Cheapest way to ship packages in 2023.
With the inevitable rising cost of living, you have to spend cautiously to avoid being broke all of a sudden. You have to cut down costs in different areas, including shipping. If you occasionally ship items outside the United States or accept physical merchandise from other countries, you can’t afford to spend too much on logistics.
Let’s say you are a small business owner dealing with foreign clients, you have to build a good reputation for your brand by ensuring fast and secure shipping. However, as much as you’re trying to live up to this expectation, it’s important you figure out the cheapest way to ship packages.
As a way of helping you achieve this, this post shares reliable and cheap options for transporting your items or physical products across borders. You will learn about shipping costs and some of the best carriers for your business.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Mail A Package?
The cheapest way to mail a package is through USPS Media Mail, USPS Priority Mail, or USPS First-class mail. While these are very affordable shipping options, you must bear in mind that the weight and size of a package are key factors to consider when determining the cost of shipping.
Shipping bigger items would certainly cost more money than shipping smaller items.
Cheapest Way To Ship Packages In 2023
With the increasing number of online shoppers in 2023, high-shipping cost is common. This is the reason why everyone is looking for the cheapest way to ship packages. Regardless of your shipping zones and the competition within the e-commerce sector, there are inexpensive shipping options you can rely on.
Using the piece of information below, you can find cheap shipping rates for your small or large packages.
Cheapest Way To Ship Small Packages
Once you find the cheapest way to ship small packages whether as a business owner or someone who is not even an entrepreneur, you can always save extra bucks when sending items locally or internationally.
Usually, small packages can either be envelopes or paper parcels. Sometimes, these small packages can also constitute items that weigh not more than 4.5 lbs. On the other hand, some carriers still have their own policies to determine what a “small package” is.
Here are some of the best options for shipping a small package without breaking the bank:
- Priority Mail by USPS ships small packages within 1-3 business days at $8.25
- UPS Simple Rate by UPS ships small packages within 1-5 business days at $9.45
- DHL Express Calculator by DHL ships small packages within 1-5 business days for $50.20
- FedEx One Rate by FedEx delivers small packages within 3 business days at $10.80
- Sendle Standard by Sendle delivers small packages within 3 business days at $9.40
Cheapest Way To Ship Large Packages
Most courier services determine their international shipping costs for large packages based on global import zones. Notwithstanding, this doesn’t mean you can’t find the cheapest way to ship large packages from the United States. Shipping to Canada, for example, is not usually expensive. Surprisingly, it’s considered the cheapest since the US is quite close to Canada.
When shipping large packages internationally, bear in mind that the cost is often determined by the country you live in and the country you are sending the item.
Here are the cheapest shipping options to consider:
- Priority Mail International by USPS ships large packages within 6-10 business days at a starting price of $28.13
- UPS Express Saver by UPS transports large packages within 1-3 business days at $26 – $72.50 (depending on the zone).
- DHL Express Worldwide by DHL ships large packages in less than one week at $77.50
- FedEx Global One Rate by FedEx ships large packages within 2-5 business days at a starting price of $35.36
These are your best options if you are looking for the cheapest way to ship packages that are large.
Cheapest Way To Ship The Next Day
If you need to deliver a package as soon as possible at a reasonable fee, UPS and FedEx are reliable. Either of these providers can be the cheapest way to ship packages the next day. USPS Priority Mail Express is known to also offer swift shipping services. However, FedEx and UPS guarantee a 1-day delivery or your money back.
You also need to remember that overnight shipping is only possible domestically. If you want to transport a package from the US to another country, even if it’s Canada or Mexico, you will have to wait for more than 24 hours.
Here are a few options to consider when looking for the cheapest way to ship the next day:
- USPS Priority Mail Express ships a package the next day at a starting price of $24.05
- UPS Next Day Air ships a package the next day at $141.70
- FedEx Overnight ships a package the following day at $193.20
Apparently, requesting to ship a package overnight would cost you more money than when shipping items within a few days or a week.
Cheapest Way To Ship Packages From Home
The cheapest way to ship packages from home is through USPS. You can use USPS Media Mail, USPS Priority Mail, or USPS First-Class Mail. For decades, these options have been reasonably cheap. You can effortlessly send packages from the comfort of your home without spending a ton of money.
As of 2023, shipping a package weighing one pound cost about $2.74. If the package weighs more than one pound, it should cost around $7. Bear in mind that these prices vary depending on the distance between the pickup and delivery locations.
Tips To Saving Money On Shipping Costs
Knowing the cheapest way to ship packages is not only dependent on finding an inexpensive courier service provider. Here are some important things you have to specifically do to reduce your shipping costs:
Reduce The Weight Of Your Package
When it comes to shipping packages, weight is one of the most important factors that determine the cost. The heavier the package, the more it’s going to cost money for shipping. Most shipping companies calculate the cost per pound. If you don’t want to be overcharged, you have to find a way to reduce the weight of your package.
