In recent years both technology and the digital field are accelerating at the speed of light and businesses are trying are making a huge transition into the online world.
Ecommerce businesses and store owners are multiplying, advancing their skills for selling worldwide, and trying out new marketing campaigns that will have a positive effect on their revenue.
With that being said, every successful online store owner is looking for ways to minimize costs and provide the best possible delivery to their customers.
One of the methods is through ePacket shipping.
Nothing is constant except change in dropshipping and eCommerce, so with ePacket shipping merchants can adjust the process of delivery, cut costs and stay ahead of the competition if they execute the job in the right way.
In the current article we are going to talk about the essence of ePacket shipping, expose all the sides of ePacket as a method, and will answer questions that are asked by many:
- What is ePacket shipping?
- In how many countries is ePacket shipping available?
- What are the charges for ePacket shipping?
- What kind of advantage does a country have if it can make a product more inexpensively?
- How long does economy shipping take?
- How long does AliExpress take to ship?
- How long does it take to ship from China to USA?
- How long to ship from UK to US?
- How long does it take to receive a package from China USPS?
- How long does EMS take from China to USA?
And there are many questions to answer in the article.
We are going to start with the basics and give you a proper understanding of what ePacket shipping is, starting with ePacket itself and how you can use it in your dropshipping business if you are sending goods from China.
What Is ePacket Shipping?
To put it in a nutshell, ePacket shipping is another option that is provided by third-party logistics in China.
It allows merchants to provide fast and affordable “shipping” for lighter packages up to 2kg.
Whether you have business with eBay Hong Kong, DHgate USA, Fuzhou EMS, or these combined, you can use ePacket shipping to cut costs, deliver fast and satisfy your customers. It is the merchant’s duty.
In past years, Fuzhou EMS, China was the only more affordable way to ship packets overseas to customers. Yes, the delivery was also taking more than a month to come and sometimes customers weren’t happy with the waiting period.
Quicker delivery meant more money to spend and a lot of consumers and merchants chose the economy shipping from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan worldwide.
Later in 2011, the USPS announced to the world ePacket shipping — the newest shipping method for that time which allowed packages from China and eBay Hong Kong to get USPS First Class Mail with delivery confirmation.
So if you were wondering how long does it take to ship from China to USA and how long does it take for a package to clear customs in New York, for example, the answer would’ve been this — a LONG time.
Breaking down ePacket shipping, the method is made convenient for eCommerce as all customers are receiving packages faster for cheaper prices from China.
In most cases, you will see that ePacket shipping is an option provided by merchants from China on websites as eBay Hong Kong, or AliExpress.
Of course, some terms and regulations must be kept if the ePacket shipping is taking place.
USPS and its requirements are a pivotal point to check out before purchasing.
The maximum length of a package should be 24 inches or 60 cm and the total height and thickness of it can’t go further than 36 inches (90 cm).
There are more requirements such as that the Epacket can’t exceed 2kg as far as weight goes and the value of the package can’t go higher than $400.
Their package must be eligible in the ePacket countries 2019 – 2020, which we will list in a minute.
What About ePacket Tracking?
Well, that was quite an entrance to the shipment list with ePacket.
Here comes another pivotal element, which is ePacket tracking. It gives your customers tracking information and no additional costs are present.
This can help with monitoring where their package is and can happen through the official websites of Fuzhou EMS, China Post, or USPS.
By using this service, customers will have information on their package.
Of course, there are better tracking solutions on the market that can help with it and provide more quality features for upselling and cross-sell, blacklist options, branded tracking pages, and much more.
ePacket Shipping And Delivery
With expanding in more than 40 countries across the globe, ePacket shipping and delivery are some of the most affordable solutions for many people.
It is considered a type of “eBay economy shipping method” and both merchants and customers love it.
Merchants using eBay Hong Kong can send goods from China to US and the package will come in about 20 days.
This is lowering the whole “shipping from China to US time” by weeks and it is a satisfactory element to customers.
The ePacket shipping and delivery are handled by a local carrier when it gets to another country like USA, Australia, or the UK.
Local carriers like Canada Post, Japan Post, or Royal Mail have their fees, delivery dates, and requirements.
