AliExpress is the most popular e-commerce platform for buying and shipping goods from China, which is not surprising at all. A huge range of products (more than 10 million items in the catalog), reasonable (even surprisingly cheap) prices, sales, promo codes, coupons and special offers attract customers better than any advertisement. The only significant drawback is the long delivery time for parcels. You are lucky if your order arrives in a month, but in most cases, the waiting time is two to three months. And sometimes parcels can get lost on their way to you.
BUT! Now, everything has changed! Due to numerous complaints and requests from users, AliExpress has introduced a new way to receive your orders – Fast Delivery. In this article, we will tell you what it is, how long it takes, how much it costs and so on.
What is AliExpress Fast Delivery
A new way of receiving parcels from AliExpress has been launched recently but is already available for hundreds of thousands of products. However, people easily get suspicious of any new services, especially good ones. Therefore, before trying it, people seek to learn more about AliExpress’s Fast Delivery service: how it works, how much it costs and what to expect from it in the future. We will try to address all your questions.
So, Fast Delivery is the fastest shipping option on AliExpress up to date. Note that it is offered in selected countries only. When scanning through the catalog, you can filter products which qualify for Fast Delivery.
You can also choose this method on the product’s description page.
At the same time, the information box will also contain details about logistics, estimated delivery time and cost. Delivery is usually handled by the AliExpress Standard Shipping service. The information box will look like this:
What is AliExpress Standard Shipping
As you can guess, AliExpress Standard Shipping is a default method of delivery available for almost all products on AliExpress. This method is usually free of charge (or very cheap), but a small fee might be applied if the total value of the goods bought is low.
While this method has many advantages – like guaranteed buyer’s protection in case a parcel is lost and low to zero fees – Standard Shipping takes longer compared to paid shipping methods. Depending on your location, estimated delivery time can vary between 15-45 days.
How Fast Delivery Differs from AliExpress Standard Shipping
Now it is time to talk about the actual difference between Fast and Standard delivery options for your order.
Back in 2021, the Fast Delivery method was called “Combined Delivery”. Introduced by AliExpress in cooperation with its main logistics partner, the Cainao Postal Service (one of the biggest in China, by the way), this method aimed to significantly reduce shipping times.
The trick behind the method was simple: instead of shipping two or three small parcels separately, sellers would send them to a consolidation warehouse, where the parcels would be sorted and combined. As a result, handling and shipping would take less time.
Now, AliExpress has just changed the wording. Instead of a Combined Delivery for certain goods, AliExpress (through sellers, of course) now tries to send all parcels to the consolidation warehouse. This means that your parcel might get upgraded to Fast Delivery if you meet the order value requirement.
The main difference is that orders placed under the Standard Shipping method do not go through the consolidation warehouse – the seller has to send them on their own, which explains why sometimes it takes longer to process. At the same time, there is no order value requirement – you can order something as cheap as a $5 phone case and still get AliExpress Standard Shipping free of charge (or for a small fee).
Another difference is that Fast Delivery doesn’t apply to every product on the platform. AliExpress is still working on improving this feature, so Fast Delivery might get extended to all orders in the future. As for AliExpress Standard Shipping, it is available for almost every product.
Also, note that Fast Delivery is only available in selected countries, while Standard Shipping, being a default method of delivery, is offered worldwide.
How to Track your Fast Delivery order
Tracking a Fast Delivery parcel ordered from AliExpress can be done in the same way as with any other shipping method – that is, using the tracking number. The tracking number becomes available after the order has been shipped; you can find it in the ‘My Orders’ section of your AliExpress account. Go there and click ‘Track Order’ next to the order you want to track.
You’ll find the tracking number in the ‘Global Express Tracking’ box. You can click on it to access the shipment info and get the latest updates.
How long to wait for a Fast Delivery order
When we hear the “fast delivery” combination of words, a question pops up: how long do I actually have to wait for my parcel? It is difficult to give a definitive answer. The shipping time depends on several factors:
- Place of dispatch – whether from China or a warehouse in your country.
- Distance between the capital and your delivery location.
- How long the parcel is held in the customs office.
It should be noted that customs officers try to process express parcels first. If documentation is correct and the customs rules/import limits are followed, then the package will be processed quickly and smoothly.
The average delivery time for an order using this method is 7-20 days. If you reside in a remote area, your package may take longer to reach you.
How much does AliExpress Fast Delivery cost?
There is one important question left to answer: how much does AliExpress Fast Delivery cost? The price depends on the following factors:
- the size and weight of a parcel;
- the distance between the recipient’s country and China.
The cost of express delivery usually varies between €0.50 and €25, but in some cases, it can be free of charge.
In summary, it is safe to say that AliExpress is getting better with each passing year. The quality of goods sold in the stores has significantly improved; defective products are rare, and buyer protection service is tailored to the smallest detail. Fast Delivery has removed another flaw – the excruciatingly long wait for parcels from China. So, make sure to enjoy this new feature.
