How Long Does AliExpress Take to Deliver Your Order?
Online shopping gives us access to products from all over the world. But waiting weeks or even months for items to arrive can be frustrating.
So how long does AliExpress, the popular Chinese ecommerce site, actually take to ship your orders?
The delivery time for AliExpress orders can range anywhere from 12 to 60+ days. The huge variance depends on several key factors that we’ll explore in this comprehensive guide. Read on to learn what impacts your AliExpress shipping time, tips to receive your orders faster, whether AliExpress standard shipping is worth the cost, and more.
We’ll cover:
- Typical AliExpress shipping times
- What impacts delivery times
- How to track your AliExpress order
- Is AliExpress standard shipping worth it?
- Tips for faster AliExpress delivery
Typical AliExpress Shipping Times
The first thing to understand is that there is no simple answer to “how long does AliExpress take to deliver.” Orders can arrive anytime from 12 days up to 2 months (60+ days) after you place your order.
The delivery timeframe mostly depends on:
Shipping Method – The logistics provider and service selected at checkout (more details below)
Shipment Origin – Whether the package ships from China or local warehouses
Destination Country – Some countries have faster mail systems
Time of Year – Holiday order peaks can delay shipments
Here’s an overview of common delivery timelines:
- Cheapest Shipping (Cainiao Super Economy): Usually 30-50+ days
- Standard Shipping (AliExpress Standard): Around 15-45 days
- Faster Shipping (AliExpress Premium): Approximately 7-14 days
- From China: Can take 30-45+ days on average
Delays of 1-4 weeks are very common around holiday order peaks as warehouses get slammed.
So standard AliExpress delivery can easily take 12-60+ days during their Singles Day and Christmas order rushes every year.
Now let’s look at the key variables that impact AliExpress shipping times in more detail:
Key Factors That Impact AliExpress Delivery Times
Several core factors account for why some AliExpress orders arrive in 2 weeks while others take 2 months. These elements affect speed:
1. Shipping Method
The delivery service you choose largely determines the shipping time window. When checking out, pay attention to the logistics options available:
- Cainiao Super Economy – Basic 30-50+ day delivery
- AliExpress Standard – Better tracking with 15-45 day delivery
- AliExpress Premium – Faster 7-14 day delivery by air
- ePacket – Reliable 12-20 day delivery (when available)
Paying more usually gets your order delivered faster using air freight while sea shipping takes longer. Private couriers like DHL, FedEx, or UPS are fastest.
2. Shipment Origin Country
AliExpress predominantly sources from Chinese suppliers so most orders ship directly from warehouses in China.
Shipping across the Pacific Ocean adds significant transit time. So items sent directly from China typically take 30-45+ days for AliExpress standard shipping.
However, AliExpress has a few localized warehouses overseas that can slash delivery to just 3-7 days for select items.
If your product ships from a European or US-based fulfillment center it will arrive much faster than orders sent from China.
3. Destination Country Factors
Some countries have much faster and more advanced shipping infrastructure than others. For example, AliExpress shipping to Singapore or Spain may take 15-20 days on average, while shipments to remote regions can take 45-60+ days.
The number of international AliExpress orders coming into your country also has an impact. High volumes can cause backlogs in customs and mail centers.
Domestic postal efficiency, customs processes, and last mile delivery all play a role in global transit and final delivery.
4. Time of Year & Holiday Demand
Just as December order volumes crush Amazon deliveries, AliExpress shipping times also face major delays around holiday peaks.
Chinese New Year, 11.11 Singles Day, Black Friday, and Christmas create enormous order backlogs that slow AliExpress shipments to a crawl.
Warehouses get overwhelmed, carriers fill up delivery capacity, and possible customs bottlenecks extend shipping times by weeks or longer.
So avoid placing urgent AliExpress orders around major sales events or national holidays. The delivery time will likely disappoint you despite what estimates claim during checkout.
Check out AliExpress shipping time examples during a recent Christmas order peak:
Image: AliExpress notification warning customers of Christmas order delays
Now you know why AliExpress delivery can range so widely from 12 to 60+ days. The shipping speed largely hinges on:
- Shipping method selected
- Shipment origin
- Destination country factors
- Current time of year and order volumes
Understanding these dynamics sets proper expectations on when to reasonably anticipate your AliExpress orders.
Next let’s go over some ways to help receive your packages faster.
Tips for Faster AliExpress Delivery
While you can’t fully control all the variables that impact delivery, there are some easy ways to improve shipping speed from AliExpress:
Choose ePacket or Premium Shipping
We mentioned how pricier shipping methods generally equate to faster service.
ePacket and AliExpress premium shipping offer the best combination of speed + cost.
ePacket delivers reliably in 7-20 days while Premium Shipping takes 7-14 days by air. These should be your go-to choices when faster delivery is needed.
