Expedited shipping is a delivery option that moves orders faster than a retailer’s standard option. Depending on the carrier and service, this method takes one to three days. Retailers that fail to offer this fast option risk losing customers, yet the high cost of expedited delivery makes it a challenging service to provide.
In this guide, we break down how expedited delivery works, its impact on business growth, and key strategies for managing its costs effectively.
Key highlights:
- Expedited shipping is a premium delivery option designed to move orders faster than standard methods, typically within one to three business days.
- Customer expectations for speed are rising sharply, making fast shipping a competitive necessity.
- Managing the higher costs of expedited delivery requires strategies like distributed inventory, multi-carrier contracts, and predictive time-in-transit modeling.
- Shipium transforms expedited shipping into a growth driver by automating carrier selection in real time, balancing speed and cost to improve both margins and customer trust.
How does expedited delivery work?
Expedited delivery works by prioritizing orders throughout the logistics network to accelerate shipping. This process begins at the fulfillment center, where expedited orders are flagged for immediate picking, packing, and dispatch ahead of standard shipments.
Carriers then use more direct routes with fewer stops to reduce transit time. For long-distance or international deliveries, transportation companies also leverage air freight over ground transportation to ensure the quickest possible route.
Throughout their journey, these packages receive priority handling at every stage. Carriers fast-track expedited shipments through their sorting facilities and load them onto the earliest available trucks or flights. Some carriers employ dedicated vehicles or two-person driver teams for long hauls to minimize downtime and avoid consolidation hubs.
How long does expedited shipping take?
Typically, expedited shipping takes between one and three business days for domestic deliveries. The exact speed depends on several factors, including:
- Customer’s distance from the fulfillment location
- The carrier selected for the delivery
- Specific service level selected (e.g., UPS Next Day Air® or UPS 2nd Day Air®)
Shorter distances and premium service tiers generally result in faster delivery. And cutoff times also matter, as orders placed after a carrier’s daily processing window may not ship until the next day, which affects delivery speed.
For expedited international shipping, the delivery window is usually two to five business days, depending on customs clearance and the destination country.
Comparing expedited vs. standard shipping and other methods
The term "expedited shipping" refers to any delivery method faster than a company's standard option. While specific timeframes vary by carrier, "expedited" generally implies a quicker transit time, whereas "express" shipping typically designates the fastest possible service, often for overnight or next-day delivery.
Couriers offer this tiered system to provide customers with flexibility in balancing delivery speed and cost.
| Shipping method | Typical delivery timeframe | Cost | Best for |
| Standard shipping | 3-7 business days | The lowest cost option | Standard shipping is the most economical choice for non-urgent orders where customers prioritize savings over speed |
| Expedited shipping | 1-3 business days | A moderate increase over standard | The expedited shipping tier balances speed and cost for time-sensitive deliveries that do not require overnight service |
| Express shipping | 1 business day | The most expensive option |
Express shipping is ideal for urgent, time-sensitive, or high-value deliveries that require the fastest possible transit time |
Be sure to check our definitive guide to standard shipping.
Why do faster shipping options matter?
Offering faster shipping options matters for ecommerce businesses because the “Amazon effect” conditioned shoppers to expect near-instant fulfillment, and industry data shows that customer expectations keep tightening.
According to VML, the overall expected delivery time for online orders has steadily decreased from 2.36 days in 2022 to 2.16 days in 2023, and further to 1.85 days in 2024. Retailers that cannot meet these rising standards risk losing sales, eroding customer loyalty, and falling into a competitive disadvantage.
See the ecommerce shipping options you should look into.
How to manage the costs of an expedited delivery strategy
Expedited delivery drives higher customer satisfaction but also higher costs compared to standard shipping. Pricing depends on several variables, including package dimensions, shipping zones, fuel surcharges, peak demand, and the level of speed guarantee (next-day vs. two-day).
