Best Shipping Carriers for Online stores

E-commerce is all the rage now. By 2040, it is believed that 95% of transactions will be completed through this platform. As more and more people buy goods online, businesses—especially small businesses—need to keep up.

Although a lot of attention is devoted to creating a shopping website, another thing is equally important: that is to obtain good shipping services.

With so many options, you may feel overwhelmed by the selection process. Don’t worry, because this article will help you choose the best transportation service-so you can expand your small business and reach higher heights and revenue.

United States Postal Service

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We chose the U.S. Postal Service as the best overall transportation company for online stores it delivers goods domestically and internationally, provides discounts and loyalty points for small businesses, and delivers goods within 2-9 days on average. In addition, USPS has a free application programming interface (API) that allows small businesses to easily add transportation to their website.

Pros

• Long operating history
• Provide quantity-based discounts and loyalty points
• Shipping takes 2-9 days
• Free API can be used to integrate transportation tools into small business websites 

Cons

• Deliveries on Sundays and holidays typically come with an added cost

The United States Postal Service (USPS) was established in 1775 and was chosen by us as the best integrated transportation company for small businesses because it provides international and domestic mail. The package arrives within 2-9 days, and you can even receive some express delivery (extra charge) on Sundays and holidays in major US markets.

As a standard for small commercial transportation companies, USPS transportation costs vary based on package size, delivery location, and delivery speed. For example, the retail price of a Priority Mail small flat rate box that arrives domestically within 1 to 3 business days is $8.30. Companies can also get discounted prices and loyalty points. For example, companies that use USPS’ online Click-N-Ship service can get shipping credits based on expenditures.

Starting from January 2021, companies using the USPS Click-N-Ship service can earn the following loyalty points:

• Base Loyalty Program: $40 credit per $500 spent (automatic enrollment)
• Silver Tier: $50 credit per $500 spent (enrollment with a spend of $10,000 or more on Priority Mail as well as Priority Mail Express shipping labels the prior calendar year)
• Gold Tier: Commercial Base Pricing (enrollment with a spend of $20,000 or more on Priority Mail as well as Priority Mail Express shipping labels the prior calendar year)

Sendle

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Sendle is the best small commercial transport company for small packages because it guarantees that it will beat the prices charged by major carriers to ship domestic packages up to 20 pounds. In addition, transportation is 100% carbon neutral.

Pros

• No subscription fees or contracts
• Price guarantee is available
• Shipping is 100% carbon neutral
• Rigorous certification as a B Corporation was achieved

Cons

• International shipping isn’t available
• Packages must be no more than 20 pounds
• Integration with Amazon is not yet available (as of December 2020)
• Company has only been in business since 2014

We choose it as the best choice for small packages because it ships small packages (up to 20 pounds) within the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and guarantees that it will beat its competitors’ prices for packages under 20 pounds 

The standard fee for shipping small packages is $8.29 (a penny lower than the retail price charged by USPS for similar packages). Sendle also offers volume-based discounts, reducing the cost to $7.56 for businesses that ship at least 200 packages per month. In addition, there are no contracts or subscription fees.

Although Sendle does not provide courier services, most packages will be delivered within 1-3 business days. Sendle makes it easy for even small-volume e-commerce businesses to use its delivery service because it offers free integration with Shopify, eBay, and Etsy. In addition, the free integration of Amazon and WooCommerce is underway (as of December 2020).

In addition, Sendle has obtained the B company certification, which shows that Sendle is committed to serving the interests of the world. 2 In fact, using Sendle to transport is 100% carbon neutral.

UPS

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We choose UPS as the most suitable small business transportation company for large parcels because it offers competitive prices (large flat freight boxes start at $17.50), and the company has a reputation and is designed for small businesses Design tool.

Pros

• Retail cost of a large flat rate box starts at a low rate of $17.50
• Tools designed specifically for small businesses are available
• Same day delivery available in some cases

Cons

• Some APIs can’t be used on customer-facing websites

Why we choose it: We choose UPS as the most suitable small business transportation company for large parcels because it offers competitive prices (large flat freight boxes start at $17.50), and the company has a reputation and is designed for small businesses Design tool.

The retail cost of a large flat rate box shipped domestically using UPS is $17.50 (varies by shipping speed). You will pay a retail price of $21.10 for a similar large flat rate box provided by USPS. Small businesses can get discounted prices from UPS, and shipping rewards range from 20% to 50%, depending on the required shipping speed and the average weekly shipping volume of the small business.

UPS has many tools to help you calculate the cost and delivery speed of your shipment. Domestic land transportation using UPS takes approximately 1-5 days, and many options can be delivered in three days or less. In addition, in some cases, UPS also provides next-day or even same-day delivery services.

Although not all UPS APIs can be used on customer-facing websites, UPS has other services tailored to small businesses. These services include dashboards that give you insight into your shipments and tools built specifically for e-commerce businesses.

DHL Express

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We choose DHL Express as the most suitable small business transportation company for international transportation because it has expertise in this field and has various resources dedicated to helping small businesses engage in global trade.

Pros

• International shipping expertise
• Excellent resources to help businesses ship internationally
• Detailed service and rate guide

Cons

• Many surcharges and optional service fees

DHL was established in 1969 and is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group, a leading logistics company headquartered in Germany. The company’s small business transportation solutions are provided by DHL Express. DHL Express is headquartered in a plantation in Florida. We choose it as the best choice for international shipping because this is its field of expertise.

