usps ships to over 180 countries around the world and has a longstanding reputation for being one of the most cost effective options for international shipping.
does usps ship to india? how much does it cost and is it really reliable?
does usps ship to india in 2022?
usps has three services that ship to india. guaranteed global express is the most expensive and fastest service. priority mail express international is a great middle-of-the-road option that is less expensive than global express guaranteed but faster than the cheaper option, priority mail international. USPS is reliable in terms of getting your package to its final destination, but it must pass through two customs clearance gates, which can significantly slow down delivery time.
If you’re considering using USPS to ship your next package to India, be sure to read on for a side-by-side comparison of the shipping service and some helpful information to save you time, money, and stress.
how much does it cost to ship with usps to india?
usps is a federally owned and operated organization, which means your shipping costs vary based on each package’s weight, dimensions, and distance traveled.
We already have our distance variable, which is from the US to India, so if we assume you’re shipping an average sized package weighing 5lbs, we can start to see some estimated price points. form.
global express guaranteed is the most expensive shipping service, costing around $150 to send a 5 pound package to india from the united states.
global express guaranteed is also the fastest option, however, with a guaranteed delivery time of 1-3 days backed by a money-back guarantee.
priority mail express international is a slightly cheaper option, with shipping costs for the same package around $95.
priority mail express international is also an excellent intermediate option for delivery times, with delivery times of 3-5 business days, although this is not guaranteed.
priority mail international is the cheapest shipping service offered by usps for shipments to india, costing less than half the cost of global express guaranteed, $73.
opting for a cheaper price with international priority mail implies a sacrifice in terms of speed, however, with a delivery window of between 6 and 10 business days with no real guarantee on delivery time.
It is important to note that these prices are rough estimates intended to provide you with a frame of reference for each service; they are not fixed prices.
If you’re interested in seeing a more accurate price estimate to suit your specific shipping needs, you can use the price calculator on the USPS website here.
is shipping with usps to india reliable?
The answer to this question depends on what exactly you mean by reliable!
if by reliable you mean that your package will actually arrive at its destination in one piece, then yes, usps is absolutely reliable for shipping to india.
However, if we talk in terms of speed and estimated delivery times, things get a bit more confusing.
Shipping to India, in general, is a bit different than shipping to most countries as your package has to go through two different customs clearance doors instead of one.
the first customs clearance gate is at heathrow, uk, and it can take anywhere from 7-22 days to clear a package.
The second customs clearance gate your package needs to clear is in India, which usually takes 4-14 days.
so even if your delivery window for International Priority Mail is 6-10 days, it could take up to 35 days for your package to reach its destination.
how do i track my usps package in india?
tracking international packages with usps can be difficult as your package changes hands many times.
Once your package arrives in another country, USPS releases custody of the package to that country, which means USPS workers no longer scan your package to update the tracking system.
however, this does not mean that it is completely in the dark.
once your package lands in india, india post takes custody of the package and usually creates a separate tracking number that they connect to your usps tracking number, allowing you to proceed tracking your package.
To track your package in India, you can visit this page of the speed post tracking india website and use the drop down menu to select “usps tracking”.
Next, type in your usps tracking number and the website should fill in any available information about the package so you can track the journey.
if the information is not filled in, please double check that you have the correct tracking number by looking at your usps receipt or confirmation email.
if you do and there is still no information available about your package, you better be patient!
customs can take quite a while especially when there are two different customs gates so it could be that your parcel has not arrived in india yet.
If you want more information, you can also see our posts on whether or not USPS ships to France, whether USPS ships to Hong Kong, and whether USPS ships to China.
conclusion
USPS ships to India and offers three shipping services: Global Express Guaranteed, International Express Priority Mail, and International Priority Mail.
global express guaranteed is the most expensive shipping service, but it is also the fastest and the only option that offers guaranteed delivery times and a money back guarantee.
priority mail international is the cheapest shipping service available, however it takes the longest and is most likely to be held for more than 20 days.
usps packages en route to india pass through two customs clearance gates instead of one, which means delivery delays are more likely.