Difference Between Courier and Regular Mail
Until recent years, couriers were regarded as the province of big and expensive businesses. If you could afford it, then for sure, using a courier was the most reliable way of making sure that your document or package reached its destination on time and in one piece, but for individuals and smaller businesses, the cost rarely justified the need.
Today the ease, and security of privately managed delivery services are more available and affordable than they’ve ever been and it’s time to revisit the question of the difference between courier and regular mail.
Cost
For a single letter or small package, it’s fair to say that regular mail is still likely to win out over a courier service. You’ll pay a fixed rate according to the size and weight of the document or parcel. In the case of larger packages, you’ll need to shop around. There are lots of companies and competition is intense. When you’re shipping a large volume or weight you may well find that a courier is no more expensive than regular mail.
Speed of Delivery
Couriers win hands down here. The postal service may offer same day delivery within a city, but the general standard is anywhere between 1 and 4 days from posting a priority letter to its arrival. Couriers companies have developed out of the need to provide the fastest possible service for time
sensitive documents and the networks they have in place to achieve that brings considerable advantages.
Precise Delivery Times
If you need your parcel or document delivered in an exact time slot, a courier is really your only option. Mail services can (more or less) guarantee the day of arrival but not the time within that day. Courier firms also that sometimes a letter or parcel needs to be held at its destination office for a few days or even a week before going to its final address and will generally facilitate this for a minimal extra charge.
Ease of Use
It’s really very simple. Do you want to take your parcel to an office, maybe spend a considerable length of time in a queue and perhaps answer a whole load of questions about the contents…or does it suit you better to make a quick call and have someone arrives to collect your document or
parcel directly from your home or office?
Reliability
The mail service has a great record of getting most letters and parcels to their intended destination. Courier services have an even better one. Tracking a parcel or letter through the mail service is an option, with a courier, this is a standard part of the service.
Signed for Deliveries
Sometimes you need a record showing the recipient has the letter or parcel you’ve sent. Again, this is possible with the mail service, though you’ll pay extra for it. Requesting proof of delivery is normal with a courier company, and if you need to be sure that the package is received by a specific person
not just any individual at the address, you’ll be able to set that up too.
In summary
If you need to send a letter, feel reasonably confident that it will arrive and it’s not especially time sensitive than the mail service will suit you nicely. If you’re looking to send a larger package, want to track it through every step of its journey, guarantee that it will arrive on time and be handed to the right person, choose a courier service. Do shop around, but the chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how affordable the superior option is!