If you’ve ever purchased something from the world-renowned merchant, this is a question you’ve probably asked before. It’s not just a common question for consumers either. Dropshipping companies and ecommerce retailers also want to know when they can expect to get packages to their customers.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get a straight answer to the question. That’s because there are numerous factors which can influence your AliExpress shipping times. Everything from the location you’re ordering from, to the time of year could add extra days to your ETA but in general it should last between 7 and 45 days.
While it’s hard to know for certain exactly when you’re going to get your item, there are a few factors you can look at to assist with your calculations.
Let’s dive into the basics you need to know.
AliExpress Shipping Methods
Let’s start with perhaps the most important factor in your shipping times: the method you choose to receive your product. When you order something on AliExpress, you’re usually given an option to choose between various shipping solutions.
Some of your options include:
- AliExpress Standard Shipping: This is the preferred shipping method for most buyers who want to keep costs low. You can track your purchase, and you can even get some orders for free, depending on where you are in the world. Standard shipping takes an average of 15 to 30 days, but it can be influenced by a range of other factors (discussed below).
- AliExpress Premium Shipping: If you really want your order to arrive quickly, you can upgrade to AliExpress “Premium” shipping. This still isn’t the fastest option out there, but you can sometimes get your orders within 7 to 15 days. Unsurprisingly, you’ll also need to pay a little more for the quick delivery.
- Free shipping: Some suppliers on AliExpress will offer free shipping as part of an “ordinary shipping” solution using a range of providers. Usually, there’s no tracking option with this method. If you don’t get tracking, you can expect to wait between 20 and 60 days for your parcel. If you opt for tracking, that wait can range from 10 to 45 days.
- Private carrier shipping: Private and major carrier shipping allows you to leverage the services of DHL, UPS, FedEx, and many other well-known shipping companies. Once again, your parcel arrival time can vary between 5 to 20 days, depending on the service you choose. You’ll also pay a lot more. However, you do have some extra security from using a well-known vendor.
How Long Does it Take to Ship to Different Destinations?
One of the main reasons it can take so long to receive an order from AliExpress, is most of the goods are produced and shipped from China. Though there are a handful of retailers who might deliver your products closer to home, it’s hard to find the right vendor.
There’s also the potential for the country of origin to be even further away than China, since there are tons of different manufacturers on AliExpress today.
Let’s take a look at some of the average shipping times for different locations:
- USA: On average, if you’re using the standard shipping options for delivery to the USA, you’re going to wait anywhere up to 45 days to receive your item. When you choose premium shipping, your wait can usually be reduced to around 15 days.
- Australia: Most of the time, shipping to Australia from AliExpress will take between 10 and 35 days. However, this can vary drastically.
- Canada: Canada is a little further away than the USA from most of the retailers on AliExpress in China, as such, delivery time can range from between 20 to 60 days. It all depends on what you’re ordering, and your shipping methods
- United Kingdom: Shipping to the United Kingdom can be quite quick, particularly if you opt for a premium shipping package. You can expect to wait between 7 and 40 days.
Other Factors that Can Influence Shipping Times
Aside from your origin country, destination country, and choice of shipping methods, there are a handful of other factors which might influence your shipping times. For instance, if the product you choose requires careful packaging and a specialist kind of shipping, it’s going to take longer, and be a lot more expensive. For instance, much larger packages can often take longer than smaller ones.
At the same time, it’s worth noting that backlogs caused by shipping and freight issues around the world can also leave you waiting longer for your products. Most of the people waiting for orders from AliExpress during the toughest times of the pandemic had a much longer wait.
Perhaps one of the most significant factors likely to always influence your shipping times, is the time of year. Your orders will usually take longer during busy periods, such as around Christmas, or during Black Friday sales. This is usually the case because there’s a lot of shipping going on in the freight and logistics landscape, and a lot of backlogs in the country of origin.
You could also have to wait longer because the postal system in your own location is struggling to keep up with all the orders.
Remember, it’s not just the national holidays in your home country which can influence shipping times either. You’ll also need to consider the national holidays in China. For instance, there’s Chinese New Year in February, where many people will be taking time off. The fewer people working in warehouses, the longer a product takes to be shipped.
How to Get Your AliExpress Order Faster
Everyone wants to receive their orders as quickly as possible – preferably without spending a fortune to do so. While there’s no guaranteed way to make sure your order arrives on a specific date, there are a few steps you can take to speed things up.
The first and most obvious option is to choose a private courier, or a premium form of shipping.
This will cost you a lot more than standard shipping, but it might be worth it if you want your items fast. The other easiest method is to track where your products are going to be shipping from before you place your order.
AliExpress has grown drastically over the years, and now has shipping warehouses in locations all over the world. When you click on an item you want to purchase, you may see a small segment on the product page titled “Ships From”. This shows you whether your vendor ships from anywhere outside of China, like Spain or the Netherlands.
