- USPS Priority Mail International – Flat Rate is the cheapest way to mail a package internationally
- UPS®, FedEx, and USPS, plus other major couriers all offer international shipping
- With Easyship you can save up to 89% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers, including international shipping
If you do a Google search, you ’ ll see the cheapest external ship in 2021 is available through the US Postal Service ( USPS ). What ‘s less obvious, though, is this only applies if you plan to ship domestically within the US. indeed where can you find the cheapest international transport from the US to other countries ? As a shortcut, you can use our free ship rate calculator for real-time rates from top international couriers. Read below to learn how to pick the cheapest international embark company every time, plus a trade unavowed on getting the best rates.
Table of Contents
Comparing International Shipping Rates For 2022
To find the cheapest international transportation rates, we compared USPS shipping rates with those from leading express couriers, including :
- DHL
- FedEx
- UPS
We besides compared the cheapest united states postal service rates to one another. For case, I much send packages from Connecticut, the US to Hong Kong. In this article, I ‘ll refer to this practice lawsuit to help you understand the cheapest external ship .
Factors That Impact The Cheapest International Shipping Option
Researching the cheapest external ship rates can feel like a job. After all, USPS offers many different options based on your delivery timeline. Package system of weights and dimensions besides have an impingement on the final monetary value. USPS besides offers specific pricing for certain countries. In my case, I discovered that Hong Kong is classified as “ Group 3 ”, while mainland China has a freestanding rate. Look for these different classifications if you decide to navigate the complicated USPS price tables .
USPS Priority Mail International vs. Express Couriers
Priority Mail International – Flat Rate service is the cheapest way to mail a software internationally. For exemplar, sending a small box to Hong Kong from Connecticut is priced at $ 36.45 with a maximal weight of 4 lbs. Compare this rate to express couriers like FedEx or UPS, as seen in the chart below. With express couriers, the lapp dispatch costs $ 113 and up !
| Courier | Service | Delivery Time (claim) | Cost (Retail pricing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Priority Mail International – Small Flat Rate Box | 6-10 days | $36.45 |
| USPS | First-Class Package International | 7-15 days | $26.36 |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | 6-10 days | $51.44 |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | 3-5 days | $67.28 |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Expedited® | 2-5 days | $127.05 |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Saver® | 3-5 days | $137.15 |
| FedEx | International Economy | 4-6 days | $113.69 |
| FedEx | International Priority | 1-3 days | $118.72 |
The caution here is that using a small box to ship goods may not work all the time. According to the experience folks at My Wife Quit Her Job, a modest USPS box with dimensions of 8 11/16 ” x 5 7/16 ” x 1 3/4 ” ca n’t hold much more than 2 pound. So you ‘re likely running two pounds over the weight limit ! It ‘s more realistic to expect using the metier apartment rate box to ship most items. Priority Mail International – Flat Rate is the cheapest external ship option, specially if you don ’ t have a business report with express couriers .
Scale Your Growth Internationally With Pro Tips
Learn how to ship internationally without missing a dance step. Our case studies show you proven tactics for shipping worldwide from Easyship users who did it right .
Comparing USPS Rates For A Medium Box
Let ‘s start from the presumption that we need to ship anything over 2 lbs. in a medium box. now the question is : is the cheapest option from USPS a flat Rate Box or Priority Mail International ? For a medium Flat Rate box, the maximal weight is 20 pound. and the dimensions are 14 ” x 12 ” x 3 1/2 ”. The price is $ 77.50. After studying the pricing charts, I found the breakeven sharpen for using the Priority Mail International medium box, in this case, is 8 pound. so, if the weight of the package is between 8-20 pounds, the Medium Flat Rate Box is distillery the cheapest external ship option from USPS. nowadays let ’ s compare USPS rates for our medium corner with express couriers, seen below .
