Finding the right balance between delivery time and cost is important when sending a package. Standard shipping is ideal for people who want next-day delivery but don’t want to pay for expensive express services. Standard delivery gives you an inexpensive and reasonable way to ship your package globally or internationally.
Major carriers, including USPS, UPS and FedEx, offer standard delivery options with affordable rates, full tracking and reliable service. But how long does it take? What are the benefits? How does it compare with other shipping methods? In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about standard delivery, including how to choose the best possible option for your business.
What is Standard Shipping
Standard delivery is the economical way of shipping small and large packages to and from the US and across the world. Standard delivery, also referred to as economy, regular, or ground shipping, is one of the most popular and economical shipping options that shipping carriers offer. For US-based domestic courier service, your parcels will be shipped with ground transport and will arrive at the receipt in three to five business days.
International shipments may take up to 7 to 30 days to arrive at the recipient. You can book a standard delivery service with a number of shipping companies. Still, when you use our shipping calculator you will be able to compare the best rates, delivery times and services around and choose the one that seems the best value for what you need.
Standard Delivery Compared to Other Shipping Methods
By choosing standard delivery, retailers save on shipping costs, and those savings can be passed on to the customer. But that’s not always enough. Customers tend to want more.
In order to avoid the loss of sales due to delivery limitations, there should be shipping options that will meet the needs of customers who are looking for faster delivery with their desired budget and speed. In this section, we’ll look at how standard delivery differs from express, ground, and international shipping.
Standard vs. Express Shipping
The standard delivery is a slower mail service, which takes 3 and 7 business days from the time the order is sent. On the other hand, express shipping is the faster and more expensive option.
Sometimes, the terms such as express and expedited shipping are used interchangeably.
If you have express as well as expedited, then express is faster (sometimes the delivery is in the next day or 2 days). In some cases, expedited shipping is referred to as premium shipping as it’s best suitable for customers who need to receive their purchases earlier than usual. We offer inexpensive 2-day shipping to their customers.
Standard vs. Ground Shipping
Standard and ground shipping are the same. The parcels are picked up from the warehouses and delivered to customers by means of ground transport in case of domestic deliveries. Delivery of goods requires 3 to 5 business days.
If customers live in a more remote area in the US, then their package will take a little longer to arrive. That’s where regional parcel carriers could offer a helping hand.
Standard vs. International Shipping
Standard international shipping is slower and cheaper than expedited international shipping. With standard international shipping, customers can expect delivery of their orders in 1 to 3 weeks. In case of customs delays, it may take up to 5 weeks. The shipping time, however, will be from 1-6 business days using expedited shipping.
Top Carriers Offer Standard Delivery
If you are sending large orders from ecommerce shops within the US, sending by standard ground delivery offers an ideal way to get a package there quickly. Several of the top carriers provide high quality last mile delivery (and returns) with lower postage costs.
Here is a list of shipping carriers and their standard delivery services to help you determine which ones to add to your ecommerce store.
USPS Standard Delivery
USPS First Class Mail and USPS Priority Mail are two standard delivery services offered by the USP Postal Service. Priority Mail takes items weighing up to 70 pounds, while First Class Mail is only for items up to one pound.
For USPS First Class Mail (the lightweight version of USPS standard delivery), here’s how it breaks down:
- It is the cheapest USPS service for small items.
- Delivery can be expected within 2 to 5 business days.
- You can get insurance of up to $50.
- It includes advanced tracking features.
If you are shipping heavier packages, this is what you can look forward to with USPS Priority Mail.
- It is a cheap USPS service for items under 70 pounds.
- You can expect delivery in 2-5 business days.
- You can get insurance up to $50.
- It also comes with a tracking feature.
UPS Standard Delivery
UPS Ground Shipping is what UPS offers as standard delivery. All packages weighing less than 150 pounds have this service. Here are the UPS standard delivery breakdowns.
- It is one of the cheapest UPS shipping services.
- Delivery can be expected within 1 to 5 days, depending on the location.
- Insurance available for purchase
- Get advanced tracking with this service
FedEx Standard Delivery
FedEx Ground is a standard delivery service offered by FedEx. All packages less than 150 pounds can use this service. FedEx standard delivery details are as follows.
- One of the cheapest FedEx shipping services.
- Delivery in 1-5 business days (3-7 days to Alaska or Hawaii).
- You can get insurance up to $100.
- Using this service, you can monitor the status of your parcels.
How Much Time Does Standard Delivery Take
Generally, standard delivery time in the US takes between 2 and 5 business days, depending on what you are sending from and to. A package might take a little longer to reach a remote location, but almost all US states are reachable within 5 business days using standard ground shipping.
Shipping times vary between countries, but with standard international shipping, your packages can reach most locations within 7 days from the US. However, with our shipping calculator, you can compare delivery times for a number of standard delivery services.
How Much Does Standard Delivery Cost
The cheapest shipping option is the standard delivery. Delivery distance, package weight, size, and value-added shipping additions such as delivery confirmation determines the end price of your shipment. However, shipping within the USA, on average, costs around $18.
Moreover, you will utilize our shipping calculator to determine the exact delivery price of your parcel.