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DHL, USPS, or FedEx: Which one will your customer prefer?

Courier
Updated:
2025-08-21
Reading time:
6 minutes read
Category:
Blog, Live Rates

Many small businesses struggle with logistics and determining which best shipping company would fit your needs can be difficult. Furthermore, as competition in the logistics market grows daily, there is a wide range of excellent options. To assist you in deciding which shipping service to choose, we’ve included all of the essential features of each service.

Summary

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • What key factors to consider when choosing a shipping provider.
  • Why DHL is the best choice for international express shipping, and what limitations it faces in the U.S. market.
  • Why USPS is ideal for low-cost domestic deliveries, and how it ensures nationwide coverage across all U.S. addresses.
  • Why FedEx is known for fast and reliable shipping, with advanced tracking and strong domestic infrastructure.
  • How to compare DHL, USPS, and FedEx effectively to find the best fit for your small, medium, or large business.
  • When to use a hybrid approach, leveraging different carriers to balance cost, speed, and reliability.

Introduction: Key Factors to Consider When Selecting a Shipping Company

It is critical to know the number of your shipments and the destinations before choosing a shipping provider. This can have a significant influence on whether you choose a local delivery firm or something more extensive, even worldwide.

Despite their daily competition, DHL, FedEx, and USPS each have their own distinct characteristics. You can better comprehend them if you learn more about them, their services, and their pricing approach. In this post, we’ll compare the services of DHL, FedEx, and USPS to help you choose the best shipping option for your business – small, medium, or large.

When delivering commodities to distant regions, there are a few things to think about before selecting a carrier. These considerations include shipping rates, delivery time, and the benefits of using that particular courier and shipping e-commerce service.

About DHL shipping e-commerce

DHL shipping e-commerce is a German Post subsidiary that was created in the United States. The company’s headquarters are in Bonn, Germany. Deutsche Post DHL has emerged as one of the largest logistics firms in the world. It has the most vigorous international game of the three, and it is the only carrier that distributes to sanctioned countries like North Korea. U.S. regulations do not authorize DHL to fly domestically between U.S. airports because it is a non-American corporation. . As a result, it outsources domestic services in the United States to other carriers. The company now has 590,000 employees, including trainees.

How to Configure the Plugin?

Watch our step-by-step tutorial to see how to configure the plugin from scratch. The video covers every setting so you can start using it with confidence.

About USPS shipping e-commerce

The USPS shipping e-commerce is the only service that serves every address in the United States, including 160 million homes, companies, and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service does not receive any government funding for operational costs and instead relies on the sale of stamps, services, and merchandise to fund its operations. This has an annual operating income of more than $71 billion, with 34,000 retail outlets and one of the most popular websites in the federal government, usps.com. It transports 48% of the world’s mail. In addition, they are one of the country’s major employers, with around 630,000 employees.

About FedEx shipping e-commerce

Federal Express or FedEx shipping e-commerce is the world’s most prominent express shipping firm, serving more than 220 nations and territories with quick, secure, and dependable delivery. The company is notable for its overnight delivery service and for being the first to track items and offer real-time information on their position. This functionality is currently available on most other carrier providers. FedEx shipping e-commerce is also a significant federal contractor in the United States. This provider was the first to launch an overnight delivery service as well as a system for tracking shipments and giving real-time location updates in its early days.

Want to see how our plugin works in action? Watch our step-by-step video on configuring the FedEx plugin in WooCommerce:

DHL, USPS, or FedEx: Which one will your customer prefer?

Let’s look at the many elements and how you could think about them while deciding on the best logistics/shipping choice for your cargo or document.

  • Dimensional Weight and Packaging

The shipping rate is determined by the parcel’s size since the amount of space occupied by one box in the transport vehicle determines the number of packages that may be carried alongside it. To guarantee that the small business is on track with the actual expenses, the weight and dimensions should be actively measured and calculated. The rates may then be compared to the pricing provided by the logistics business. DHL, USPS, and FedEx all impose a fee for “dimensional weight.” It simply implies that if your shipment is enormous or excessive, your delivery costs will skyrocket.

  • Value added Services

DHL – best company for international shipping

DHL is the best choice when you need fast and reliable international shipping. It works perfectly for e-commerce businesses selling globally, thanks to its strong infrastructure outside the US and advanced tracking options. Ideal for packages that must arrive quickly and smoothly in Europe, Asia, or South America. DHL provides express delivery to its clients at DHL Service Points. Clients can opt to receive their packages at certified locations. The consumer can pick up the package whenever it is convenient for them. This shipping provider enables unique services for different sectors, which is very beneficial to small businesses.

DHL shipping e-commerce provides a wide range of international services with varying shipping times and pricing. Its services include those that are as costly as the Same-Day service, which is offered via road and air.