The company provides excellent resources for companies that are new to global business, including international trade primers that include basic knowledge of customs, import, and export. DHL also provides detailed international shipping guidelines, which include instructions on what you need to do to ensure you have an excellent international shipping experience.

Its service and rate guide provides detailed information about DHL shipping costs. The cost varies greatly depending on the size of the package, whether it is imported or exported, transportation speed, surcharges, and any optional services you choose. You need to get a quote or use DHL’s rate guide to calculate your shipping cost. Please pay attention to the details, including the terms of the shipping agreement, so as not to bring you any accidents.

ShipBob

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We choose ShipBob as the most suitable small commercial transportation company for e-commerce because it provides a full set of e-commerce logistics services. It will also be responsible for warehousing and inventory management. In addition, since ShipBob has negotiated volume discount rates with the four major carriers, small businesses’ shipping rates may be lower than what they pay themselves.

Pros

• Includes a full suite of fulfillment services
• Provides bulk shipping discounts from the four major carriers

Cons

• Direct integration to Amazon isn’t available (as of December 2020)
• Company has only been in business since 2014

We choose it as the best choice for e-commerce, because the company provides a complete set of e-commerce logistics transportation solutions for small businesses, including transportation, warehousing and inventory management.

One of the reasons that makes ShipBob stand out from the competition is that its transparent pricing includes not only transportation costs, but also the total cost you pay for fulfilling customer orders, storing goods, and managing inventory.

You will pay a one-time implementation fee to register (you need to get a quote), plus ShipBob’s fee for receiving your inventory (for example, $25 per person per hour for the first two hours), warehousing your inventory (for example, each trash Box is $5 per month), and each order is shipped (discounted carrier rates, free pickup after the first five orders). In addition, the shipping box is free. This makes ShipBob very suitable for e-commerce companies, especially those who need logistics help.

Orders before noon are shipped on the same day, and two-day delivery service is available. ShipBob has negotiated with USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL for discounted bulk freight rates for domestic and international shipping, which may be lower than the shipping rates you get yourself. In addition, ShipBob will provide you with quotations from all major carriers for each order, making it easier to find the best shipping rate.

The e-commerce software provided by ShipBob is free and integrates many key e-commerce applications. This includes integration with e-commerce platforms and marketplaces such as Wal-Mart, eBay, Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and Wix. One disadvantage is that there is no direct integration with Amazon.

FedEx

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We choose FedEx as the most suitable small commercial transportation company for fast transportation, because it provides standard door-to-door service every day of the week (including Saturday and Sunday). This means that packages can be delivered two days faster than other carriers.

Pros

• Home deliveries occur every day in the U.S.
• Discounts and perks are available
• Small business grants are issued annually

Cons

• Small package shipping costs are higher than USPS

We choose FedEx as the best choice for fast shipping because it can not only ship internationally to all 50 states in the United States, including home delivery on Saturdays and Sundays, but also FedEx’s ground transportation in the United States requires 1- 5 days and 3-7 days in Alaska and Hawaii. For daily delivery, the delivery speed of the package may be two days faster than other carriers.

In addition to providing fast shipping, FedEx also has a great resource center for small businesses. FedEx offers shipping discounts, as well as discounts on printing, money management tools, and other benefits. In addition, FedEx holds a small business grant contest every year. In 2020, there will be 12 awards with a total of 250,000 US dollars.

Shipping costs vary depending on the delivery speed, and FedEx clearly shows this on its website. Although you need to get a quotation to accurately understand the cost of shipping the goods, we found that the cheapest price for shipping a small box is $12.05, with 3 days delivery. Although this fee is slightly higher than the $8.30 retail rate you paid with USPS, because FedEx provides door-to-door delivery on Saturday and Sunday, your package can be delivered more quickly.

EasyPost

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We chose EasyPost as the small commercial transportation company that provides the most affordable option because it is a platform that allows you to compare the transportation costs and speeds of more than 100 carriers. EasyPost’s API allows up to 50,000 free shipments per year, allowing small businesses to easily find the most affordable delivery method.

Pros

• Free API for up to 50,000 shipments per year
• Ability to shop prices with 100+ carriers
• Helps simplify, automate, and control the shipping process

Cons

• Quote required for 50,000+ shipments
• Doesn’t directly ship goods

This is our most affordable option, because using EasyPost API, you can compare the rates and shipping speeds of dozens of carriers. EasyPost supports integration with more than 100 carriers, making it easier for small businesses to find the most affordable transportation solutions. In addition, for companies that ship 50,000 or fewer packages per year, there is no need to pay anything.

EasyPost does not ship goods directly, but provides APIs to help small businesses simplify, automate and control their shipping processes. The API developed by EasyPost allows companies to use a single integration to compare rates and ship goods between dozens of carriers, track goods in real time, verify addresses, and protect packages with insurance.

Creating an account with EasyPost is free, and the API can be set up and integrated in one day.

The basic developer package provided by EasyPost is free, allowing you to check prices, view shipping speed, create shipping labels, and track the shipping status of 50,000 packages per year. If you have a higher shipping volume, you need to get a quote from EasyPost’s Enterprise package. However, the amount of packages included in the Developer package should be suitable for most small businesses.

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