the shipping industry, having a logistics partner you can trust is instrumental.
Tj chinafreight is an authority with years of experience in the China freight forwarding service.
We can help you find the best courier services and rates that suit your requirements precisely.
Contact us today for your shipping needs and take advantage of our expertise.
