Courier vs Regular Mail
Courier and regular mail are two kinds of postal service that show some differences between them in terms of their method of operation and service. In the olden days people truly depended on the traditional mailing service to get their letter and packages delivered. The regular mail was very much in vogue until the courier system was introduced. We all may think that delivering package is expensive via courier but less expensive through the regular mail service. It may have been true in the beginning. However, in the present world, it is not true.
What is Regular Mail?
Regular mail is sending mail or parcels using the postal services that usually a country’s government provides its citizens. In the earlier times, regular mail was the only way to send something to someone else who lived in another area. It was very slow but people did not have any alternative. With time, the quality of the regular mail is also on the rise but it is not noticed due to the extensive use of the courier service.
To send a mail through regular mail, you can simply drop it into the nearest post box that belongs to the postal services. Else, you can go to the post office and hand it over to there. Sending packages is a cumbersome process when done through the regular mail service in a post office. You would often find long queues too. Going to the post office, staying in line and finally handing over the package can take a lot of time. So, in the case of the regular mail service, the facility of doorstep pick-up is not seen.
One advantage of regular mail services is that the prices associated with regular mail is constant whatever the post office.
What is Courier?
Courier is the postal services that are managed by mostly private parties. Nowadays, government postal services also tend to offer courier services. It is interesting to note that the courier industry has grown by leaps and bounds in terms of service and hence there is a tough and healthy competition among the courier services. The quality has also been increasing day by day. Because of the competition, the courier companies cannot increase their price in absurd amounts as they cannot lose customers. Their prices at present are slightly different from regular mail prices but they are not very high as to cause inconvenience to the customers.
Sending the packages is very easy when it comes to sending them by courier service. In some cases, the people from the courier service center would come to your home and pick up the package. Most of the time this is the case, as the courier service wants to win more customers. In other words, it can be said that courier service allows pick-up service from the customer’s doorstep.
When it comes to cost, since there is a healthy competition going among the courier service centers, you would be offered different prices too for their service.
What is the difference between Courier and Regular Mail?
Definitions of Courier and Regular Mail:
Courier: Courier is a type of faster postal service.
Regular Mail: Regular mail is the normal postal service that takes more time.
Pickup Service:
Courier: Courier services offer pick up facilities where they come and take the package that you want to mail from your home.
Regular Mail: Regular mail does not offer pick up services.
Cost:
Courier: Courier costs are slightly higher.
Regular Mail: Regular mail cost is slightly lower.
Delivery Options:
Courier: Courier offers a number of delivery options such as holding the package for sometime if you want to, telling even the exact time of delivery, etc.
Regular Mail: Regular mail only comes with standard delivery options such as telling the day of delivering the package, etc.
Reliability:
Courier: Reliability is high in courier services.
Regular Mail: Reliability of regular mail is lower than courier as sometimes items get lost during the postal process.
Competition:
Courier: Courier services have a competition among themselves as they offer similar facilities.
Regular Mail: Regular mail does not have a competition.
Images Courtesy:
- Delivery by bicycle in Germany by ProfDEH (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Same Day Delivery company courier van by Dwight Burdette (CC BY 3.0)
