Today, many products are produced in China or Asia. The problem is that for countries outside of here, standard postage can be expensive and take a long time.
For e-commerce customers, this can be off-putting and result in lost sales.
Thankfully, a new form of shipping was invented, called ePacket shipping. This happened as the result of an agreement made between the US Postal Service and China. People were able to get their items quicker and not have to wait up to two months as they had previously.
ePacket shipping also saves people money when they are shipping items from Hong Kong or China to another country. Parcels can also be tracked. It is reasons such as these why ePacket is now one of the most popular e-commerce delivery methods.
How Customers Receive ePacket Shipments
Once the ePacket is booked, the item is collected from the customers home and delivered to the country’s border. From here, the item is shipped to its destination. Upon receiving the item, a carrier like USPS will collect the item, then deliver it to the Post Office closest to the recipient. The item could also be delivered directly to the recipients home. So, how does ePacket shipping work? Here’s a little more about the process.
Basic Requirements Considered. There are restrictions in both the size and weight of a parcel that can be sent via ePacket. The length of the package must measure between 14cm and 60cm. The minimum width allowed is 11cm. The total length, width and height must not exceed 91cm. The weight of the parcel must not go over 2kg, and the item must not be worth more than $400. Additionally, customers must also work out whether they are eligible to receive parcels from China. There are currently 44 eligible countries.
Items are shipped. The time it takes for the parcel to arrive depends on which country the customer resides. For US residents, delivery is reasonably quick, taking between ten and twenty working days. Similarly, Russia and Saudi Arabia benefit from fast delivery and can expect parcels to arrive within seven to twenty days. For other countries, it takes between seven and thirty days for a package to arrive. However, items can be delayed due to things like adverse weather events or holidays.
Items can be Tracked. The fact that eShipping offers tracking is good, as most customers prefer to have this functionality with their parcels. To track an item, the recipient uses a 13 digit code which is a combination of numbers and letters and ends in CN (China) to indicate the country of origin.
The Main Benefits of ePacket
ePacket is a cheap and fast way to send an item outside of China or Asia. It tends to be the preferred way to send parcels as they can be tracked, and returned if necessary. Plus, recipients can have the item delivered directly to them. Here are the main benefits of ePacket shipping.
- Affordable. Compared to other forms of shipping, ePacket shipping is priced competitively.
- Quick. It doesn’t take as long to arrive than other forms of shipping.
- Trackable. Items can be tracked using a 13 digit tracking number on the shipment site.
- Free Returns. If the item isn’t suitable, it can be returned to the merchant free of charge.
- Direct to Door. Goods are delivered right to the recipient’s doorstep.
ePacket shipping is the Best Way to Ship Items Outside of Asia
Traditionally, shipping items outside of Asia was expensive and took a while to arrive, unless businesses made use of high-level couriers. This was a big problem for e-commerce retailers who lost sales as a result. As a solution to these types of issues, ePacket shipping was introduced and has now become one of the most popular ways to send parcels outside of China and Asia.
Before items are sent, there are a couple of things that need to be considered. Size, weight and value restrictions do exist on ePacket parcels. Plus, not all countries are eligible to receive packages from China. However, 44 countries currently are. Buyers also need to consider the shipping time. Considering that it can take up to 30 days for the item to arrive, it’s perhaps not best suited for urgently needed items.
On the plus side, ePacket shipping is an affordable service that can deliver quickly to certain countries. If there happens to be no one home when the item is delivered, or the item is unsuitable, returns are also free. Plus, receivers don’t have to leave their home to receive their item.