Key Points:
- Priority Mail International is an affordable, economical service that delivers in 6-10 business days
- Priority Mail Express International is a fast express service that delivers in 3-5 business days
- The international courier services differ in lead times, pricing, insurance, package pickup, and weekend delivery
The United States Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers over 425 million mail pieces daily.
USPS is an affordable courier service that offers competitive domestic and international shipments rates. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express International are two of the most popular courier options for international mail and packages.
While they sound similar, the international courier services differ in lead times, pricing, and more. This blog highlights the differences and similarities between Priority Mail International vs. Priority Mail Express International to help you decide what works best for your eCommerce business.
Table of Contents
What is Priority Mail International?
Priority Mail International is an affordable, economical service that ships to 180 countries. Some of the main features of this courier service include the following:
- Delivery in 6-10 business days
- Real-time tracking
- Included insurance
This service is best for eCommerce businesses looking to cut back on shipping costs. But, you may want to consider express courier services if your customers are looking for fast shipping.
What is Priority Mail Express International?
Priority Mail Express International is a fast express service that ships to 180 countries. This courier service includes a broader range of features such as the following:
- Guaranteed delivery in 3-5 business days
- Money-back guarantee to select destinations
- Real-time tracking
- Included insurance
This service is best for eCommerce businesses that need quick shipping for their customers to keep up with customer expectations.
What’s the Difference Between Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express International?
USPS is known for its mix of standard and express courier services. Priority Mail International is great if you’re not rushing for your parcel to get from point A to B. However, Priority Mail Express International is better if you’re looking for fast shipping and guaranteed service.
First, we’ll highlight the similarities between Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express International so that you can get an idea of where these courier services align:
- Weight restrictions: USPS courier services impose a 70-pound maximum weight for packages. Flat-rate envelopes and small flat rate boxes have a maximum of 4 pounds, and medium and large flat rate boxes are 20 pounds.
- Tracking: Both Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express International offer USPS tracking at every point of transit
- Flat rate boxes/envelopes: Both courier services offer flat rate envelopes and boxes for shipping
Now, let’s have a look at the breakdown of the differences between these two international courier services:
- Pricing: Priority Mail Express International costs more, and prices start at $47.95, while Priority Mail International starts at $40.45. Prices vary depending on the destination country
- Delivery lead time: On average, Priority Mail Express International takes 3-5 business days to deliver, while Priority Mail International takes 6-10 business days
- Insurance: Both courier services offer up to $200 shipping insurance depending on the reasoning. However, Priority Mail International has more exceptions for this service in place
- Package pickup: Priority Mail Express International offers free package pickup at your home or office. However, Priority Mail Express International only offers this service in some cases
- Sunday delivery: Priority Mail Express International offers Sunday delivery for an additional fee, but Priority Mail International does not
Overall, if you need speed, choose Priority Mail Express International. But, if you’re looking to save some cash on shipping, Priority Mail International can also get your package to its destination.
Related blog: The Best International Carriers for Fast Shipping
How Much Does Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express International Cost?
No matter what, factors such as courier service, delivery speed, the weight of the package, shipping distance, and package dimensions all come into play when calculating the cost of shipping.
We’ll calculate the cost of shipping with Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express International to various locations across the globe so that you can get an idea of the price difference.
Shipping from the US to the UK
Say you’re shipping a 5-pound package from New York to the United Kingdom. We’ll calculate the rates for shipping with Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International so you can get an idea of how much it costs.
| Courier Service | Retail Cost |
|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express International | $93.25 |
| Priority Mail International | $80.65 |
Shipping from the US to China
Now, let’s say you’re shipping a 5-pound package from New York to China. First, we’ll calculate the rates for shipping with Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International so you can get an idea of how much it costs.
| Courier Service | Retail Cost |
|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express International | $96.30 |
| Priority Mail International | $77.25 |
Shipping from the US to the Philippines
Perhaps you’re shipping a 5-pound package from New York to the Philippines. We’ll calculate the rates for shipping with Priority Mail Express International and Priority Mail International, so you can get an idea of how much it costs.
| Courier Service | Retail Cost |
|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express International | $97.15 |
| Priority Mail International | $76.75 |
Shipping with Easyship
Easyship offers competitive rates with up to 91% off the retail shipping cost for USPS. We’ll calculate how much it costs to ship with Easyship from the destinations above.
| Courier Service | Destination | Discount Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express International | NY to the UK | $90.02 |
| Priority Mail International | NY to the UK | $76.62 |
| Priority Mail Express International | NY to China | $94.00 |
| Priority Mail International | NY to China | $73.39 |
| Priority Mail Express International | NY to the Philippines | $95.01 |
| Priority Mail International | NY to the Philippines | $72.91 |
As we can see, Easyship offers cheaper rates for USPS international shipping. In addition, Easyship users get all the bells and whistles of USPS courier services plus the extensive suite of features from Easyship.
The Cheapest USPS Rates for International Shipping
Priority Mail International is the cheaper, less reliable international shipping service. So if you need expedited shipping for your global eCommerce customers, Priority Mail Express International is the solution for you.
With Easyship, users save up to 91% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers, including USPS international courier services. Plus, you gain access to helpful features designed to make international shipping seamless.
Here are some of the features Easyship users can gain access to when creating their free account:
- Easyship Shipping Rates Calculator: Access high-volume discounts from major couriers. Plus, get instant access to delivery lead times from premium shipping couriers for faster shipping
- Global Fulfillment: Easyship has warehouse partners on four continents so that you can reach your customers all across the world. Plus, Easyship helps scale up fulfillment capabilities without increasing overhead costs
- Duties & Tax Visibility: Easyship works out all duties and taxes for your international shipments, so you can handle your international orders with ease. Calculate your duties for overseas shipments here
USPS users can manage all their USPS shipping activity through the Easyship Dashboard while unlocking pre-negotiated discounts. Connect your USPS account or sign up for a free Easyship account to get started.
Ready to ship? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and get instant access to high-volume discounts for USPS international shipping
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