Using lightweight materials to package your items or packing products in corrugated boxes could reduce the weight. Lightweight practices will always reduce a few ounces of your shipping, potentially reducing the cost of employing a courier service.
Use The Right-Sized Packaging
Changing your packaging is another smart move when looking for the cheapest way to ship a package. The reason for this is that the size of the package also determines shipping costs, and your package can look bigger than it’s supposed to be if it’s not well-packaged. When arranging an item or group of items for shipping, ensure you get packaging that is slightly bigger than the overall package.
Instead of a large box, you could use a poly mailer. If you are concerned about the safety of your package, you can get a padded envelope. However, your situation might be different depending on what you’re trying to ship.
It’s important you know that some courier service providers such as USPS and DHL Express also offer free custom packaging. Using theirs will save you money.
Choose Flat-Rate Shipping When You Can
Shipping companies tend to increase their rates depending on the size of the packages, as well as the deadline ahead of the deliveries.
For example, in 2021, UPS increased its rates by an average of 4.9%. Customers with larger and heavier items even had to pay more. Rate hikes like this are a very good reason why you should resort to flat-rate shipping. Choosing a flat rate means you’d be paying a fixed amount of money regardless of the size, weight, or shape of your package.
Sometimes, this could be the cheapest way to send packages. Flat shipping rates can be created for packages within a shipping zone. For example, if you are shipping within the US, you could create a flat rate of $6 and another flat rate of $3.50 for orders costing more than $50.
Take Advantage Of Shopify Shipping
Many small business owners see Shopify Shipping as the cheapest way to ship packages. Shopify makes your delivery fast and easy at an affordable price. Merchants in the United States can save up to 80% on shipping costs, sending packages across the world. Before completing your request, Shopify Shipping offers pre-negotiated discounts with top courier service providers such as DHL Express, USPS, UPS, Sendle, and Canada Post.
Moreover, as a registered Shopify user selling items via the platform, you have access to a dashboard where you can easily manage your products, inventory, customers, and most importantly, shipping.
Know When Rates Change
While trying to figure out the cheapest way to ship packages internationally, you have to stay on top of pricing changes so they don’t come as a shock when it’s time to use the shipping service.
Every year, shipping companies unfailingly review their pricing and adjust their rates as a result of spikes in fuel prices and higher costs of labor. Don’t be taken aback by the updated prices. Whether you want to ship a package immediately or not, stay informed by finding out the current shipping rate of every major courier service provider out there.
Offer Local Delivery Or Pick Up
As funny as it sounds, the cheapest way to ship packages domestically is by not using carriers at all. During and after the pandemic, many people began using local independent businesses to transport products and items.
According to a consumer trend data by Shopify, millions of shoppers claim they buy things online and had them delivered to their doorstep during the pandemic.
Local delivery and pickup services in the US can save you a ton of money on shipping costs. Since most of these local courier companies aren’t globally renowned, their rates are surprisingly cheap.
Aside from the cheap rates, there are a few benefits you can gain from using local delivery services. Firstly, these companies can help you stay connected with your local community since they make it easier to patronize your local brands. They are also fast, eliminating shipping delays and variable costs.
If you are a small business owner relying on local delivery services, you can retain customer trust and confidence. Due to speedy local deliveries at a reasonable cost, there is no major barrier between you and your prospects.
Types Of Shipping Options
Depending on your location and how fast you want your delivery to be made, there are several types of shipping methods you can use:
- Flat-rate shipping: the price is usually fixed and isn’t connected to the weight, size, or shape of the package you are shipping. Based on a selection of generic package sizes, customers are allowed to pay the same flat rate for every delivery.
- Free shipping: this is when the vendor takes care of the shipping cost which is included in the overall purchase. By buying certain products, you get free shipping.
- Real-time carrier rate: this is when the exact cost of shipping is calculated at checkout, considering the weight and type of the package, as well as the distance.
- Local shipping: the package is being transported within the state or country. Shipping service is not usually needed for this since it’s done locally.
- Overnight delivery: this is when your order is delivered the following day unfailingly.
- Same-day delivery: the order is processed and delivered the same day the customer purchases the product.
- International shipping: this is when a package is shipped from one country to another.
- Expedited shipping: this option is used when the package had to be delivered faster than expected. The shipping company would have to employ a special method of delivery to send the package to its destination much faster.
Final Thoughts On The Cheapest Way To Ship Packages
As much as you need the cheapest way to ship packages, you have to choose the right shipping company that can deliver your package safely and quickly. It may cost you a little more, but would you rather lose your entire package or spend a few more bucks?
Shipping providers like DHL, UPS, FedEx, and USPS are used globally by millions of trusted customers. You can’t go wrong when you rely on these brands to ship your packages. Besides, their shipping rates are not outrageous.
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