When you buy from AliExpress, you must choose from a wide array of AliExpress shipping options that are not well explained.
Every vendor offers different AliExpress shipping methods and most shipping carriers are Chinese companies that are not well known outside of Asia.
You also have to choose whether to ship from AliExpress warehouses in the US, France, Germany, Russia, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Australia and Turkey in addition to China.
This guide was written to help you understand how long AliExpress orders take to ship, the best AliExpress shipping carriers and how to buy safely from AliExpress.
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How Long Does AliExpress Take To Ship?
AliExpress packages can take anywhere from 3 to 60 days to arrive depending on the shipping method and the shipping carrier that you choose.
AliExpress delivery times also depend on the country of origin. For example…
- AliExpress orders shipped from China typically take 5-60 days to arrive
- AliExpress orders shipped from Europe to another European country typically take 5-7 days to arrive
- AliExpress orders shipped from a seller in your own country can be as fast as 3 days
Shipping times are also subject to delays due to Chinese holidays. For example, China is shut down for 2 or 3 weeks in February for Chinese New Year.
Bottom line, the length of time it takes for an AliExpress package to arrive depends on the shipping method and how much you are willing to pay.
Here are the shipping carriers that you’ll find on AliExpress along with full descriptions.
Cainiao Super Economy
Cainiao Super Economy is a shipping method run by the Alibaba group that provides extremely cheap shipping for products purchased on AliExpress.
Because the delivery cost is often baked into the price of the product, Cainiao Super Economy shipping is often marked as free for orders placed on AliExpress.
However, Cainiao Super Economy packages typically take 30-50 days to arrive. In addition, Cainiao Super Economy and Super Economy Global packages can not be tracked.
Even though you’ll receive a tracking number with your order, the package can only be tracked within China.
Overall, Cainiao Super Economy was created by Alibaba to compete with its rivals like Yanwen Express and SunYou for the cheapest method to ship from China.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 30-50 days
- Cost – 10/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – No
Cainiao Super Economy For Special Goods
Cainiao Super Economy For Special Goods is a special version of Cainiao Super Economy that includes end to end tracking information.
However, this shipping method only applies to items that have a value of less than $5 and weigh less than 2kg.
Cainiao Super Economy For Special Goods is faster than regular Super Economy at 20-40 days and is slightly more expensive.
This shipping method is ideal if you want a cheap shipping option with tracking information.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 20-40 days
- Cost – 8/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
Cainiao Expedited Standard
Cainiao Expedited Standard is Cainiao’s express shipping option that includes end to end tracking information at an extremely attractive price.
Cainiao Expedited Standard shipping is roughly twice as fast as Cainiao Super Economy at 20-40 days and includes tracking information.
The Cainiao Expedited shipping method is very similar to Cainiao Super Economy For Special Goods without the restrictions on package size.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 20-40 days
- Cost – 8/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
AliExpress Standard Shipping
AliExpress Standard Shipping is an affordable shipping method that offers delivery times between 15 to 45 days and is among the cheapest ways to ship from China.
Compared to Cainiao Super Economy, AliExpress Standard Shipping is significantly faster with full end to end tracking information.
For most orders placed on AliExpress, AliExpress Standard Shipping is a good balance between cost, trackability and shipping time.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 15-45 days
- Cost – 7/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
AliExpress Premium Shipping
AliExpress Premium Shipping is a more expensive and faster version of AliExpress Standard Shipping that provides delivery by air.
The estimated shipping time for AliExpress Premium is 7-14 days and provides full end to end tracking.
In general, AliExpress Premium will be significantly cheaper than DHL, EMS and other air shipping methods and is a good balance of cost vs speed if you need your goods fast.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 7-14 days
- Cost – 5/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
ePacket
ePacket is a popular shipping method for sellers doing AliExpress dropshipping because it’s fast and inexpensive.
However, there are several restrictions on package size and declared value. For example, in order to qualify for ePacket, your package…
- Must not exceed 4.4lbs in weight
- Must not exceed $400 in declared value
- Must not exceed 36 inches in total length + height + width
ePacket shipping takes 7-30 days and is the best value if you need fast shipping at a reasonable price.
However, most AliExpress merchants are not supporting ePacket shipping during the pandemic.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 7-30 days
- Cost – 7/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
Yanwen Express
Yanwen Express directly competes with AliExpress Standard Shipping and offers end to end tracking of your packages.
To keep prices low and shipping times fast, Yanwen works together with existing shipping services like DHL and China Post to provide a cost efficient service.
Delivery times are between 25-30 days which puts it within the typical shipping window for AliExpress standard shipping.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 25-30 days
- Cost – 7/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
SunYou Economic Air Mail
SunYou is one of the cheapest ways to ship from AliExpress and competes directly with Cainiao Super Economy.
The average delivery time for SunYou is 40-60 days and no tracking is provided. As a result, do not use SunYou if you run an ecommerce business.