Rates For Medium 8lb. Package from Connecticut to Hong Kong
| Courier | Service | Delivery Time (claim) | Cost (Retail pricing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Priority Mail International – Medium Flat Rate Box | 6-10 days | $77.50 |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | 6-10 days | $82.15 |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | 3-5 days | $96.31 |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Expedited® | 2-5 days | $210.05 |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Saver® | 2-3 days | $222.55 |
| FedEx | International Economy | 4-6 days | $212.95 |
| FedEx | International Priority | 1-3 days | $235.27 |
At $ 77.50 and $ 82.15, both USPS options are far cheaper than UPS and FedEx. But… using USPS means you get what you pay for.
When you consider united states postal service ’ not-so-stellar record of delivery times ( they do not guarantee ), paired with spotty tracking service, you may want to explore early ways to get the cheapest external embark. This is specially true if you ‘re running a clientele with customers who expect seasonably deliveries .
How Easyship Can Help
Remember how press out couriers are expensive if you do n’t have a business report with special negotiated rates ? Let ’ s reexamine the 8 pound software rates for all couriers, except now let ‘s use the pre-negotiated business account rates available to Easyship users :
Biz Rates For 8lb. Package From Connecticut to Hong Kong
| Courier | Service | Delivery Time (Claim) | Delivery Time 1 (Actual) | Cost (Retail Pricing) | Cost (Using Easyship)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | Priority Mail International | 6-10 days | 10-15 days | $82.15 | $78.04* |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | 3-5 days | 10-15 days | $101.55 | $96.31* |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Expedited® | 2-5 days | 2-3 days | $210.05 | $112.16* |
| UPS | UPS Worldwide Saver® | 2-3 days | 1-2 days | $222.55 | $222.55* |
| FedEx | International Economy | 4-6 days | 3-5 days | $212.95 | $129.86* |
| FedEx | International Priority | 1-3 days | 1-2 days | $235.27 | $134.67* |
These figures are based on past shipments, using the medial for the minimal and setting the upper limit at the .85 percentile. These figures are estimates ; the least expensive shipping rates may vary depending on beginning and destination details ; extra services such as insurance and tax and duty march are not included. With Easyship, using express couriers is slenderly more low-cost for overseas ship. But wait, there ‘s the flex. What if I told you there ‘s a dark horse when it comes to the cheapest messenger that ships to Hong Kong ? Seen downstairs, Easyship found a reduced shipping rate between Connecticut and Hong Kong from a secret messenger
Easyship’s Get A Quote Feature, showing the most cost-effective shipping rates from the US to Hong Kong The darkness cavalry is SF Express, a regional messenger that focuses on deliveries to Hong Kong and mainland China ! At $ 38.11, SF Express offers the cheapest external transport for everyone. They even beat out USPS ’ two-dimensional rate at the 8 pound mark. This goes to show that although USPS does provide competitive international rates, it ’ s possible that united states postal service prices can be beaten by regional couriers .
To conclude, the cheapest international shipping options are:
typically, it ‘s USPS because they offer international shipping rates far cheaper than UPS and FedEx .
- Using UPS and FedEx to ship internationally without a business account can be really costly, with rates almost being 3x higher than USPS.
- With Easyship, you get direct access to the dark horse shipping options. You even save 40% on express courier rates when shipping internationally.
- Getting a shipping quote on Easyship’s platform may surprise you. You’re likely to find a regional courier that ends up being the cheapest international shipping choice.
If you want to learn more about transport internationally, we suggest you start here. Or jump right into the free ship rate calculator to find your cheapest rates on external embark .
Download The Guide
Provide your e-mail and we ‘ll send you a digital copy so that you can easily refer back to it late .
submission received ! You will receive an e-mail shortly containing the template. alternatively, you can download it here .
To learn more about the messenger services used in the comparisons, check out the following links : USPS Priority Mail International
FedEx International Priority
FedEx International Economy
Read more: Mochi Ice Cream
besides, if you ‘re concern in more low-cost international transportation rates, consider checking out our hybrid solutions. One of these is flat Export Rate which is a great budget option for external shipments, and lone has two zones, one for Canada, one for the rest of the world which actually allows merchants to simplify their embark estimations. even can ’ triiodothyronine believe your eyes ? Try and get a quote for your international dispatch. Like what you see ? Sign up for Easyship – it ’ second free ! **Originally posted in September 2017. Updated on January 27, 2022