Sometimes there are delays, but if you use the last-mile carrier service by Rush, you can track down what’s going on with the package in a matter of minutes.
The process of ePacket delivery is not as simple as it may sound. There should be carriers in China who will bring the package to the border.
After that, it is sent to the requested country by an international carrier and if everything is all right in dates, then you get the local company to pick up your package and deliver it.
The USPS provides tracked insured shipping but sometimes the package may get lost in transition and the way you could keep track of it is to work with proficient tracking software that will show you the information in real-time.
Also, for different countries, you can choose a lot of options some of which you might have used or heard in the past: ePacket tracking DHgate, Sweden post tracking, Taiwan post tracking, Swedish post tracking, Brazil post tracking, or EMS tracking Indonesia.
If you use and work with DHgate, it is enough to type in your DHgate tracking number and you are going to get accurate information on what is going on with your delivery.
Remember the ePacket shipping is not delivering straight to your doorstep. Make sure you get the steps along the way and keep a track of the deliveries accurately.
Countries That Support ePacket Shipping
Well, that would be a long list but it is something we should mention for you to know which are countries that support ePacket shipping as latest data from April 2020:
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil (we mentioned Brazil post tracking already)
- Croatia
- Canada
- Denmark
- Estonia
- France
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Gibraltar
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Hong Kong
- Italy
- Israel
- Ireland
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Malaysia
- Norway
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Poland
- Russia
- Sweden (we did mention Swedish post tracking, too)
- South Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Spain
- Singapore
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- Ukraine
- United States
- Vietnam
The graphic shows which countries support ePacket shipping as of 2021:
How long does it take to ship from China to USA?
On this question, the common answer would be between 10 and 20 days. Of course, there might be a delivery change in the ePacket shipping process but mainly the packages are coming in this time frame.
There are factors like holidays, working day schedules and other delays but nearly half the time of this period the package is on the road to the specific country.
After that, it gets to the warehouse of your local carrier and it is sent to the final destination.
Most people in America do want to know how long does shipping from China take. Shipping from China to US time varies between 10 and 20 days but there are possible delays.
If you want more specific dates and a tracking app that gives last-mile carrier information like no other, you can try Rush.
With it, you can minimize often asked questions like: “How long to ship from UK to US?” or China or whatever other country you are expecting a package from.
The app is phenomenal when it comes to giving accurate information on where the package is at the moment and what day and time it would be at your front door.
Back to ePacket shipping, it is a revolutionary method to send packages fast from China to another part of the world and to get them to the customer in less than twenty days.
Ways To Track ePacket
Tracking down ePacket shipping is pivotal and necessary for many businesses. Here is what you can do.
If the package is still in China, you can use Fuzhou EMS tracking. When you get to the United States, it would be an obvious reason to use the provided tracking service by the USPS.
If you think it would be great for your online business to bring some revenue, you can install Rush — the most versatile Shopify shipment software there is and reap the benefits of additional features like upselling and cross-sell, last-mile carrier information, branded tracking page, Email & SMS notifications and smart integrations with PayPal, Slack, etc.
Now, let’s get back to the beginning of the article and answer some frequently asked questions by some of our clients, partners, dropshippers, and store owners.
How long does AliExpress take to deliver?
Again, it depends on external factors but if you are purchasing from AliExpress you will have an option to view order details give an update on your package.
Customers do want to know how long does AliExpress take to ship so bad that they will fuel unnecessary anxiety in them and will check the status of the order a couple of times a day.
Here’s a quick tip. If you are ordering from AliExpress, click on your order details and look for the “ePacket” logo. This can give you some relief and wait more patiently on your package.
Worrying about delivery dates and “Where’s my package?” situations are pretty normal these days but try to stick to your tracking information, read the ePacket shipping requirements carefully, and do not rush things. It is proven not to help.
When it comes to “shipping from UK to US time”, it usually takes up from a week up to 10 days for the package to deliver.
Also, for those who do not use the service of AliExpress and are purchasing from another source, you can check if it is an ePacket shipping while looking for “L” at the beginning of the tracking number.
