Dropshipping With AliExpress: Seven Ways To Handle Long Shipping Times When Dropshipping With AliExpress

Most AliExpress vendors are based in China, so if your product is coming from there, expect longer shipping times. It's like sending a postcard across the world—it's going to take a little longer than sending it down the street.

Where your customers are located matters. Shipping within Asia? Probably faster. But shipping to the US, Europe, or Australia might add a few more days to the timeline. Think of it like catching different flights—some destinations have more direct routes than others.

Oh, the holiday rush! This can be a big one. Chinese New Year, Black Friday, or even your local holidays can cause delays. It’s like traffic—during holidays, everyone’s trying to get somewhere at the same time, and your package might get stuck in the jam. Planning around these busy times can help avoid frustrations.

Sometimes, things happen that nobody can predict. Weather, customs delays, or global issues can slow things down. Imagine your package stuck in a customs line, waiting its turn, just like you wait at the DMV. Not fun, but it happens.

Some vendors aren’t as quick to get your order out the door. Maybe they’re low on stock or just plain slow. Either way, this adds extra time. Choosing reliable suppliers with fast processing times can save you a lot of headaches.

The method you choose makes all the difference. Standard shipping is like the slow bus—it’ll get there, but not quickly. ePacket is faster, like express delivery, but it’s not premium. For the quickest results, opt for options like FedEx or DHL—they’re the express lanes of shipping, with delivery times as fast as 3 days. But remember, you pay for the speed.

Ali Express standard shipping is one of the most cost-effective AliExpress delivery methods. The delivery is usually free with this method. If not free, it generally varies between $4 and $10 with a 10-45 days delivery time on average. 

Next on our list is ePacket delivery. This shipping method is also affordable and fast. The shipping cost depends on the type of product and the recipient’s destination. ePacket deliveries can sometimes be free, allowing sellers to save a few bucks on deliveries and make additional profit. 

This offers a quicker delivery option with tracking capabilities. With and average delivery time of 5-10 days, it's best for dropshippers who want quicker shipping times.

With FedEx, you can expect the shortest AliExpress shipping times. That goes without saying that this method is also one of the most expensive AliExpress shipping methods available to date. 

Some customers have reported a 3-day delivery time as well. The average delivery cost via FedEx can range between $20 and $40. 

Another cost-effective and fast AliExpress shipping method is through China Post. The product can take up to 39-60 days, depending on the type of product and location.

EMS is China Post Group's international and domestic express delivery service. It has an average delivery time of 5-10 days and comes with package tracking.

A widely-used standard shipping method for AliExpress, especially for budget-conscious buyers. With an average shipping time of 7-30 days and low shipping cost, it's a popular choice for non-urgent orders.

Cainiao Super Economy is one of the cheapest methods on AliExpress. However, don't expect a speedy delivery. The average delivery time usually falls between 30-50 days.

As one of the world's leading logistics companies, you can expect timely delivery. Your package may arrive within 1-3 days, depending on the destination. The cost of this premium shipping option is higher, but it's a great choice if speed and reliability are important to you.

DHL is one of the fastest shipping options available on AliExpress. It offers worldwide delivery, with packages typically arriving within 1-4 days.

One of the biggest mistakes dropshippers make is they do not mention the delivery time to their customers. Many sellers believe that displaying their shipping costs might decrease their sales. However, this factor does not impact your conversions a lot.

On the flip side, if you choose to keep your shipping costs a mystery, you can have some serious consequences that could potentially harm the success of your dropshipping business.

Now you must be wondering where exactly you should display this information for maximum conversions.

You should showcase this information in multiple places, including your FAQ page, shipping policy, and on your product pages.

For instance, you could add the question ‘How long will it take to ship my order’ in your FAQ section to highlight this information. 

Similarly, it’s also important to have a detailed shipping policy in place that highlights the expected time of delivery along with return and refund terms.

Last but not least, you can also display the expected delivery schedule on your product pages to keep your customers informed about what to expect in terms of product delivery.

One thing that sets your dropshipping store apart from others is the customer support you offer to your buyers.

Having a trained and well-informed customer support team can answer your customer's queries and clear their doubts.

Make sure you respond politely to your customers and keep them informed about the latest shipping status of their orders.

Fortunately, there are many apps available online that you can use for this purpose, including AfterShip, Trackr, etc. 

Many studies reveal that just keeping your customers informed about the change in shipping status can keep them coming for more. 

Another effective way you can handle long shipping times is by choosing a supplier from the country you’re selling in. For example, if you’re selling from the USA, make sure you collaborate with the US supplier instead of choosing someone from the EU or Canada.

When you and your supplier are from the same country, the delivery time will be significantly reduced. 

When you’re using AliExpress, you can still choose to work with a supplier from your country. Use the option ‘Shipping from countries’ to sort suppliers. 

Some factors you need to consider when sorting a supplier on AliExpress include:

• Since AliExpress mainly has Chinese suppliers, it could be challenging to find a good dropshipping supplier shipping products from other countries.
• The delivery costs might be a little higher than what you tend to pay to Chinese suppliers

Let’s suppose you’re selling products that are already available in any nearby store or supermarket. Do you think your customers will wait for 30-40 days to get that product shipped to their doorstep?

But if you’re selling something that is not commonly available, the customer won’t mind waiting for a few days to receive that. 

That is why you must find winning dropshipping products that are exclusive and not easily available. 

Tip: Aside from selling unique products, make sure your products images are important. One thing you need to consider is ecommerce image optimization.

Another effective way you can handle long shipping times is by looking at the processing times of AliExpress Suppliers. 

Simply put, the processing time is the amount of time your supplier takes to dispatch the product to the customer. 

Suppliers that take less time to process orders should be your first choice as it is the only way you could timely deliver products to your customers. 

Make sure you discuss this thing with your supplier beforehand. In addition to that, you can also use several extensions to check the processing times of different products.

Many dropshippers go with standard/free shipping to save a few bucks. As a result, they get customer complaints regularly who report delays in deliveries. 

To avoid such delays, make sure you opt for premium shipping services, as they are quicker and more reliable than other free options.

These premium shipping methods are more expensive compared to other shipping options. But if you're looking for speedy shipments, these are your best bet.

Many customers approach a website through email to know about the updated status of their order. Your responsibility as a dropshipper is to respond to your customer’s emails as soon as possible so that they know exactly when they’re going to receive their order. 

Ideally, you should respond within 24 hours...

Businesses that take too long to respond to customers’ emails risk their customers putting in confusion as they think they have been scammed.

You can either create a custom response or take help from pre-built replies you get online. Don’t forget to tweak each response to make it look personalized before you send it to the individual customer.