Just know that during holiday peaks, even the premium methods will slow down across the board.
Select Items Shipping From Local Warehouses
Instead of waiting over a month for sea shipments from China, look for products fulfilled from warehouses near you.
AliExpress has storage facilities all over the world that offer much quicker local fulfillment, cutting delivery to just 3-7 days.
If you filter products by “Ship from Country” during your search, you can view just the items shipping locally. This guarantees faster arrival while avoiding lengthy overseas transit.
Place Orders Early to Avoid Holiday Delays
As we saw earlier, November through December brings extremely long AliExpress delivery times across all shipping tiers.
Avoid frustration by putting orders in well before the big holiday sales kick off. This gives adequate buffer for the inevitable order delays.
You might pay a touch more compared to 11.11 or Christmas deals, but your items will actually arrive in time for use unlike many parcels ordered during the peak.
Understand Tracking Limitations
One common complaint with budget AliExpress shipping options is unreliable tracking and lack of delivery updates.
The cheapest logistics services often offer limited tracking visibility after departing China. So an order might show no package movement for weeks then suddenly get delivered.
Temper expectations that affordable shipping trades off between cost savings and extensive parcel monitoring. As long as your order arrives safely within the maximum time frame, minimal tracking updates are fine.
Now let’s examine if paying extra for AliExpress standard shipping is worth the money and time compared to the cheapest delivery.
Is AliExpress Standard Shipping Worth It?
AliExpress gives you plenty of shipping tiers to choose from at checkout. But should you pay more for quicker service?
AliExpress standard shipping costs a few dollars, offers tracking visibility for your parcel, and takes around 15-45 days for delivery. Compared to absolute cheapest methods from Cainiao that have minimal tracking and 30-60+ day timelines.
Here are the key pros and cons of using standard delivery service from AliExpress:
Pros
- Cost friendly rates, better than fully premium options
- Relatively reliable 15-45 day delivery window
- Includes tracking number with updates
Cons
- Still slower than fastest air shipping
- Waiting up to 45 days can be frustrating
For a few extra dollars over ultra cheap shipping, AliExpress standard shipping provides strong value balancing cost, tracking capability, and delivery speed. You avoid paying premium air rates but still get reasonable shipping times unlike bottom basement options.
Just keep in mind even standard shipping gets bogged down during 11.11 and Christmas order peaks each year. Delivery times easily hit 45+ days as logistics bottleneck.
Overall, AliExpress standard shippinghits the sweet spot between cost efficiency, tracking visibility, and delivery speed. As long as you temper expectations around holidays.
For most orders, it offers the ideal combo of good value and fairly quick shipping, especially compared to sea freight that takes over two months.
Now let’s go over how to actually track your AliExpress shipments.
How to Track Your AliExpress Order?
Tracking parcel movement is vital for monitoring order status and expected delivery. Here is how to track your AliExpress packages:
Step 1: Copy your order’s unique tracking number from your AliExpress account’s Order Details page. It will be a sequence of letters and numbers.
Step 2: Go to the AliExpress website and paste the tracking code into the order tracking tool under My Orders > Advanced Search.
Step 3: The tracker will show the latest shipping updates including origin scan, transit progress, and estimated delivery date. Repeat as needed.
Please note: Cheapest Cainiao shipping options do NOT offer end-to-end tracking. You’ll only see the initial departure scan from China with no further updates.
If you selected ePacket, Standard, or Premium Shipping, you’ll receive ongoing transit and delivery notifications.
Use package tracking to monitor order status and delivery ETA. Reach out to the seller with any concerns about late or stalled packages.
This covers the core methods around AliExpress order tracking and visibility. Now let’s recap the key lessons:
Conclusion – How Long Does AliExpress Shipping Take?
AliExpress delivery times can wildly vary between 12 to 60+ days depending on four key factors:
- Shipping method selected
- Shipment origin country
- Destination country characteristics
- Current time of year and order demand
Standard AliExpress logistics takes around 15-45 days for affordable rates. Sea shipping is cheapest but takes over 30 days usually. Faster premium options cost more yet take under 15 days by air.
Significant delays happen during holiday peaks as cargo capacity gets squeezed. Build in shipping buffer around 11.11 and Christmas.
Choose items originating closer to your region, select faster shipping tiers when needed, and set realistic delivery expectations. And you’ll get your AliExpress orders smoothly without relying on sea freight taking months.
So keep these best practices in mind next time you’re waiting on an AliExpress order!
