With the Royal Mail strikes ongoing, many people across the UK are turning to other delivery services to post their Christmas parcels. It’s a time of year that’s busy for deliveries even in normal times, but with the added pressure of the strikes, the mail services are experiencing a significant level of demand. In response, shoppers are trying to get their Christmas gifts and letters sent out as soon as possible. So if you want to make sure all of your parcels arrive in time for the holidays, here are some alternatives to Royal Mail that you can use.
FedEx
Even with increased demand as a result of the strikes, FedEx is still operating as usual. With FedEx Express you can send a parcel starting at £3.45 and free tracking is included. If you’re in a crunch, you can order next day shipping at a rate of £15.49 for up to 10kg and £0.69 per additional kg.
See also: Postal Strikes Escalate In Lead Up To Christmas
DHL
For deliveries within the UK, the last posting date for DHL for a package to arrive by Christmas is the 21st of December. For delivery in 1 working day within the UK, their rates are £7.95 for an envelope up to 0.5kg, £13.95 for a box up to 1.5kg, £15.95 for a box up to 3kg, £16.95 for a box up to 7kg and £19.95 for a box up to 12kg.
UPS
If you want to ship with UPS, the deadlines are December 21st for 2nd Day Air and December 22nd for Next Day Air. There haven’t been any delays reported so far, and it’s a go-to for many people across the world, with 25.2 million packages delivered every day. You can get a quote on their website for how much shipping will cost you based on your location and the item you want to post.
DPD
Another one of the Royal Mail alternatives is DPD. For DPD pickup, you’ll want to post by December 22nd for your item to arrive in time for Christmas. While there have been some delays this week, service is expected to return to normal once the backlog of packages has been dispatched.
Paperless Post
If you’re looking to send Christmas cards to your loved ones and you’re uncertain if they’ll arrive on time, why not send them digitally? Paperless Post offers a selection of different cards for every holiday that you can send online. Not only is the delivery guaranteed, but it’s also good for the environment.
See also: Plastic Free Christmas Gift Alternatives