UPS International Shipping Services For E-commerce Compared – Shippo
As your e-commerce business continues to grow, the next step in maintaining that growth is serving new customers in new markets. With UPSⓇ international shipping services, you can do just that.
According to Statista, retail e-commerce sales was expected to grow to $6.54 trillion USD in 2022. In another report, Statista found that the average value of an international sale is 17% higher compared to the average domestic sale.
In essence, the e-commerce market is growing and one of the most profitable parts of that market includes international sales.
UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories around the world, making them an ideal option when shipping internationally. Also, with UPS Paperless now available on Shippo, you can send international shipping documents digitally rather than having to print a separate customs invoice and attach it to the parcel. This helps make shipping outside the US faster with UPS and more efficient.
However, there are some important distinctions between these UPS services that can affect your customers and your bottom line.
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What Is UPS Worldwide ExpressⓇ shipping service?
UPS Worldwide Express® shipping service is one of the faster international shipping options that UPS provides. On average, deliveries using this service take 1-3 business days to reach their destination.
The time depends on the address of the package origin and its final destination is as illustrated below.
Image source: UPS.com
Depending on the location as well, you can expect your products to arrive to customers as early as 10:30 a.m. for certain destinations and 12:00 p.m. for others.
This service level comes with the promise of on-time delivery or your money back, customs clearance, and up to three delivery attempts made.
When to use UPS Worldwide Express® Shipping Service
Merchants who are trying to deliver products quickly and on a somewhat time-sensitive basis should look to use UPS Worldwide Express® shipping service.
UPS Worldwide Express PlusⓇ Shipping Service
Parcels shipped with UPS Worldwide Express Plus® service typically take 2-3 business days in transit to arrive to customers. But, it takes international shipping a notch further when it comes to delivery times as your customers will have the ability to receive their orders as early as 8 a.m.
The caveat is that this service level is only available to the top 20 counties in terms of GDP. That means if you’re shipping out of the U.S., most of the countries you can ship to this early in the morning are ones located in Europe and Asia.
However, while 20 countries may seem like a small amount, this is actually greater than the number of countries FedEx or DHL can serve in this time frame.
When to use UPS Worldwide Express Plus® shipping service
E-commerce merchants who are looking to ship to Europe or Asia should look to UPS Worldwide Express Plus® service as an option as it gives their customers the ability to get their packages sooner without breaking the bank.
What Is UPS Worldwide Saver® Shipping Service?
When using UPS Worldwide Saver® services, you can expect your international shipments to reach their final destination anywhere between 1-3 business days.
The difference is that those shipments may not arrive in the morning as they are simply slotted to be delivered by the end of the day. This makes it an economical alternative to the Express options. Free UPS packaging is also available with this service.
On top of that, Shippo users who are shipping through UPS can get discounts to these rates as demonstrated below.
When to offer UPS Worldwide Saver® Shipping Services
The best time to offer UPS Worldwide Saver® is when you want to deliver your products quickly, and your customers don’t necessarily have a time preference to get their products.
How UPS Worldwide ExpeditedⓇ Works
UPS Worldwide Expedited® services differ from the other international shipping services in that packages shipped with this service typically take the longest time in transit. E-commerce merchants can expect their shipments to arrive to their customers anywhere between 2-5 business days.
Similar to UPS Worldwide Express Saver® shipping services, packages are also set to be delivered by the end of the day rather than a definite time in the morning.
You are able to get guaranteed day-definite delivery for this service or your money back. You’re also able to get door-to-door service with in-house customs clearance and up to three delivery attempts.
Keep in mind that while you are able to send parcels to over 220 countries and territories, you’re only able to receive parcels from over 80.
When to use UPS Worldwide Expedited® Shipping Services
The best time to use UPS Worldwide Expedited® shipping services is for smaller parcels that don’t require as much urgency to arrive.
How Much Do UPS® Worldwide Services Cost?
There isn’t a set price for each UPS Worldwide service level as each of them are dependent upon the total distance the package has to travel as well as the weight and size of the package.
To give a rough estimate of what to expect, we’ll look at three different shipping destinations for the same package. This package weighs 5 lbs and is 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 6 inches tall.
For this example let’s also say that you’re shipping out of Chicago, IL, and are using Shippo to create shipping labels.
Shipping To The U.K.
Service Level
Estimated Cost
Transit Time
UPS Expedited®
$48.67
4 days
UPS Worldwide Saver®
$54.44
2 days
UPS Worldwide Express®
$58.44
2 days
UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
$98.44
2 days
Shipping To Canada
Service Level
Estimated Cost
Transit Time
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
$35.35
2 days
UPS Worldwide Saver®
$39.60
1 day
UPS Worldwide Express®
$43.80
1 day
Shipping To Australia
Service Level
Estimated Cost
Transit Time
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
$58.63
4 days
UPS Worldwide Saver®
$61.71
2 days
UPS Worldwide Express®
$70.00
2 days
UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
$110.00
2 days
As you can see, UPS Worldwide Expedited® service tends to have the lowest cost, while UPS Worldwide Express Plus® service tends to have the highest cost.
However, in terms of speed, UPS Worldwide Express Plus® service tends to have the lowest transit time, while UPS Worldwide Expedited® service tends to have the longest transit time.
How To Save Money On UPS® International Services?
As you may have noticed, while international shipments tend to be greater in value the cost to ship internationally tends to be higher as well. Saving money when creating international labels will allow your e-commerce business to reap the full benefits of expanding into these new markets.
With Shippo, you’ll have access to deep discounts when shipping with UPS, including up to 82% off international services*.
You’ll also be able to find deep discounts for domestic shipping services, including up to 78% off of UPS® Ground, up to 73% off UPS 2nd Day Air® shipping, and 73% off UPS Next Day Air® shipping.
E-commerce merchants that have previously negotiated rates can also connect their accounts to Shippo to compare those rates when shipping internationally.
*Discounts off UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.