To stay competitive, ecommerce brands need strategies that make expedited shipping services affordable without eroding margins. For example:
- Setting minimum order thresholds: Offer free or discounted expedited shipping only when customers spend above a certain amount, absorbing costs within larger order values.
- Negotiating with multiple carriers: Work with more than one carrier to increase leverage, secure better rates, and reduce exposure to surcharges or unfavorable contract terms.
- Distributing inventory strategically: Place products closer to customers to cut shipping zones, reduce transit times, and lower costs.
- Leveraging technology: Use modern ecommerce shipping software for multi-carrier rate shopping and predictive analytics. This technology ensures the cheapest carrier that still meets the promised date, while data insights guide smarter fulfillment decisions (e.g., opening a new facility in a high-demand region).
Read our complete guide to multi-carrier shipping.
Use Shipium to offer faster, smarter expedited shipping options
Expedited shipping options should be a growth lever, not a margin drain. Yet, most retailers overspend because choosing the right carrier for each order is complex and often manual.
Shipium, a modern logistics optimization platform, solves this by automating carrier selection at the moment of fulfillment, ensuring every shipping decision balances cost and speed.
Shipium’s platform evaluates every order in real time across a pre-integrated carrier network, comparing rates and transit times to select the lowest-cost service that still meets the promised delivery date. By removing the guesswork, Shipium helps you consistently hit expedited delivery windows, reduce parcel spend, and strengthen customer trust.
Book a demo to see how automated rate shopping turns expedited shipping into a competitive advantage.
Frequently asked questions
How do I best communicate expedited shipping options to customers?
To communicate expedited shipping options effectively, show customers clear estimated delivery dates (EDDs) at checkout instead of vague labels like “fast” or “priority.”
Accurate delivery promises such as “Arrives by Thursday, March 7” build confidence and reduce cart abandonment. In fact, a Pitney Bowes survey found that shoppers ranked specific, single-day estimates (such as “2 days” or “February 24”) as the most helpful EDDs. Less precise formats ranked lowest in preference.
The best way to generate these dates is by using predictive time-in-transit data rather than relying only on static carrier service-level agreements (SLAs).
What should I consider for international expedited shipping?
When considering international expedited shipping, account for more than just transit times: customs clearance, accurate documentation, and duties have as much impact on speed as the flight itself. A shipment that arrives overnight can still sit in customs for days if the paperwork is incomplete.
You should also evaluate costs carefully. International expedited services rely heavily on premium air networks, which are expensive. Many retailers reserve expedited international shipping for high-value or time-sensitive products, while offering standard options for the rest.
Which carriers offer expedited shipping?
Nearly all major carriers provide a range of expedited shipping services. The best choice depends on the required delivery speed, destination, and budget. This table lists the common domestic and international services from leading providers.
| Carrier | Domestic expedited shipping | International expedited shipping |
| FedEx | SameDay®, First Overnight®, Priority Overnight®, Standard Overnight®, 2Day® A.M., 2Day®, Express Saver® | International Next Flight, International Priority®, International Economy® |
| UPS | Next Day Air® Early, Next Day Air®, Next Day Air Saver®, 2nd Day Air A.M.®, 2nd Day Air®, 3 Day Select® | Worldwide Express Plus®, Worldwide Express®, Worldwide Saver®, Worldwide Expedited® |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail® | Priority Mail Express International® |
| DHL | Primarily focused on international shipping. Currently offers DHL Express Domestic services, but only at DHL ServicePoint facilities |
Express Worldwide |
How much does expedited shipping cost?
To calculate expedited shipping costs, consider weight, package dimensions, distance, and surcharges. Carriers apply dimensional weight pricing, so bulky items often cost more regardless of actual weight. Add-ons like fuel surcharges, peak season fees, and residential delivery charges further increase costs.
To keep costs under control, focus on optimization. Fully-loaded rate shopping across carriers, distributed inventory placement, and minimum order thresholds for expedited shipping all help offset expenses. With the right technology, you deliver speed profitably rather than treating it as a margin drain.
