Difference Between Parcel Services and Courier Services

When it comes to sending items in different sizes and weights, related to different types of businesses, medical equipment, food items, perishables, electronics, e-commerce deliveries, personal gifts, there are different kinds of services available based on any of these needs.

Mainly the delivery types can be classified in simple terms into parcel services and courier services.

In this article, we will understand both these types through different factors and see which kind of service suits the best for which type of requirement.

What are Parcel Services?

Parcel services are end-to-end delivery services provided for smaller sized goods and items, generally weighing less than 20 kg. This is opted mostly by e-commerce businesses, and general consumers who want to send gifts to their loved ones.

The process involves picking up the item, packaging it to prevent damage, labelling it for easy identification and tracking, and delivering to the end customer.

What are Courier Services?

Courier services are provided for items in larger quantities. The items usually include industrial shipments, medical equipment in bulk, food products, auto parts, etc. Courier services don’t always have a sorting process. They are straight away picked up from a location and delivered to another, either a place or an individual.

Different types of courier services include same day delivery, express delivery, bulk courier delivery, etc.

For industrial courier, a dedicated vehicle with a driver is allotted to a single courier.

Differences between Parcel & Courier Services

Although in certain cases, these two terms are used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between parcel and courier services in terms of delivery time, delivery cost, tracking, packaging materials used, and use case.

Let’s get into the details now.

Delivery Time

Companies opt for courier services when there is less tolerance for delivery time. This is the reason why some courier companies offer same day delivery and express delivery options. Delivery time is a major differentiation for these companies.

Parcel services are comparatively slower because they involve a warehousing stage where the sorting happens. You know ecommerce businesses offering you free delivery, right? Yes, they go for parcel services. This is the case where customers are not in an urgent need of the item.

Delivery Cost

Since courier services need to be fulfilled faster, they involve more costs like transportation, packaging, and technology costs.

Parcel services are a comparatively cheaper option, because they have slower delivery speeds, and are delivered in a bigger lot compared to couriers.

Tracking Technology

The tracking technology used depends on the need. Say a courier service is delivering an urgently needed specialized medical equipment. In that case, the situation demands a high quality real time tracking system.

In case of parcel services, the end receiver is either a customer of an e-commerce brand, or an individual waiting for a gift. There is no need for real-time tracking. However, a basic tracking system is in place for daily updates to know if the product is shipped and which warehouse it is currently located.

Packaging Materials

Generally, the packaging material for both parcels and couriers is the same. But if the order size is big, and the items are sensitive, then courier services use specialized padding, custom-fit inserts for products with complex shapes, and temperature protection packaging.

For parcels, packaging materials used are cheaper and simple like standard cardboard boxes, recyclable covers, ice packs (if it's a food item), bubble wrap, etc.

Use Case

Parcel services are preferred for non-urgent items like gifts, personal packages, and free ecommerce deliveries that are not perishables.

Courier services are used for urgent business shipments, medical emergencies, lab samples, perishable goods to be transported over long distances, and delicate prototypes.Here is a quick summarization of the differences between parcel and couriers.

How can Velexp help with parcels and couriers?

Velexp offers parcel and courier services for individuals and businesses of all sizes. With the coverage of 5000 pincodes, 50+ offices and 10+ strategically placed warehouses, we ensure your parcels and couriers are delivered on time. We have 20+ global partners to deliver couriers and parcels globally.

Our advanced tracking systems can be integrated with your logistics management system through API to manage couriers and parcels effortlessly.

For medical, chemicals, and other temperature sensitive couriers, we have temperature-controlled carriers with specialized packaging to prevent the materials from coming in contact with the environment.

Once you book your couriers with us, we will take end-to-end care from pickup to delivery and ensure it is executed in time.