DHL Express WooCommerce Live Rates PRO
$79.00

Serve your customers the automatically calculated DHL Express shipping live rates. Add the handling fees, insurance and more.

View Details or Add to cart
700+ Active Installations
30-day money back guarantee
Last Updated: 2025-08-25
Works with WooCommerce 9.7 - 10.2.x

FedEx – Best for fast and reliable domestic delivery

FedEx stands out with its speedy and on-time US deliveries and comprehensive tracking options. It’s best for shipments that require guaranteed delivery at a specific time (e.g., overnight shipping) or for B2B logistics.

FedEx shipping e-commerce company understands the demands of the industrial sector and provides a variety of support services to increase client satisfaction and loyalty. For example, FedEx offers a Pick-up and Drop-off service at approved locations. Customers may use this service to send and receive parcels from specific retailers, buy supplies to be delivered to one particular point of sale, and control withdrawals.

Best company for shipping overseas – you should consider the International Priority service. FedEx shipping e-commerce can deliver the cargo the following day in Europe, one business day in the United States and Canada, and two working days in Latin America, depending on the location.

FedEx WooCommerce Live Rates PRO
$79.00

Reasonably priced international delivery. Enable FedEx live rates for WooCommerce, save money and display the dynamically calculated shipping cost to your customers.

View Details or Add to cart
2,000+ Active Installations
30-day money back guarantee
Last Updated: 2025-09-02
Works with WooCommerce 9.7 - 10.2.x

USPS – Best for low-cost domestic shipping

Best shipping carrier for small business – USPS. It is great for affordable domestic shipments within the US. It’s especially efficient for small and lightweight parcels (e.g., First-Class Package Service, Priority Mail Flat Rate). This carrier is the right option when low shipping cost is the priority and delivery doesn’t have to be express. Widely used by sellers on Etsy or eBay.

USPS has multiple VAS too. The convenience associated with USPS’s services are commendable and best suited to satisfy the clients.

  • International Shipments

For USPS, the lowest-cost shipping option among all airlines to over 180 countries is First-Class Package International Service. The maximum package weight allowed is 4 pounds. Depending on the location, packages are delivered in 11 to 20 days. This is also an excellent alternative for minor, non-time-sensitive packages.

USPS WooCommerce Live Rates PRO
$79.00

Offer your customers the automatically calculated USPS shipping live rates.
Add the handling fees, insurance and more. Adjust them to your needs with just
a few clicks!

View Details or Add to cart
2,000+ Active Installations
30-day money back guarantee
Last Updated: 2025-08-12
Works with WooCommerce 9.7 - 10.2.x

DHL, USPS, or FedEx: What to choose?

All three are massive shipping e-commerce companies with different benefits and limitations, and picking the greatest one is actually pretty unfair. Finally, the decision amongst the three carriers is based on your individual company requirements. Therefore, using various carriers for different requirements is a solid strategy to get the best out of each one.

We hope that you now have additional information and tools to help you make an informed decision when selecting a third-party logistics supplier. Make sure you’re using an online accounting and inventory software to automate your order and pick-pack-ship processes for more accurate and faster shipping processing and tracking.

FAQ

Is DHL associated with USPS?

Yes, DHL and USPS work together through a partnership. Since DHL is not authorized to operate domestic flights within the United States, it relies on USPS for the “last-mile delivery” of many of its U.S. packages. That means DHL handles the international leg of the shipment, while USPS delivers the package to the recipient’s address.

Does FedEx take DHL packages?

No, FedEx does not deliver DHL packages. DHL and FedEx are separate competitors in the shipping industry, each operating their own logistics networks. However, in some cases DHL may cooperate with USPS for final delivery in the U.S., but not with FedEx.

Should I use DHL or USPS? / What’s better, DHL or USPS?

It depends on your shipping needs. DHL is usually better for fast international deliveries thanks to its global network and strong international infrastructure. USPS is typically better for low-cost domestic U.S. deliveries, especially for small and lightweight packages. If your business ships mainly within the U.S. and cost is the priority, USPS is the better choice. But if you need reliable, quick international shipping, DHL will usually be more effective.

Content Writer at Octolize

Bartosz Gajewski is a content and marketing specialist with a solid background in SEO, WordPress content strategy, and technical documentation for digital products. With years of hands-on experience in both in-house and freelance roles, he supports tech companies – especially in the SaaS and e-commerce space – by creating content that informs, engages, and drives results.

His approach blends storytelling with data-driven SEO, and he’s been involved in projects ranging from rebranding and product marketing to growth experiments and copywriting for complex software tools. On the blog, he shares actionable insights from his work across marketing teams, product documentation, and online store optimization.

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