What Is Economy Shipping? What It Means & How It Works?

Sometimes we need to have our packages shipped and delivered at the earliest. In these times of urgency, we require the company that we are shipping through to move as fast as possible and deliver the package with incredible efficiency, and for this we are willing to pay the extra price. This has become a very routine thing in today’s fast-moving world, but what if you’re okay with the shipping taking its time? What if you don’t want to pay the extra cost for faster shipping? Is there an option for that? In this article, we’re going to discuss exactly that.

The economy shipping option is present with almost all shipping companies and it takes hardly any more time than faster shipping options. It’s the cheapest option available for shipping and an economy shipping service that operates on the ground is much cheaper than any express courier service. The price difference is even more noticeable with international economy shipping options. Although it takes a little longer than express courier service, it is better value for money.

What does economy shipping from outside US mean?

As opposed to standard or expedited shipping or express delivery from within the country, or even economy shipping from within the US, there is a difference between all these other options and economy shipping from outside the US. The main differences are the price, the time taken, and the tracking options available to you with this kind of shipping.

Although the cost will be lower than the aforementioned shipping methods, it will take longer to ship the item and have it delivered, which is why it is recommended that you only send non-urgent items through this type of service.

The tracking options available are even more limited with shipping done from outside the US, since the items are shipped in bulk from overseas.

How long does economy shipping take?

The timings differ depending on if you ship your package from the same country or state you want it to be delivered. For packages within the country, shipping times take from 6-10 days, and if the package is to be delivered in the same state, it may be delivered even sooner than that.

For international shipping, timings depend on the country and the distance between the place of shipping and the destination. It can take anywhere from 10 to 20 days, sometimes sooner and sometimes even later.

What is economy shipping economy and standard shipping?

There are a few major differences between economy and standard shipping. Here are a few-

1. Economy shipping Price– One of the biggest differences and the reason why people choose economy shipping is because of the price difference between economy shipping and standard or expedited courier services.
   
   Economy shipping services ship their goods in bulk to keep the prices low, while standard shipping takes place with lesser number of items which are delivered quicker, hence the higher price tag.

1. Delivery Time– Another reason why people use economy shipping for non-urgent packages is because it takes longer than standard shipping for a package to get delivered. The difference can range from 2-10 days.
   
   Economy shipping happens on land, which is why it takes longer than standard shipping for packages to get delivered, but it’s a great deal if you want to save money on a package that doesn’t need to be delivered urgently.

1. Tracking– Tracking is often not as efficient with economy shipping as it is with its standard or expedited alternatives. Economy shipped packages are limited to scans on the packages when they are collected and when they have been delivered.
   
   This is also because of the fact that economy shipping happens in bulk to keep the price as low as possible which limits tracking and scanning potential, as opposed to express delivery.

What are the major companies that offer economy shipping?

There are 4 major companies that offer economy shipping. These four companies are: DHL, UPS, USPS, and FedEx. The details for economy shipping for each of these companies is as follows-

1. DHL– DHL offers International B2C economy shipping to over 220 countries for packages up to 2 kilograms. The transit times depend upon the distance of the countries as mentioned before, but one of the main advantages of using DHL is the simplified customs clearance that they offer on this shipping option.
   
   With worldwide shipping available, this is good for people who would like to send small packages to different countries and are not in a hurry for the packages to be delivered. This service is not recommended for bigger packages though, since the weight limit is 2 kilograms only.

1. FedEx– FedEx offers economy shipping to over 215 countries and territories, with a definite transit time of 2-5 business days. The packages are limited to 150 lbs and need to be 108” in length, 130” in length plus girth.
   
   This is great for people who would like to send bigger packages and would like to know how long it will take for their package to get delivered since there is a definite transit time presented for this option.

1. USPS– USPS offers economy shipping within 2-8 business days and they recommend this option for less urgent, oversized packages. USPS tracking is available and included within this option and the package can weigh up to 70 lbs, and up to 130 inches in combined length and width.
   
   There is a condition however, which states that large, lightweight packages will be subject to oversize pricing.

1. UPS– UPS offers economy shipping with day definite delivery in one to five days. It is an economical choice for packages that are not for urgent delivery, as with almost all economy shipping options available from other companies.
   
   The UPS website also states that the customer will know in advance when their package will be delivered and that UPS guarantees the delivery of your shipment.