
Cheap Parcel Delivery
Tips for sending via Royal Mail, discount web couriers & online retailers
More people than ever are sending parcels as it's so much harder to see each other, but the cost can quickly add up. This guide compares sending via Royal Mail, discount couriers, or even online retailers to show it's possible to save a packet (wahey!).
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Buying from an online UK store? It's almost always cheaper to have it sent directly
If you're buying an item from an online store for someone else, it's almost always cheaper to get it sent directly to the recipient, especially as over a certain amount (normally £20-£50 depending on the retailer) it's free. Plus many stores let you write gift notes to the recipient so you can personalise it.
This can really help with heavier gifts as Royal Mail and parcel firms charge by weight, while shops don't tend to – it's normally based on the underlying cost of the item. Even where there's a charge, it's usually only a few quid.
For example, when we looked at sending a 'Baby Yoda' toy worth £57 via standard delivery, Amazon was free (on orders over £20 if you don't have Prime), ShopDisney was free (as our order was £50+, £3.95 otherwise), and Zavvi was £1.99.
Plus you've the benefit of it being quicker and there being only one delivery charge, as you're not having to send the item(s) to yourself first. But it isn't an option for everyone, eg, if you're buying from local businesses that don't deliver, want to look at what you're buying first hand or want to add personal touches such as gift wrap or a card.
Sending an item yourself? The cheapest option likely depends on weight
There are a lot of variables when it comes to parcel delivery, eg, location, weight, size, drop off or collection, delivery speed etc, so we can't give you exact prices as they vary enormously – but during our research we've spotted some trends based on the weight of the item you're sending.
- A small item less than 1kg? Royal Mail usually wins. For an idea of items under 1kg, a reusable aluminium water bottle, a large page-a-day daily diary or a 1,000-piece jigsaw should all fall within this bracket.
We've checked hundreds of examples over the years, and Royal Mail usually wins. It's not a universal rule though, so it's worth checking before you send. To be on the safe side we tried again this year, and when we tested 10 examples we found that Royal Mail was cheaper for parcels under 1kg on seven occasions. For example, in one of our checks, using standard delivery cost £8 via Royal Mail vs £10 for the cheapest discount courier site.
But as we've said, this isn't always the case, so do check. For example, in one of our tests we wanted to send a toy weighing 600g, and we found we could send it via a courier for £6, compared with £8 via Royal Mail.
Use Royal Mail's calculator to quickly check prices and delivery options based on your parcel's weight, size and value.
- A heavier item of 1kg or more? Discount courier sites are usually cheapest. Examples of items weighing 1kg or more include a pair of boots, a couple of hardback books or a blender.
Again, we've tested this hundreds of times over the years, and once again there's a trend – discount courier sites usually win. But again, this isn't a universal rule, so check before you send. When we recently tested 10 examples, we found that for parcels over 1kg, a discount courier beat Royal Mail on eight occasions. For example, in one of our tests we sent two cook books weighing a total of 2.1kg via standard delivery, and the cheapest courier was £6 vs £10 sent via Royal Mail.
How to find courier firms and how to compare them
This isn't about going direct to the biggies, such as Hermes, DPD and FedEx (though it can be worth checking them also if you've time). Instead, use special discount courier websites which do two things:
- Buy spare delivery slots from the big-name couriers and then flog those slots cheaply.
- Allow you to search for and compare those discounted slots to find what's cheapest.
Here is a list of discount courier websites and which firms they compare:
- My Parcel Delivery* – Collect+, DPD, Hermes, Menzies Parcels, MPD, Parcelforce, UPS
- Parcel2Go – Collect+, DHL, DPD, FedEx, Hermes, Parcelforce, TNT, USPS, UPS
- ParcelHero* – DHL, DPD, FedEx, UPS
- ParcelsPlease* – DHL, Parcelforce, UPS
- Worldwide Parcel Services* – AMI, APC, DHL, DPD, Interlink Express, UPS
Parcel delivery need-to-knows
Sending overseas? The principles are the same
You will also find it's usually cheaper to get a UK retailer to send an item overseas, even to places as far away as Australia, eg, MSE Jenny found she could send 3kg of make-up to Australia for £6 via the retailer compared with £28 for the cheapest courier and £65 via Royal Mail. However, it's also important to compare, and you face the same Post Office vs courier question if you want to send something yourself.
For full tips and tricks, see MSE Jenny's blog on slashing the cost of sending parcels abroad.

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