How much do courier services cost?

The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. The cost of courier services depends on what you want to send, how far it will be transported, when you want it delivered and what level of service you choose.

The first thing that courier companies look at before giving you a quote is the volumetric weight of your parcel. This is the relationship between its height, depth and weight. It is essential that you enter the correct dimensions on our quote form, as a courier may charge you an excess fee or refuse to take the parcel at all.

Many courier companies have size restrictions on parcels because they need to fit into automated sorting machines at the depot. There is also a limit to the amount one courier can lift safely. If your item exceeds standard courier company restrictions, you will need a specialist large item courier or a man and van service.

As you would expect, using a local courier service to send a parcel a few miles away will cost far less than using an international courier service to send a parcel abroad. If your parcel is going to a destination outside of the UK, the price of transportation links and foreign fuel prices must also be factored into the overall cost.

You will get better quotes if you can be flexible about the collection and delivery times. Courier services are in heavy use at weekends. If you can have your parcel collected on a weekday rather than a Saturday, this will keep the cost down. Similarly, the price will rise if you need your parcel to be collected outside of normal business hours.

Lastly, you will need to consider the level of service you require. You can use online courier marketplaces such as DeliveryQuoteCompare.com to compare the different courier services on offer. Whether you need a specialist European courier or simply a local, cheap courier service, our registered transport providers will compete to give you the best quotes.