How Long AliExpress Takes to Ship: Must Read!!

Have you ever shopped on AliExpress and been shocked to find your order took over a month to arrive on your doorstep? Or perhaps you’ve seen dirt-cheap prices on products you’d love to sell to customers but worry the shipping time from China is just too long?

With standard delivery methods, packages from AliExpress can take 15-45 days on average to reach destinations around the world. But shipments may arrive even sooner or later depending on several key factors.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down AliExpress shipping times for different delivery options, show you how to track your AliExpress packages, explain reasons for delays, and provide tips for receiving your items faster. You’ll also learn whether affordable aliexpress standard shipping is worth the wait versus upgraded aliexpress premium shipping services.

Let’s dive in!

What is the Average AliExpress Shipping Time in 2024?

When buying products or dropshipping items to customers from AliExpress sellers, the shipping method you choose determines your delivery timeframe.

Here are the current standard shipping time estimates:

• AliExpress Standard Shipping: 15-45 days. This no-frills delivery option is affordable (often free) but slower than upgraded methods.
• ePacket: 7-20 days. ePacket was faster and more reliable than standard shipping but is currently unavailable.
• AliExpress Premium Shipping: 7-15 days. Choosing premium delivery services costs more but shaves over a week off standard timeframes.
• Major Couriers (DHL, UPS): 3-7 days. For urgent deliveries, private courier services provide the fastest shipping from China.

So standard AliExpress order delivery takes anywhere from 2 weeks to over a month unless you pay extra fees for expedited handling and priority transportation.

Key Factors That Affect How Long AliExpress Takes to Ship

While the shipping method sets base timeframes, several variables can influence exactly how long your AliExpress packages take to actually make their journey to you.

Seller processing time is 1-5 days on average but may be longer during busy sales seasons. Chinese New Year in February can shut down operations for 1-2 weeks across the country.

The popularity of AliExpress and overall efficiency of postal services also varies significantly across destination countries. Packages to frequent buyers in France for example often arrive faster than first-time orders shipped to remote regions of Chile.

During peak holiday shopping periods, massive order volumes strain sellers, AliExpress warehouses, and postal carrier capacities around the world which leads to longer delivery lead times across the board.

So once the aliexpress seller sends your purchase to AliExpress, they estimate 15-45 days for delivery but prepare for shipping to take potentially 60+ days during high seasons.

How Does AliExpress Shipping Work?

To understand why long does aliexpress take to ship compared to Amazon Prime’s 2-day delivery, it helps to learn how AliExpress processing and fulfillment works:

1. Chinese manufacturers or independent sellers prepare products and ship inventory to AliExpress warehouses within the country. This is what creates the 1-5+ day processing time before the AliExpress order status changes from “Awaiting shipment” to “Shipped”.
2. AliExpress warehouses receive seller goods, confirm order details, consolidate packages bound for common destinations to save costs, and hand-off to domestic and international postal carriers like USPS, Royal Mail etc. This transit between facilities accounts for another 5-10 days typically before packages exit China.
3. Local delivery partners then transport and deliver AliExpress parcels internationally through various air, ground and sea shipping method networks. The wide range of transportation modes and routes creates the long 15-45 day delivery estimates.

So AliExpress orders involve several more logistical links compared to domestic retailers with local warehouses that connect directly into established shipping networks like Amazon Prime. Their further distance to worldwide destinations results in the longer timeframes customers should set expectations for.

Tracking Your AliExpress Packages Step-By-Step

The good news is AliExpress and all major postal carriers provide package tracking so impatient shoppers don’t just have to anxiously wait and wonder about their order status!

You can track AliExpress shipments in just a few easy steps:

1. Log into your AliExpress account
2. Click “My Orders” to view order history
3. Select “More Details” to expand the order information
4. Scroll down to “Logistics Information”
5. Copy the tracking number and paste into your local postal service’s package tracking website

AliExpress tracking works reliably across all shipping carriers though minor lags of 24-48 hours updating the latest events are common.

