Comparative analysis of the operating procedures, pros and cons of China Post Air Parcel, DHL, FedEx and UPS

1. China Post air parcel operation process and characteristics

Operation process

  • China Post’s large packages can only be affixed with customs declaration forms in China Post format.
  • The recipient’s name and address must be completed in English.
  • The contents, quantity, weight and value on the customs declaration form must be filled in by the customer.
  • At the sender’s signature area, please ask the customer to sign his or her Chinese name.
  • The packaging must be intact and not easily damaged. Except for the address label, try not to carry other irrelevant marks on the outside of the packaging bag. For fragile items, it is best to have a fragile symbol on the outer packaging and an address label in the middle of the front of the package.
  • Delivery to post office and sorted by country.
  • The post office arranges warehouses, arranges boarding on the plane and other procedures, and sends them to various postal distribution centers around the world. The postal services of various countries (regions) will again distribute the goods at the second and third levels, sort them by city and street address, and finally deliver them to customers.

Inquiry about compensation

  • Package related information can be checked on the official website of China Post, and the flow of the parcel can be tracked throughout the process.
  • If the package is not delivered 1 month after it is sent, you can ask the post office to inquire. The normal response time for the post office inquiry is 2 to 6 months.
  • If the package is lost, you can apply for compensation from China Post. China Post will pay compensation according to the declared value, but the maximum compensation shall not exceed 300 yuan.

Delivery method

  • Make an appointment to pick up the goods or the seller will deliver them to the post office.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

  • Low cost, the price is slightly lower than EMS, and the volume and weight are not calculated, there are no remote surcharges, and there are no fuel fees.
  • Sending is relatively convenient and can be reached anywhere there is a post office.
  • Convenient and fast, using a single waybill and uniformly printed by the company, reducing customer trouble.
  • Provide package tracking and inquiry services. Relevant information can be found on the China Post official website on the day the package leaves, and the entire process can be tracked.

Disadvantages

  • Compared to small packages which are weighed in grams, large packages are charged in kilograms. Compared with other commercial express delivery, the weight is limited.

Scope of application

  • Applicable to goods weighing 2~30kg.

2. DHL operating procedures and characteristics

Operation process

  • Can be shipped online on the official website: Enter the DHL official website and select “Export Services” to select the export logistics services you need according to your needs. You can also check logistics prices, transit times and packaging types through the official website.
  • Offline shipping is available: Offline freight forwarding companies and cross-border e-commerce platforms also provide DHL’s business agency services.

Status query

  • Sellers can check the logistics status of goods in the AliExpress backend, or log in to the DHL official website to check.

Delivery method

  • Users have multiple delivery methods when using DHL, such as door-to-door delivery, delivery, etc. When customers use the official online delivery method, the courier will come to pick up the goods at the agreed time. When a customer places an order through a freight forwarding company or the logistics system of a cross-border e-commerce platform, the goods can be sent directly to the designated cargo distribution center depending on the actual goods, or they can wait for staff to come to collect the goods.

Advantages and Disadvantages

  • The most significant advantage of using commercial express is that the timeliness of commercial express is higher than that of any cross-border logistics method. It usually takes 3 to 7 days to reach the customer, and in some areas the timeliness can reach 3 working days. However, the price of commercial express delivery is the highest compared to other logistics methods.

3. FedEx operation process and characteristics

Operation process

  • You can send items online on the FedEx official website: Go to the FedEx official website, select “Online Shipping” to register a FedEx account.
  • Offline shipping is available: Offline freight forwarding companies and cross-border e-commerce platforms also provide FedEx business agency services.

Status query

  • Sellers can check the logistics status of goods in the AliExpress backend, or log in to the FedEx official website to check.

Delivery method

  • Users have a variety of delivery methods when using FedEx, such as door-to-door collection and self-delivery.

Advantages and Disadvantages

  • Similar to the advantages and disadvantages of DHL, FedEx also has the characteristics of high timeliness and high price.

4. UPS operation process and characteristics

Operation process

  • Can be shipped online on the UPS official website: Go to the UPS official website, select “Transportation” to register a UPS account.
  • Offline delivery is available: Offline freight forwarding companies and cross-border e-commerce platforms also provide UPS business agency services.

Status query

  • Sellers can check the logistics status of goods in the AliExpress backend, or log in to the UPS official website to check.

Delivery method

  • Users have a variety of delivery methods when using UPS, such as door-to-door collection and self-delivery.

Advantages and Disadvantages

  • Similar to the advantages and disadvantages of DHL and FedEx, UPS also has the characteristics of high timeliness and high price.