Parcel Delivery for New Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide

01 April 2025 | Editor's Pick | Business | Tips and Guides

Author: Parcel2Go.com

There are lots of things to worry about when setting up a new business, but at Parcel2Go, we believe that parcel delivery shouldn’t be one of them.

Let’s explore your options when it comes to parcel delivery for business owners.

Choosing the Best Parcel Delivery for Small Businesses in the UK

Using Parcel2Go is a great way to explore which couriers will work best for your business. Using our quick quote tool, you can compare prices from the UK’s best couriers in one place to give you access to the cheapest quotes.

The best courier for you will depend on your business needs. For example, do you want to find the cheapest price, or is convenience more important?

We have lots of guides that can help you get set up in the early days of your new business, including our ultimate guide to parcel delivery for small business.

What are the Best Couriers for New Businesses?

At Parcel2Go, we make it our mission to make finding the right courier simple. These are some of our top couriers for new businesses:

Best for Reliability: Royal Mail

Royal Mail is one of the UK’s oldest and most trusted couriers — making them a top choice for customers looking for reliable parcel delivery for business.

You can book a Royal Mail delivery from as little as £2.87 exc VAT with Parcel2Go. They have a great range of options to meet the needs of your business too, including standard, super-fast, and signed-for services. You’ll also get free Royal Mail tracking with every parcel you send.

Find out why you should send a parcel with Royal Mail.

When it comes to reliability, it's good to know that we also work with other big name couriers such as DPDFedExParcelforce.

Best for Convenience: InPost

Perfect for new businesses that need convenience, InPost lets you send your parcels 24 hours a day from just £2.69 exc VAT.

Find out how InPost can help with easy parcel delivery for online business.

Best for Cost Saving: Evri

Offering the cheapest postage costs in the UK, Evri is a brilliant choice of courier for new businesses.

There are a range of Evri services available, and you can drop your parcels off at over 7,000 ParcelShops across the country.

Discover why you should use Evri for your parcel delivery.

How to Send International Parcel Delivery for New Businesses

Offering international delivery can really help you grow your business. But sending your products abroad can be daunting, especially as there can be more to it than sending a parcel within the UK.

Our International Shipping Hub has loads of information on how to send a parcel abroad, including VAT rates, import fees, and more on parcel delivery for business senders.

Find our handy checklist for business shippers so you don't miss anything out when shipping overseas.

These are some of the processes you’ll need to be aware of:

1. Customs Regulations

Customs regulations can differ depending on the country you’re shipping to. We always recommend checking the specific country’s customs regulations before booking your shipping - you can find requirements by country here.

There are also prohibited items which can’t be sent to certain countries.

2. Customs Declarations

Customs declarations can be difficult to understand if you haven’t come across one before. At Parcel2Go, we can help take the stress out of your international parcel deliveries.

If you’re sending your parcels to the EU, there are a few changes to be aware of since Brexit.

• Gifts under €45 (including postage) are exempt from EU VAT

• Shipments over €46 (including postage) are subject to EU VAT at 19%

• Packages sent direct from online marketplaces will have to pay EU VAT

3. Customs Charges

When the value of the items you’re sending internationally exceeds a certain threshold, you’ll need to pay customs fees. There are a couple of ways you can pay this:

• Delivery Duty Paid (DDP): You pay the charges when you book your parcel delivery.

• Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU): Your customer pays the charges when their parcel arrives at customs.

There are pros and cons of both options. Our blog, how to decide between offering DDU or DDP, will help you decide which option is best for your business.

4. Commercial Invoices

When you ship products internationally, you’ll need to include a commercial invoice. A commercial invoice is a legal agreement between the seller and buyer. This customs document details the products sold and the amount due to the business.

When you book with Parcel2Go, the details you give us in the order journey will make up your commercial invoice so we’ll send you all the documentation you need once you’ve booked your delivery. During the booking process, we’ll ask you for:

• Accurate descriptions of the items you’re sending, including their commodity codes

• The recipients address and contact details

You can read more on our blog about how to complete a commercial invoice which gives detailed instructions and our top tips.

How long does international delivery take?

How long your international delivery will take depends on where you’re shipping to and what service you choose. At Parcel2Go, we have options for express, economy, and super-economy services.

For customers who want their purchases quickly, you can offer express delivery. Express delivery could see their parcel arriving the next working day — perfect for boosting your customer satisfaction scores.

Standard shipping will take around 3-5 days depending on the destination.

How much does international shipping cost?

International shipping starts from just £6.56 exc VAT with Parcel2Go.

Our international couriers include Royal Mail, UPS, and DPD, and our Lowest Price Guarantee means that if you find a cheaper price elsewhere, we’ll match it.

Benefits of Using Parcel2Go for Parcel Delivery for Business

As well as guaranteeing you the cheapest parcel delivery in the UK, there are plenty of reasons our customers choose us to help with parcel delivery for new business.

• Trusted couriers: We work with the UK’s best couriers, so you know your parcel will be in safe hands.

• Free Parcel tracking: Perfect for giving you extra peace of mind, our parcel tracking is free with every order.

• Quick Quote tool: Get a quote in no time with our quick quote tool. You’ll be able to filter your results by the cheapest or fastest service to find the perfect courier.

• Volume Calculator: Get accurate delivery quotes and save money with our handy Volume Calculator.

• PrePay: We’ll help you make paying for your parcel deliveries super convenient with PrePay. You’ll also get 2% extra cash when you top up by £100.

Supercharge your Business with Smart Send

If you want to save money and boost your efficiency, Smart Send is the answer.

Designed with ecommerce in mind, Smart Send is our free shipping tool. Its easy-to-use dashboard will automate your orders and give you access to the cheapest parcel delivery in the UK.

Smart Send will help you streamline your business with these key features:

• Free to use

• Access our cheapest delivery rates

• Choose from hundreds of top courier services

• Manage all your deliveries on one platform

• Give your customers accurate delivery estimates

• Save time by creating single or batch labels

• Multiple marketplace integrations

Book a demo today and find out why our customers love using Smart Send.