If it doesn’t look like that, this means another method was used while shipping and you should seek information somewhere else.
Are Customers Paying Additional Taxes With ePacket Shipping?
All ePacket shipping deliveries are going through traditional custom clearances and some situations require customers to pay taxes on arrival.
This information should be well put together and it would be pivotal for the customer to know if there is something familiar coming with the package.
When it comes to AliExpress, ePacket shipping is often offered as an inexpensive and even free method to get the package delivered.
There is an eBay economy shipping options for the ones shopping from the platform, so you might check it out as an alternative.
How long does economy shipping take?
If it is international, economy shipping might take up to 20 days. Sometimes delays are possible and the time bulks up a little.
You can notice the difference in periods when it comes to the ePacket shipping from China to US time. It saves not only time but it saves costs for both the customer and merchant.
How long does EMS take from China to USA?
EMS is considered to be a “step-up” by some people and packages are usually delivered around 15 days when it comes to international delivery.
If the delivery is within the country, then it might take somewhere between 3 and 8 days.
DHL vs EMS
Let’s face it, a lot of people are asking which of the two providers is better.
Well, there isn’t a straightforward answer to this “versus” because a lot of people are giving an opinion based on sympathy and not real facts.
Here are some facts that may help to think and choose for yourself which service provider to choose when it comes to DHL vs EMS.
Both companies are in high demand and are trying to give exceptional service to the customers. However, there are some pros and cons in both that you might check and adjust according to your needs, where your packages are going (internationally and locally), and pick one.
The common thing in these companies is that they offer different pricing and they do provide “faster” shipping.
As you can see, both companies are offering something different to the table. It all comes to personal preference, type of business, where you are located, and where your main market is.
All other details are pointless if you are not using the company for your maximum convenience, cheaper prices, and fast delivery for your customers.
The Many Benefits Of The ePacket Shipping Service
Whether you ship locally or internationally, the Epacket shipping service offers some of the best solutions for your online store if you are sending small packages that are in total weight of 2kg and are cheaper than $400 in value.
Remember one thing. Competition is stiff in eCommerce and there are service providers that for some occasions, areas and countries may offer better terms and quality provided services for cheaper prices.
If you want to use ePacket shipping, then you need to “adjust” its regulation to your business model and apply it correctly.
With that being said, ePacket is one of the most suitable methods to ship overseas on AliExpress, for smaller items and goods that are lighter.
Using ePacket Shipping For Shopify
If you are a dropshipper and have a business on Shopify, then you might as well read these options here for further clarity.
ePacket shipping is just right for people who are selling lower in value products and still want to save some money on costs.
All packages will take between 15 and 30 days to come and in some cases, there might be options for free delivery.
Do your research, make sure you have this option to start with your supplier, and use the true power of ePacket on your Shopify online store.
To Sum Up ePacket Shipping
Phew, that was quite a long one. We hope you get the idea of ePacket and the whole “ePacket shipping” method.
Let’s revise in a nutshell. ePacket is great for shipping small items from China to the rest of the world, including USA, UK, Australia, and Europe.
The time it takes for the package to come is around 20 days but there is always room for delays, you got to know this by now.
Think of the fact that whether you use AliExpress or a Shopify store, you have a limit of measures of the package, weight, and price (up to $400) respectively.
Also, you can track it down by adding your tracking number in USPS or try a third-party app that offers a custom branded tracking page and has a ton of features that will not only give important analytics and data on all of your shipment but will grow your impact and generate revenue as well.
Whether you like it or not, the future is coming faster than you think and companies are trying to catch up with shipping solutions that are going to make delivery more precise and satisfy the needs of clients.
Also, there are numerous ways to send a package to another country or another continent but when you are running an online store you try to cut the costs, offer value and make a profit.
Truth be told, you need a strong strategy and reason behind your choices to pick ePacket. Is it a cheaper method? Absolutely! Is it recommended for all types of businesses? We would have to say no.
If you are in the Shopify niche and you are selling small items and they are all coming from China, then ePacket might be the best pick for you.
Do your research and go through all possible companies that are offering shipping services in the range for your business.
Choose the one for you and create a profitable strategy for you and your customers.