You’ve got a parcel to deliver, but do you know the difference between express or door to door? Which service do you choose to get your parcel delivered at the right time, and for the right amount of money?
Rule of thumb says that budget services will take longer to arrive, and it’s not a bad rule to remember, although there are exceptions to every rule. If time isn’t a concern but cost is, sending a parcel on a two day delivery service will be one of your cheaper options. It may be named different things by different service providers, but a two to three day service (if available) will be the most budget friendly.
Express is, obviously, a lot faster. Within the UK you could overnight your parcel, or send it same day. Same day is more expensive but doable if organised early enough, depending on to and from locations. Timed next day is also available, should you need to ensure your parcel is delivered before a particular deadline. Usually it’s not a specific time that’s actually on offer, rather a pre-9am, pre-10am or pre-noon request that you can pay for, and parcels are trackable so you can be sure of delivery.
Door to door does exactly what it says on the tin. Not all parcel delivery services offer collection from a specified address, or even delivery to a specific address. Door to door enables you to book a service that will collect from the address you specify and deliver into the hands of someone at the destination address, rather than expecting you to deliver your parcel to a local depot to begin the process. Costs vary, so do your research if this is an important factor for the service you need.
Similar services exist for international deliveries, however destination will have an impact on the achievable earliest delivery date. You wouldn’t expect a next day delivery to take place in Australia if sending from the UK as technology doesn’t currently allow us to transport items that quickly. The same rule of thumb applies, the slower the cheaper, but also the means of transportation can impact cost.
Of course, if you use Delivery Quote Compare to get great low cost quotes (and for free!) then you’re going to be paying lower prices than those quoted direct. Use DQC to find reputable parcel delivery companies, fill out your details for the parcel you want to send, and let them offer you competitive low cost quotes.