Using each postal provider’s native tracking tools often provides more frequent scanned checkpoint updates as your AliExpress package journeys towards you!

Why Does Shipping From AliExpress Take So Long?

From a customer experience standpoint, no one prefers to wait over a month for online purchases to arrive!

So why does long does aliexpress take to ship compared to Amazon and domestic shopping sites if buyers universally desire faster delivery?

Several structural factors contribute to the longer standard AliExpress shipping times:

• Independent AliExpress sellers first prepare and send goods to fulfillment centers – they don’t store inventory locally ready-to-ship.
• Most sellers are still based in China since AliExpress facilitates global trade access for Chinese manufacturers.
• Standard shipping incurs lower costs using slower sea and ground transportation routes compared to air freight.
• Massive seasonal order volumes strain shipping networks and extend lead times.

Additionally country-specific factors like local postal service efficiency and proximity to China influence actual delivery speeds.

But while a month-long transit sounds dreadful compared to 2-day Prime shipping, AliExpress continues growing in popularity thanks to the unbeatable product prices and free global delivery options.

As they expand warehouses across Europe and North America, aliexpress standard shipping times will also decrease for more customers in top markets.

How to Get Faster Shipping on AliExpress

While budget-conscious shoppers gladly wait over 15-45 days for affordable standard deliveries, paying extra for faster AliExpress shipping options makes sense in many cases.

AliExpress Premium Shipping takes just 7-15 days for delivery thanks to Priority handling and express air transportation.

Major global couriers like DHL and FedEx also accelerate orders to key destinations in only 3-7 days when sellers offer their premium solutions.

ePacket shipping was another AliExpress fan favorite for reliable 7-20 day delivery before its temporary discontinuation – keep this method on your radar for when it returns!

If none of the default options provided by the seller suits your urgency, you can always contact the seller and request faster custom shipping alternatives as well.

So request upgraded shipping, use private couriers, or negotiate custom arrangements. Paying extra shipping fees is worthwhile to slash 50%+ off your delivery timeframes.

Just make sure to clearly communicate with sellers beforehand so you receive accurate cost estimates and delivery expectations upfront.

Is AliExpress Standard Shipping Worth the Wait?

Aliexpress standard shipping gets a bad reputation because its delivery estimates skew so much longer than widely-adopted 2-day Prime shipping.

No customer relishes the thought of waiting 15-45 days for online purchases to arrive. But AliExpress standard shipping still offers compelling benefits:

Affordability – Standard shipping fees are very inexpensive, often entirely free for small goods sourced directly from China. Avoiding exorbitant international shipping fees allows AliExpress to deliver unbeatable prices.

Reliability – Delivery within published time ranges is remarkably consistent. 86% of AE Standard Shipping packages reach customers despite the far-reaching global transit.

Profitability – Low and no-cost postage preserves healthy profit margins for merchants dropshipping AE products. You don’t have to inflate prices to cover high shipping expenses.

The combination of ultra-low-cost products and affordable delivery is why AliExpress generates over $780 billion in annual transactions.

And parcel tracking means buyers can monitor shipment status instead of just waiting blindly without updates.

So while awkward to explain 15-45 day shipping times to customers, the savings passed through via Base Delivery frequently outweighs upgrade urgency. Communicate expectations clearly upfront and the long transit won’t deter most bargain shoppers.

Choosing the Best AliExpress Shipping Method

Selecting the optimal shipping method comes down to order urgency, value, and delivery location.

Analyze these key decision factors before purchasing to determine whether free standard shipping makes sense or if you should upgrade to expedited delivery:

Need – Will 45 day transit cause problems for time-sensitive orders or is standard suitable?

Value – Are extra transportation costs justified relative to order urgency as well as product size, quantity and type?

Destination – Which couriers have best routes and contracts to efficiently reach your postal region?

Rules of thumb based on our experience:

• Use Standard Shipping for most casual AliExpress purchases to maximize value.
• Upgrade pricier goods like electronics to Premium services for speed and security.
• For commercial orders, test actual delivery times using a free parcel tracking app before committing.

