Cheapest International Shipping: 6 Crucial Aspects To Consider

Finding the cheapest way to ship internationally is critical for businesses looking to expand their market or individuals sending gifts or products overseas. Opting for cheap international shipping can make a significant difference in cost efficiency.

However, as with anything related to moving freight, it’s seldom as easy as clicking a button. It helps to be familiar with a few factors and know a little about what it takes to ship to international destinations, including the best parcel delivery options, so you can plan accordingly and choose a shipping service that suits your budget.

This page contains tips to help simplify the process of finding cheap international shipping for individuals and retailers.

In this guide to international shipping, you’ll find factors and information to help you send a package to almost any country or region of the world while keeping your budget, recipient expectations, and peace of mind in check.

Cheapest International Shipping to Latin America

If you’re looking for the cheapest international shipping to Latin America, the unique aspects of the region make for a different business dynamic than other parts of the world.

There are a variety of challenges that influence e-commerce international shipping in the region:

• Since most Latin Americans speak Spanish, Portuguese, French, or native languages,  international companies may need significant help navigating customs and customer service.
• Many consumers don’t use traditional banking, so your company may need to offer more payment options.
• Customs and tariffs vary widely throughout the region across different countries, governments, levels of infrastructure, and technology.
• Unique logistics challenges pose difficulties for international companies selling to Latin America, such as inconsistent addresses and underdeveloped transportation.

When evaluating the cheapest international shipping to Latin America, you should choose a shipping partner that has the experience in the region to help you tackle these issues.

Compared to global carriers like USPS and DHL, regional carriers like SkyPostal can offer a shipping experience tailored to the region in which you specialize.

Choosing Between USPS/DHL and SkyPostal

Our customers have found that for many scenarios, SkyPostal can offer not just the cheapest shipping for their customers, but also the best overall experience.

USPS

The United States Postal Service offers a variety of choices for shipping to Latin America. While the costs may be manageable, the shipping times range between 10 and 20 days, depending on the level of service.

Furthermore, USPS has strict weight and size limitations. As the weights go up on USPS First Class Parcels, for example, the cost can exceed $50.

To find a detailed breakdown comparing the costs of USPS with SkyPostal’s services, visit our comparison here.

DHL

Compared to DHL’s Express Worldwide shipping, SkyPostal can save you 50-75% per package. Not only that, we don’t charge additional handling fees upon delivery. While DHL has shorter end-to-end times in some instances, SkyPostal provides comparable shipping times for lower costs—helping you strike the right balance between the cost savings and shipping duration.

To find a more expansive breakdown comparing our services with the costs of DHL, visit our comparison here.

Besides price and shipping times, SkyPostal provides more value and service that global carriers can’t offer. We have a network of local carriers and customer service partners in the region who can help your business provide localized support. Local representatives are critical when your customers need to process returns. SkyPostal has been doing business in Latin America for decades, and we have the personnel on the ground that can help you close any gaps in your logistics in the region.

Our established presence in Latin America has also given us the ability to develop modern logistics conveniences and a robust final mile approach that other carriers can’t match. With our technology offerings, we can provide integrated solutions and package tracking that gives your customers door-to-door visibility. Our partnership with local carriers makes it less likely that packages get lost en route or refused because of incorrect addresses.

As you look for international shipping partners to help your e-commerce company break into Latin American markets, remember to consider the entirety of the logistics process. It’s important to account for the full customer experience, not just offering the cheapest international shipping possible.

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Things to Consider Before Shipping Internationally

Navigating the complexities of transporting packages across borders often requires strategic planning, good partnerships, and research. 

One way to approach the process of cheap international shipping is to have a sense of available options—knowing what to expect and understanding potential challenges before you print a label will make the whole journey much smoother.

1. Package Size and Destination

When figuring out how to get the cheapest international shipping rates possible, the size of your package and where you’re sending it will likely be the first two determining factors you will face, followed by how fast you would like your item to arrive at its destination.

Larger packages generally cost more than smaller packages, particularly if they need to be transported by air instead of by land or sea, for example. As expected, your shipping costs will also reflect the distance a package travels and whether or not the recipient's address is urban or rural. This makes sense—a box that needs to make it to Sydney, Australia will cost more than a package of equal weight and size sent from San Diego to Tijuana, Mexico.

