The Cheapest International Shipping Rates and Services for 2023

International shipping can be confusing with so many service options. While USPS First Class International is usually touted as the cheapest, it may not always be the best fit or completely accurate. The right service depends on package weight, delivery timeframe, tracking requirements, and more.

The first step to affordable postage is to use shipping software. Not only does it provide a better user experience when you are printing shipping labels, but you will also get discounted rates from major carriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, and DHL. In some cases, upwards of 80% off retail prices.

If you want to significantly reduce your international shipping costs, consider ShipStation for your shipping software. ShipStation Carrier Services provide discounted rates on USPS, UPS, DHL, GlobalPost and more. Discounted shipping accounts are included free with any ShipStation account. Connecting all your shipping accounts to ShipStation also lets you compare your shipment prices against all the carriers so you can buy from the cheapest one.

Our Top Picks

• Best overall: UPS International
• Great alternative: DHL Express

Best Overall

UPS is very competitive with their international rates when you buy labels through shipping software like ShipStation as they provide a UPS account with automatically discounted rates

UPS will let you track your package better than if you sent via USPS as USPS relies on local mail carriers as soon as it crosses the border. Reliability in tracking and delivery becomes a concern as many mail systems in other countries are not as predictable as USPS.

UPS International Shipping Rates

Below are some of the best UPS international shipping services and their associated rates:

• UPS Worldwide Saver®

  • Budget friendly option for 1-3 day delivery timeframes.
  • Provides next day Canada delivery.
  • Next business day delivery to Mexico for documents.
  • 2 business day delivery to Europe and Latin America for all packages.
  • 3 business day delivery to Asia for all packages.

• UPS® Standard

  • Most affordable shipping to Canada.
  • 1–5 day shipping to Canada and Mexico.
  • For quicker service, use UPS WorldWide option.

• UPS Worldwide Expedited®

  • This service allows you to ship to major areas in Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe in about 3 days.
  • The Worldwide Saver service might offer quicker delivery, with only a slightly higher price. For example, a 12 ounce package from Los Angeles to Tokyo using Saver would cost $38.35 and take two days to arrive, while with Worldwide Expedited, you would save two dollars at $36.35, but the package would take three days to arrive. Saver can often be the better value even though Worldwide Expedited might be cheaper.

• UPS Worldwide Express®: UPS Worldwide Express® service lets you ship to Latin America and Europe in 2 days, and the Middle East in 3+ days.

DHL International Shipping Rates, A Great Alternative

DHL Express prices often come in just slightly above UPS for international shipping with very similar delivery days. You may want to choose DHL if DHL provides better service to the region you are shipping to. Residents of some countries might get more reliable service with DHL rather than UPS, particularly in parts of Asia and Europe.

Door-to-door delivery is usually within 2 – 3 business days. DHL covers over 220 countries and territories.

Both UPS and DHL take care of customs and provide an option where the shipper can pay duties, which frees up complications for their customers. This is called Delivery Duty Paid (DDP). The shipper pays shipping transport costs, but also taxes, custom fees, and import duties.

The default is to use Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU), which means the seller takes care of paying the shipping costs, but once the parcel reaches its destination country, the buyer needs to pay the necessary customs in order to actually receive their package.

Other Shipping Carriers

While it isn’t as easy to get discounts from these other carriers, they offer comparable international service.

FedEx International Shipping Rates

The FedEx brand is strong in the United States and is gaining strength in international markets, but it is not as easy to get a discounted account through shipping software as it is with UPS or USPS. However, if FedEx is more reliable for your customers, it is something to consider. With services ranging from three-day to next-day services, FedEx has established itself as one of the premier carriers for global shipment.

• FedEx International Economy®: This international service takes 2–5 days to make final delivery in major markets around the world.

• FedEx International Priority®: An affordable way to ship international parcels that takes 1–3 business days to make final delivery to approved international addresses.

