For the vast majority of ecommerce businesses, China has been central stage when it comes to sourcing. And for those adopting a dropship model, the word on everyone’s mind is “ePacket.”
But, what exactly is ePacket?
ePacket (or EUB) is an affordable postal shipping service for light packages offered by third-party logistics providers (or 3PLS) in China and Hong Kong.
Before ePacket, the only affordable shipping option for consumer products was China EMS (Express Mail Service). Sourcing consumer products from China, therefore, meant a delivery time of one month at the very least. Any other faster shipping option was far too expensive, especially for cheaper consumer products.
To provide a faster affordable shipping option from China and Hong Kong to the United States that is also trackable, the United States Postal Service (USPS) signed an agreement with eBay China and Hongkong Post in 2011 allowing packages from China and Hong Kong to receive USPS First Class Service, as well as delivery confirmation service.
Since then, ePacket has expanded to around 30 countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom.
What countries have ePacket shipping?
| Australia | France | Italy | Norway | Sweden |
| Austria | Germany | Luxembourg | Poland | Switzerland |
| Belgium | Hong Kong | Malaysia | Portugal | Turkey |
| Canada | Hungary | Mexico | Russia | Ukraine |
| Denmark | Ireland | The Netherlands | Saudi Arabia | United Kingdom |
| Finland | Israel | New Zealand | Singapore | United States |
What are the requirements for shipping by ePacket?
A. Size Restriction
Max. Size a+b+c <= 90cm, Any 1 side <= 60cm |
Max. Size a <= 90CM b x 2 <=104 cm |
B. Weight Restriction
Each package cannot exceed 2 kg (4.4 lbs) to qualify for ePacket delivery.
C. Value Restriction
The merchandise value of each package cannot exceed USD 400.
What is ePacket’s delivery time?
Lead time (the sum of all processing time, transit time and time spent as inventory) varies depending on the destination of the package and holidays.
In general, the lead time for ePacket is 7-10 business days.
During Peak Season (November to January) and other holidays with high volumes of ecommerce sales, the official lead time is extended to 10-14 business days. Since ePacket is a postal service, however, delays in delivery and tracking information updates are very common during these periods.
How do I track my ePacket package?
Head to 17track.net and simply input the relevant tracking number to find out where your ePacket package is.
Ready to ship by ePacket?
Get started by emailing enquiry@zhenhub.com for a quote.