When you first looked into dropshipping, you probably heard
that the most significant drawback is the extended shipping times.
When buying from a dropshipper, the customer will likely
have to wait 30+ days for their product to arrive. Long shipping times
dramatically increase the refund rates and the level of complaints a
dropshipper has to deal with, harming their bottom figure.
What if we told you that this doesn’t have to be the case?
What are the best shipping methods
for dropshipping?
Ready to see the most common shipping methods used by
dropshippers and why they are preferred?
And yes, we will also cover options if you’re not
dropshipping from China!
Let’s begin!
China Post
As many dropshippers are doing so from suppliers based in
China, the cheapest solution would be to use China Post. Many suppliers will
include the cost of shipping within their product price due to China Post being
so cheap.
China Post is a perfect solution for dropshippers who want
to provide free shipping.
Unfortunately, you will get what you pay for; dropshippers
may encounter numerous problems when the product is shipped internationally and
switches over to different couriers.
Tracking isn’t always offered with China Post, and it can
also be spotty even when provided. Additionally, items sent from China to the
US can sometimes take anything between 4-8 weeks.
However, Tracking more has their average delivery time to
the US down to a more respectable 25 days.
Epacket
Epacket was the preferred shipping method for most
dropshippers up until 2020; however, not so much nowadays.
Epacket is still being offered as a shipping method in 2022,
but it isn’t as cheap and reliable as it used to be. Tracking is always
provided on ePacket, which is a huge bonus, and it will take 24 days on average
from China to the US. This used to be 14 days.
AliExpress Standard Shipping
Of course, this is only available when dropshipping through
AliExpress, which many of you will be.
As ePacket’s price and delivery times have slowly declined
over the last few years, AliExpress’ standard shipping has gone from strength
to strength both in price and promptness.
Many AliExpress suppliers will even include the shipping
within the product cost for added simplicity.
Typically, we’re looking at 19 days average from China to
the US, and the delivery will be fully tracked throughout.
FedEx
This shipping method can be very costly, and we would only
recommend using it with very high-ticket items. Otherwise, the shipping cost
may outweigh the product cost in most cases.
This shipping method is the fastest, boasting an incredible
five days from China to the US, and offers full tracking.
Hiring a dropshipping agent
Perhaps all of the above sounds a little overwhelming, and
you’re unsure where to begin. Or maybe you want to outsource the logistical
headache to someone with boots on the ground in your supplier’s country.
In either case, a dropshipping agent may be just the thing
for you as they will be able to negotiate the quickest shipping routes for the
lowest cost possible.
A dropshipping agent can also ensure product quality,
personalized packaging, and product branding.
If you are already making plenty of sales, this may be the
next natural step to take your business to the next level.