Analyze your specific cases to decide if affordable reliability or urgent delivery should take priority over the other when buying from AliExpress.

Shipping Large Items From China via AliExpress

Since Chinese manufacturing dominates global trade across countless industries, companies worldwide utilize AliExpress for bulk wholesale procurement too.

So what options exist for organizations that need to import freight by ocean rather than relying on Postal Service channels?

Sea freight shipping is extremely affordable transporting commercial-scale cargo loads. Costs are 60-90% lower than air transport thanks to maximizing economies of scale. You can expect ocean freight to take 15-60 days in transit.

The downside is time and variability though. Besides slow speeds, port congestion and other delays frequently disrupt seaborne supply chains.

Air freight from China takes less than a week using scheduled airline cargo services. Airport rerouting and flight changes can still create hiccups. But you’ll receive goods faster at 3-5X the expense of ocean shipping.

analyze large shipments from both cost and reliability perspectives before importing mass inventory. Air freight costs more but also carries more predictable delivery guarantees.

What Packaging Can You Expect for AliExpress Orders?

Wondering if that $2 phone case or acrylic makeup organizer will show up crushed after being tossed around by various international postal carriers for 30+ days?

Thankfully AliExpress sellers adeptly package goods for the long global journey ahead:

Light and fragile items ship surrounded by bubble wrap sleeves or ample foam padding placed carefully inside cardboard boxes. For single packet items like jewelry and accessories, multiple layers of water-resistant plastic envelopes defend against humidity, spillage and abuse.

Return address labels clearly identify origins only as AliExpress sorting facilities – none of your personal purchase details are visible externally. And in case tape fails, plastic bands wrap around each package as secondary securing measures.

While private couriers like DHL and FedEx have branded tape and satchels, standard aliexpress shipping parcels dispatched across postal networks utilize nondescript, functional packaging materials instead.

So feel confident your AliExpress treasures will safely reach you despite the long odyssey ahead from sellers half a world away!

AliExpress Shipping Time FAQs

Below we’ve consolidated quick answers to several frequently asked questions merchants and customers have about AliExpress delivery:

Why is AliExpress shipping so unpredictable sometimes?

Uncertainty stems from numerous changeovers required. Sellers must transfer items to warehouses. Then packages switch through facilities before consolidating for international transit via various carriers. Multiple legs mean more potential delays.

How do I cancel an AliExpress order if an item gets severely delayed?

Unfortunately you can only cancel before the seller marks your order as shipped. Once dispatched and in-transit, work with customer support for potential refund options if 80%+ late.

Why does the tracking show delivery “failed” or returned sometimes?

Recipients must present government ID matching AliExpress buyer profiles for expensive goods and imported supplements in some countries. Customs regulations also trigger inspection and failed clearance situations.

Are ePacket and AliExpress Standard Shipping the same?

ePacket was an expedited delivery method offered until recently. It was faster and more reliable than current Standard Shipping which has a longer delivery range. ePacket took 7-20 days on average.

Can I use Amazon Prime for AliExpress Purchases?

No, AliExpress manages the full delivery process from sellers to consumers directly. You must choose shipping methods available on the AliExpress site during checkout.

Why does China Post tracking not update consistently?

Domestic China Post legs likely utilize older barcode systems. International transit by USPS, Royal Mail etc connects with newer RFID tracking so updates more frequently. But all data eventually reconciles.

In Closing

We’ve covered all aspects of how long does aliexpress take to ship – average delivery times with various shipping methods, key factors causing delays, logistical processes, tracking procedures, packaging details and even buyer FAQs!

The bottom line is that while AliExpress sellers may be halfway around the world, their rock bottom product pricing and ongoing shipping improvements continue attracting millions of customers globally.

Just proactively set accurate delivery expectations with your recipients, take advantage of tracking tools, and choose expedited upgrades fit for purpose. Leveraging AliExpress effectively lets companies access Chinese factory goods easily while managing reliable – if not blazing fast – worldwide order fulfillment.