The useful question is not which carrier is best, it is which carrier is best for this parcel to this address. The answer changes with weight, destination and how much a delay costs.
Where the postal network tends to fit
- Small, light, low-value parcels where the cost of the label matters more than the transit time.
- Rural and remote addresses, where the postal network reaches places couriers surcharge heavily or hand off anyway.
- PO boxes, which couriers generally cannot deliver to.
- Cross-border parcels where a fixed postal handling fee is preferable to variable courier brokerage.
Where a courier tends to fit
- Heavier or bulky parcels, where postal size limits bite first.
- Time-sensitive shipments with a committed delivery window.
- Anything needing detailed scan visibility or a signature trail.
- Business-to-business deliveries to commercial addresses during working hours.
The costs people forget
Compare the total, not the headline rate. Fuel surcharges, residential surcharges, extended-area surcharges, address-correction fees, brokerage on imports and signature options all land on the final invoice. A cheaper base rate with three surcharges is not cheaper.
Service performance varies by region and season. Check current disruptions before committing to a deadline.