• FedEx International First®: FedEx’s fastest day-definite service for international shipping. Final delivery is made in 2 days by 9:00 am to select cities in Europe, 10:00 am in Latin America. It takes 3 days to make final delivery by 10:00 am to select Asian and Australian metro areas.

GlobalPost International Shipping Rates

GlobalPost leverages partnerships with international postal carriers and commercial couriers to provide a selection of domestic and global delivery solutions. Their network is designed to utilize multiple carriers for fast, affordable shipment to over 200 countries worldwide.

GlobalPost offers these international shipping services and rates:

• GlobalPost Economy International: Budget-friendly option for smaller parcels under 4.4 lbs. Takes 6-10 days for delivery with tracking to destination country.

• GlobalPost Standard International: All the benefits of Economy with door-to-door tracking and support for heavier parcels up to 70 lbs.

• GlobalPost Plus: A Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) service for shipments to Canada, Mexico and the U.K. Prepay duties and taxes on behalf of your customers and eliminate surprise fees at delivery for the recipient. GlobalPost Plus includes advanced customs clearance, with shipments usually clearing customs electronically before the shipment arrives in the destination country. This process helps expedite the delivery process, allowing the shipment to quickly be delivered to the buyer.

• Canada Delivery Duty Paid (DDP): Prepay all duties and taxes on First-Class Mail International Service shipments to Canada for one low flat rate of $6.95, and eliminate the expensive administrative fees (up to $9.95) that may be incurred upon delivery in addition to the cost of duties and taxes.

• GlobalPost SmartSaver: If you ship at least 5 international shipments per day, you may be eligible to save up to 30% with one of GlobalPost’s SmartSaver programs.

USPS International Shipping Rates - No Longer the Cheapest

USPS is often touted as the cheapest for international shipping, however, other articles will fail to mention the difficulty your customers will run into if you decide to use First-Class or Priority Mail. If you want to ship internationally with USPS, use USPS Priority Mail Express International, as it is the most reliable with a guaranteed delivery date.

First-Class and Priority Mail tracking when shipped internationally require the partnership of the destination country’s postal system. For instance, if you are shipping form the US to Canada, USPS will handle the package until it crosses the Canadian border, after which Canada Post will take over and all your tracking will be recorded from their site.

Depending on the country, tracking can be unreliable and First-Class parcels can take months to reach your customer. It is often better to ship Express to skip the headaches of replacing lost packages and extra customer support. USPS doesn’t offer a Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) option, so your customer often has to go through the hassle of standing in line to pay their duties before getting their product.

Should you choose to ship via USPS, choose the more premium Priority Express Service as it has reliable tracking. If you compare shipping rates of carriers, either through our site or ShipStation, you will find that UPS is often cheaper than even USPS First-Class due to the discounts built into shipping software.

While USPS is fast and reliable for domestic shipments, you’ll definitely want to run some tests should you decide to ship internationally with them.

Below is a table showing UPS as the cheapest option for sending a 12 ounce package from Los Angeles to Toronto. UPS will cost $16.68, while USPS First Class will cost $22.23. Not only will USPS be more expensive, it will take 15 days instead of the UPS Standard speed of 5 delivery days.

Key Questions Before Selling Internationally

Be sure to consider a few things before blindly choosing the cheapest shipping option.

• What shipping rates and delivery methods do local customers prefer? DHL might provide better service in one country over say FedEx or their local post office.
• What taxes, customs processes, and regulations apply in each country? Will you as the merchant cover these fees or will you pass them on to the customer? Some carriers allow merchants to pay the customs fees, others do not.
• Have you already tested the market for demand and shipments? Before you spend resources localizing your website with translations and currency conversions, consider testing some sales and shipments with sites like eBay. Get an idea of demand. Make a few test shipments and track how quickly packages arrive to your customers. Cross-border delivery will take longer than usual as package pass through customs checks and inspections.
• Have you tested your new workflow? There will be customs forms to fill out, shipping software like, ShipStation, can automatically generate the necessary forms for you. Individual countries have different requirements, so a bit of practice to familiarize yourself can be helpful.