While you might not be able to find someone who can send your order straight to you from your home country, you could have a good chance of finding someone a little closer to home. This AliExpress basket will allow you to explore your delivery options through different sellers, and determine which one offers the best shipping times for the lowest price.
Another alternative option is to click on the “Fast Delivery” button when it’s available. This is a service offered by AliExpress which promises deliveries within as little as 10 days. Some buttons even allow you to choose shipping within 3,5, or 7 days, depending on the seller.
If you’re worried about having not received your order for quite a while, you can always look into its progress if you chose a “tracked shipment” option. This is only possible if you opted for tracking when choosing your shipping solution. If you went for basic shipping without tracking, you’ll just have to wait. You can go into your orders to find the tracking number, and use that to see where your order is. Alternatively, you can contact your seller directly.
Tips for Long AliExpress Shipping Times When Dropshipping
Lengthy shipping times on AliExpress aren’t just problematic for customers. AliExpress is also one of the main suppliers for dropshippers around the world. Companies purchasing products for their customers want to ensure they can also deliver goods quickly, particularly when competing with brands like Amazon with next-day delivery.
While you might not be able to control the estimated delivery time of items from AliExpress or Alibaba, or the unpredictable nature of China post, there are a few steps you can take as a dropshipper. For instance, if you can’t deliver fast shipping with your chosen postal service through AliExpress, you can at least give your customers tracking information in the “my order” section so they can track when their product might arrive.
It's also worth being as transparent as possible about potential shipping times from day one. Make sure your customers know what to expect, and consider removing the shipping costs for them entirely to make your offer more appealing. AliExpress offers relatively low-cost shipping, so this may be an affordable solution if you can’t deliver items within a few business days.
Other tips for dropshippers include:
- Choose the right shipping methods: Look carefully at all of the AliExpress dropshipping delivery options offered by the Alibaba group. Make sure the method you choose for your AliExpress shipments is as fast and reliable as possible. Don’t forget to consider switching your shipping service to send products from local stores.
- Look at the AliExpress seller: Remember the AliExpress delivery time can vary depending on your chosen seller. Find out which delivery service your seller is using, check for any customs fees, and read FAQs for more information about faster delivery.
- Deliver excellent customer service: Use the “My AliExpress” section to keep track of long shipping times for your online store and keep customers informed. If you can’t provide faster delivery, you can at least be transparent about your shipping efforts.
Don’t forget to consider the factors we mentioned above too, such as time of the year, and the different challenges which might affect companies like the Singapore post and USPS. If there’s an issue in the industry, make sure your customers know about it.
Understanding AliExpress Shipping Times
AliExpress shipping times can be extremely difficult to understand. There are so many different factors in play when it comes to determining when your products will arrive, from your seller’s shipping method, to where your AliExpress suppliers are located. While there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of choosing the slowest shipping method, there are few ways to guarantee fast delivery of an AliExpress package.
The slow shipping times seen around the world with AliExpress are essentially the trade you agree to in exchange for the excellent prices of AliExpress products. The good news is AliExpress is constantly working to deliver new shipping options and solutions to customers around the globe. The bad news is you’ll probably still never have next-day delivery from this brand, unless you’re located in China, close to one of the distribution centers.
FAQ
What is “Processing” for an order?
As soon as you click the “pay” button on AliExpress and the order is confirmed, the seller begins to prepare the order. This can take a while, depending on the size of your package. During the preparation phase, your order will enter the “processing” stage.
The good news is AliExpress will usually inform you of how much time the seller might ask for to prepare the order in the “Processing” stage. If the seller doesn’t send the order, you’ll be refunded automatically, but usually the order will move from “processing” to “sent”.
Do orders placed on the same day arrive together?
AliExpress does have a “combined shipping” solution available. In the past, orders purchased together on the same day would arrive at different times. However, the combined shipping option means it is possible to connect multiple shipments into one package.
Can you cancel an order that takes too long?
If you’re worried your AliExpress order is taking too long, then you might decide you want to cancel completely. However, you’ll only be able to cancel an order and receive a refund if the seller hasn’t shipped the package. If the package is already shipped, you’ll need to wait for the arrival of the item, then send it back if you’ve changed your mind, or contact the vendor directly.
What is a “closed” order?
If your order appears as “closed” it means it isn’t being shipped. This may be because the seller has cancelled the delivery, or you haven’t paid in time. You should be able to find out more by contacting the seller and asking for a reason why the order is “closed”.
Will AliExpress tell me when an order is being delivered?
AliExpress doesn’t send notifications of tracking status changes. However, you can check on the status of the order yourself within your account from time to time if you chose a delivery method which includes tracking.
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