AliExpress Standard Shipping vs. ePacket
Two of the cheapest and most reliable shipping options on the AliExpress marketplace: AliExpress Standard Shipping and ePacket. You need to know how they stack up. In this article take a look at the two so that you can determine which is best for your needs.
| AliExpress | ePacket | |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping Time (Worldwide) | 15-45 Days | 7-30 Days |
| Cost Starting From ($USD) | $0 | $1.27 |
| Direct-to-Consumer Items |  |
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| Wholesale Options | |
|
Intro
AliExpress doesn’t shy away from providing a range of shipping options, and AliExpress Standard Shipping and ePacket are two of the cheapest but reliable ones available, which is why they are well worth comparing when deciding what one to use.
It’s likely you’ve come here as a business owner and want to know which carrier to use to get your products to you or your customers in a cost effective but timely way.
If you’re a dropshipper, shipping times can be a massive make or break for business. No one likes waiting weeks for their online purchase to arrive. That’s why paying a modest shipping fee for either of these two services to shorten delivery times may be the better alternative than letting down your valued customers with painfully long shipping times.
In this article we take a look at what each carrier does, how long their shipping takes and their advantages and disadvantages.
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General Overview
You’ve heard of AliExpress, right? It’s that massive global marketplace with a seemingly endless supply of items for all purposes.
All of their items ship from China, which means that shipping always comes into the equation.
We’ve done a quick breakdown of how two of their shipping carriers – AliExpress Standard Shipping and ePacket – compare in the following table and then we’ll focus on the benefits of each individually.
| General Overview | AliExpress | ePacket |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping Time (Worldwide) | 15 - 45 Days | 7 - 30 Days |
| Cost Starting From ($USD) | $0 | $1.27 |
| Tracking | |
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| Ships Worldwide | |
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| Customer Protections | |
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AliExpress Standard Shipping
What is AliExpress Standard Shipping?
As the name implies, this shipping carrier is actually owned by AliExpress (or to be technical, Alibaba Group). The way it operates is that sellers will send their product to a warehouse run by AliExpress and it is then shipped to the customer from there.
This shipping method offers a wider delivery timeframe than ePacket (15 - 45 days compared to 7 - 30 days), which actual times depending on where in the world you’re shipping products to.
How long does AliExpress Standard Shipping take?
The AliExpress website states that shipping can take from 15 - 45 days. This would certainly be dependent on what country you are shipping to.
You can find specific delivery estimates for each shipping carrier on AliExpress, when you select your shipping method beside each product.
We’ve included a screenshot below for the AliExpress Standard Shipping cost and delivery estimate to the USA for when we went to purchase a pen set worth $0.95 USD.
As you can see, if your order value is over $15 you qualify for free shipping.
We took the screenshot on 27 January 2022, and the estimated delivery is March 18th 2022, which is quite a long time. We assume this may be because of COVID-related delays.
When we looked at the shipping for a higher ticket item - a canvas shoulder bag ($17.50 USD) - AliExpress Standard Shipping was the only available shipping carrier. We looked at how much it would cost to ship to the United Kingdom, and when the expected delivery was.
The expected delivery is 8 March 2022 (when added to cart on 27 January 2022), which is shorter than the delivery time to the USA of the pen set we looked at first.
Pros of AliExpress Standard Shipping
- AliExpress Standard Shipping ships anywhere in the world!
- Is an available shipping option for all products (most likely because its AliExpress’ own shipping carrier)
- Tracking numbers are provided so you know where your parcels are at all times.
- Free shipping available to some locations (such as the US) depending on product value.
- Products are well packaged using durable materials.
- Can be used for dropshipping on AliExpress.
Cons of AliExpress Standard Shipping
- Shipping times are variable.
- Sellers have to ship orders to the AliExpress Shipping warehouse before it is despatched to the customer's address.
- May not be suitable for large orders - best for single product purchases.
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ePacket Shipping
What is ePacket shipping?
ePacket was developed for shipping small packages around the world at affordable rates. The introduction of this shipping carrier on AliExpress was fantastic for buyers, who were previously facing incredibly steep prices to ship inexpensive items to them in under 60 days.
ePacket parcels are shipped by air rather than water (which was standard before ePacket came around).
ePacket would be a great carrier for dropshippers who would prefer to pay modest shipping fees over leaving their customers waiting up to 60 days to receive their orders.
How long does ePacket shipping take?
ePacket shipping generally ranges from 7 - 30 days, which is shorter than AliExpress Standard Shipping’s time frame. However, you may find that ePacket is not available as a shipping option for some products (whereas AliExpress Standard Shipping can always be used).
Be aware that there are some places that ePacket does not currently ship to, such as South America (except for Brazil), Africa and the Middle East.
Pros of ePacket Shipping
- Parcels are shipped by air rather than sea = shorter shipping times.
- Is cheaper than other shipping options.
- Tracking numbers are provided.
- Great option for dropshipping on AliExpress to save your customers from having to suffer through long shipping times.
Cons of ePacket Shipping
- Best suited for small, light packages - don’t expect to be using it to ship your new campstove halfway around the world.
- Does not ship to all countries (but will to main centers: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand).
- Not available as a shipping option for some products.
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Conclusion
Both Aliexpress Standard Shipping and ePacket offer a range of benefits, especially for dropshippers. For a modest price (or for free) you can use these two carriers for faster shipping times than other options on AliExpress without the steep price tag.
Top Alternatives
AliExpress offers plenty of other shipping options, which you may want to look at. Generally, these options are either quite expensive with short shipping times, or free with long shipping times.
We think that both AliExpress and ePacket offer a great balance of shipping cost and delivery time.
If you are interested in looking at the other options, you may want to check out:
- EMS
- DHL
- AliExpress Premium Shipping
- China Post
Q&A Discussion
You may still have some questions about AliExpress shipping options, or maybe you want to find out more about how SaleHoo can be used with AliExpress to supercharge your dropshipping business and save you serious time. Please reach out to 24/7 customer support our team and our eCommerce experts can answer all your questions!
We hope you found this article useful!