Similar to Cainiao, SunYou has a reputation for excessive shipping times but you get what you pay for.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 40-60 days
- Cost – 10/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – No
EMS
EMS is a subsidiary of China Post that offers extremely fast delivery times by air to over 200 countries.
The shipping times are between 5-10 days which is competitive compared to carriers like DHL, FedEx and UPS.
Packages shipped via EMS can weigh up to 40kg and there’s full end to end tracking of your packages.
Compared to ePacket, EMS packages have a higher priority when going through customs which makes delivery faster.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 5-10 days
- Cost – 3/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT
FedEx, UPS, DHL or TNT are the fastest and the most reliable ways to ship products purchased on AliExpress.
Typically delivery times are less than 5 days but it comes at a cost.
DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT will easily be the most expensive methods to ship packages from China to the US.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – Less than 5 days
- Cost – 1/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
China Post Air Parcel
China Post Air Parcel is a mid range shipping service that takes between 7-30 days for delivery.
Comparing ePacket to China Post Air Parcel, ePacket shipping will almost always be cheaper as long as your package meets the ePacket requirements.
For most purchases on AliExpress, China Post Air Parcel doesn’t compete well on either price or speed of delivery compared to the other options.
Important Stats:
- Shipping Time – 7-30 days
- Cost – 4/10 (10 is best)
- Tracking – Yes
The Best AliExpress Shipping Method For Dropshipping
The best AliExpress shipping method for dropshipping is ePacket. Delivery is fast, the prices are extremely inexpensive and you get full end to end tracking.
However, many suppliers on AliExpress are not offering ePacket right now.
When ePacket is not available, your best option is usually AliExpress standard shipping or Cainiao Expedited Standard.
Never use Cainiao Super Economy or any shipping carrier that does not offer end to end tracking. Packages get delayed often and your customers will ask for the status of their order.
The Cheapest AliExpress Shipping Method
The cheapest AliExpress shipping method is Cainiao Super Economy.
Here’s an example of how much it costs to ship a dozen handkerchiefs from China to the US through AliExpress.
- Cainiao Super Economy – $1.58
- Cainiao Expedited Standard – $3.88
- AliExpress Standard Shipping – $3.68
- AliExpress Premium Shipping – $27.15
- UPS Express Saver – $28.97
- EMS – $40.17
- ePacket – $14.07
- DHL – $57.54
The Fastest AliExpress Shipping Method
The fastest shipping method for AliExpress is DHL, FedEx or UPS. However, the cost of these services is expensive and can be more expensive than the product itself.
Realistically, it’s not worth paying for express shipping for your products. The best bang for your buck in terms of cost vs speed is AliExpress Standard Shipping, ePacket and Cainiao Expedited Standard.
Below is a table of how long it takes to ship a dozen handkerchiefs purchased from AliExpress.
- Cainiao Super Economy – 57 days
- Cainiao Expedited Standard – 16 days
- AliExpress Standard Shipping – 42 days
- AliExpress Premium Shipping – 33 days
- UPS Express Saver – 18 days
- EMS – 33 days
- ePacket – 12 days
- DHL – 7 days
How To Track AliExpress Orders
Orders can be tracked directly on the AliExpress.com website under “My Orders”.
Simply locate your order and click on the “Track Order” button.
You’ll find the shipping method, the tracking information and the estimated delivery time.
Only shipping methods that offer end to end tracking can be tracked on AliExpress.
You can also track your package on 3rd party websites such as…
- AliTools
- PackageRadar
- Track24
- AliTrack
AliExpress Shipping Table
Here’s a table that outlines all of the options for your review.
| Shipping Method | Shipping Time | Cost (1-10 Best) | Tracking? |
| Cainiao Super Economy | 30-50 days | 10 | No |
| Cainiao Expedited Standard | 20-40 days | 8 | Yes |
| Cainiao Super Economy For Special Goods | 20-40 days | 8 | Yes |
| AliExpress Standard | 15-45 days | 7 | Yes |
| AliExpress Premium | 7-14 days | 5 | Yes |
| ePacket | 7-30 days | 7 | Yes |
| Yanwen Express | 25-30 days | 7 | Yes |
| SunYou Economic Air | 40-60 days | 10 | No |
| EMS | 5-10 days | 3 | Yes |
| DHL, FedEx, UPS | Less than 5 days | 1 | Yes |
| China Post Air Parcel | 7-30 days | 4 | Yes |
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Steve Chou is a highly recognized influencer in the ecommerce space and has taught thousands of students how to effectively sell physical products online over at ProfitableOnlineStore.com.
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To stay up to date with all of the latest ecommerce trends, Steve runs a 7 figure ecommerce store, BumblebeeLinens.com, with his wife and puts on an annual ecommerce conference called The Sellers Summit.
Steve carries both a bachelors and a masters degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Despite majoring in electrical engineering, he spent a good portion of his graduate education studying entrepreneurship and the mechanics of running small businesses.