2. What Level of Service Your Company Offers

The term “international shipping” covers a wide variety of levels of service you may offer your overseas customers:

• Mode of transportation, which can include ground, sea, and air shipping
• Speed of service, which can range from days to several weeks
• Technologies and services, which can include package tracking and reverse logistics

When your company is looking for the cheapest international shipping options, it’s important to take into consideration every part of the logistics process, not just the cost of shipping a flat-rate package.

3. Find Out What Each Carrier Can Handle

Using couriers like SkyPostal to send smaller items can be both a time saver and an effective cost management solution for international shipping services. It helps to know their weight and dimension limits before booking your shipment.

If you send larger packages through these express carriers, the cost increases considerably, so it is good practice to compare prices. 

4. Consider Your Shipping Time

Next, consider the estimated delivery times. Economy service levels typically use slower modes of transport, so if you're sending time-sensitive goods, research quicker shipping options. 

Some companies offer expedited delivery, though those quicker deliveries may cost more or only be available for a few select shipping routes or destinations. Economy services can be a good option for small packages when timing isn’t necessary.

5. Consider Prohibited or Restricted Items

One of the many factors involved with international shipping is prohibited items. Each country determines what products may be shipped and imported—certain hazardous goods (like paint thinners or batteries over a specified power capacity), weapons, drugs, or even foods are often on the prohibited items list.

But each country determines its own regulations. It’s also good to check the restrictions and guidelines of any shipping companies you plan on working with.

6. Customs Paperwork and Taxes

Another aspect that sets cheap international shipping apart from sending a package within a country is the customs documentation needed for parcels leaving or arriving from a foreign destination. This is handled at customs checkpoints located at the national borders of any destination country. If your package travels by air, it will likely be screened at a customs access point at the airport.

Customs officers in these locations are responsible for checking documents, opening packages to determine if restricted items are included, and verifying that goods entering a country adhere to the relevant local rules and regulations for taxation and legality.

International customers should be aware that their purchases are subject to duties and taxes depending on the items included and the value of the order. Duties are paid to the destination country, and rates vary per product or industry.

Taxes typically include state and national sales tax and potential import taxes based on item values. These costs are often added to an order total during checkout.

Get Help With International Shipping

Partnering with companies like SkyPostal, specializing in international shipping to Latin America, can make the process of cheap international shipping considerably less complicated. Shipping aggregators connect international courier services so individuals and businesses can compare prices, delivery speeds, and benefits offered to find the option that best meets their needs.

To provide a streamlined service and experience for those shipping internationally, some shipping companies take it a step further by taking care of much of the legwork on your behalf, including any documentation and potential customs-related challenges you may encounter when a shipment arrives at its destination.

To streamline operations for those needing a hassle-free international courier service, consider finding a partner who: 

• Has established collection services to retrieve a package
• Can generate shipping labels
• Create the relevant customs documentation 
• Coordinate shipment routes spanning numerous countries and transportation options 
• Also offers insights into which routes will save money, such as providing the lowest-priced route between the United Kingdom and Mexico.

Streamline Your Approach

Companies that help with international shipping services often make the process more manageable by offering a straightforward booking procedure via user-friendly interfaces and websites. 

They gather relevant international shipment details upfront (destination, package weight, preferred timing, and other considerations) to find cheap international shipping rates. Additionally, their expertise gives sellers valuable insight to help determine whether shipping internationally will work for them.

Many international couriers or shipping consolidators also provide package tracking services through their online interface, email, or mobile apps. They provide an estimated transit time for delivery of your shipment and send alerts when your parcel arrives at a destination country or with a recipient.

Let SkyPostal Be Your International Shipping Partner

To save money and simplify the process, use shipping aggregators or specialized companies like SkyPostal for cheap international shipping, particularly to Latin America.

You’ll have access to experienced shipping consultants who will walk you through the step-by-step process to get your packages from one country to another within your budget with the required shipping time. Additionally, these services offer discounted rates or special deals with couriers built into your estimate before purchasing or booking. For more information, contact SkyPostal today.