DHL eCommerce vs. DHL Express: Which is Better for Online Merchants?

DHL eCommerce vs DHL Express – finding which one works better for the eCommerce store is a big question. If you are running an eCommerce store, then choosing the right option after carefully considering which is best among the DHL eCommerce and DHL Express is vital. Though DHL offers both these services, they differ in unique ways. With no delay, let’s get to know more about both DHL eCommerce and DHL Express services, including when they should specifically be used by small to big scale businesses.

Table of Contents

What is DHL eCommerce?

DHL eCommerce offers both domestic and international shipping services efficiently with its standard delivery parcel services. It offers greater flexibility at an affordable price for merchants who are looking for shipping lightweight items. The best part of DHL eCommerce is that it is the most economical option for eCommerce shipping with reliable transit times and proper commercial clearance. Here are some of the domestic services for DHL eCommerce.

Domestic offering:

Specializes in lightweight parcels especially for packages weighing less than 5 lbs, and for ounce-based pricing under 1 lb.
National coverage, delivery to every US zip code, with the last mile service offered by the USPS
End-to-end tracking available for packages.

Three service levels are:

Expedited Max- 2/3 day-definite service
Expedited- 2-5 day service
Ground- 3-8 day service

How do DHL eCommerce cross-border services compare?

DHL Packet International

4-8 days estimated delivery through postal networks.
Ideal for lower weight and lower-value shipments.

DHL Parcel Standard

Takes 4-14 days delivery through postal networks.
Canada and Europe it takes almost 4-8 days.
The rest of world delivery happens in 8-14 days.
Coverage up to 44 lbs.
End-to-end tracking available.

DHL Parcel Direct

3-10 day delivery through commercial networks
Faster, more reliable than postal services with improved visibility

When to use DHL eCommerce cross-border services?

If you’re looking for an economical cross-border shipping solution with broader geographic coverage.
If you’re interested in both postal and commercial clearance, delivery duties paid or unpaid.

All the listed service plans for DHL eCommerce ship packages from the U.S. to over 220 other countries. This plan also offers merchants, DHL eCommerce customer support services that make it easier to keep track of shipments.

What is DHL Express?

DHL Express is popular for its domestic and international shipping with quick delivery options, customs clearance, and end-to-end tracking. Most of the DHL shipping options are ready to offer time-sensitive deliveries.

DHL’s Time Definite Service offers international door-to-door delivery within a specific time, or by the end of the next possible business day. They are far more efficient in offering time-sensitive deliveries.

Express 9:00
Express 10:30
Express 12:00
Express Worldwide

DHL’s Day Definite Services are services that offer international door-to-door delivery within a definite number of business days for less urgent and heavier shipments. Dedicated customer support is also available for this particular service to help with global shipment tracking.

When to Use DHL Express

Choosing a service that benefits the business makes eCommerce work trouble-free. Hence make use of DHL express shipping, only when the business benefits from it in an exponentially larger way. Hence if you see, DHL express is better for those companies who:

Need a regular international shipping service in their store.
Plan on venturing into new cross-border markets to expand the business.
Need timely delivery of products, especially perishable goods.
Want to track shipments closely and carefully.

Using DHL Express you can ensure that your products are reaching your customers on time and in good condition. With their effective tracking system, you can keep a check on the shipment that is in transit. DHL Express is ideal for both personal and business purposes. For eCommerce shipments, you can avail certain bulk shipment discounts too.

Can we integrate DHL Express and DHL eCommerce in your WooCommerce store?

If you are an eCommerce vendor as said above, you can make use of both DHL Express and DHL eCommerce for your store. Both have excellent shipping options for individual and commercial purposes that will benefit you. These services will help you offer a great experience to your customers.

The best plugin that comes in handy for this purpose is the ELEX WooCommerce DHL Express / eCommerce / Paket Shipping Plugin with Print Label.

Here is a simple infographic that depicts the DHL Express services offered by the plugin on your WooCommerce store.

You can fetch prices for the following DHL Services:

Get prices for the following domestic and international shipping services.

DOMESTIC EXPRESS 12:00
B2C
JETLINE
SPRINTLINE
EXPRESS EASY
EXPRESS EASY
EUROPACK
AUTO REVERSALS
BREAKBULK EXPRESS
MEDICAL EXPRESS
EXPRESS WORLDWIDE
EXPRESS 9:00
FREIGHT WORLDWIDE
DOMESTIC ECONOMY SELECT
ECONOMY SELECT
DOMESTIC EXPRESS 9:00
JUMBO BOX
EXPRESS 9:00
EXPRESS 10:30
EXPRESS 10:30
DOMESTIC EXPRESS
DOMESTIC EXPRESS 10:30
EXPRESS WORLDWIDE
MEDICAL EXPRESS
GLOBALMAIL BUSINESS
SAME DAY
EXPRESS 12:00
EXPRESS WORLDWIDE
EUROPACK
ECONOMY SELECT
EXPRESS ENVELOPE
EXPRESS 12:00

The plugin also offers a range of DHL eCommerce services as shown in the infographic below:

With the plugin, you can avail of the following DHL eCommerce services.

DHL GM Business Priority
DHL GM Business Standard
DHL Parcel International Standard
DHL Parcel International Direct
DHL GM Publication Priority
DHL GM Publication Standard
SM Marketing Parcel Ground
DHL SM Parcel Plus Expedited
DHL SM Parcel Plus Ground
DHL SM Parcel Expedited
DHL SM Parcel Ground
DHL SM Parcel Return Light
DHL DHL SM Parcel Return Plus
DHL DHL SM Parcel Return Ground
DHL DHL SM Parcel Expedited Max

Apart from these services, you get excellent box packaging options for both DHL Express and DHL eCommerce services. You can learn more about the services easily from the product page.

After installing the plugin, you can easily enable the plugin settings and make use of DHL eCommerce services on your WooCommerce store.

Know more about the setting of the plugin to enable the DHL eCommerce services on your store.

DHL eCommerce vs. DHL Express: Choose the best one for your business

You can either use both DHL Express and DHL eCommerce and segregate the choices as per your preferences. Generally, those merchants who are delivering with the US locations prefer DHL eCommerce, and those who are opting for cross-border shipping, go for DHL Express. Both offer excellent and commendable features when it comes to shipping.

Further Reading:

Sreepriya

Content Writer Writing on Various ELEX WooCommerce Plugins.

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