Shipping to France from the USA
Shipping to France from the US doesn’t have to be a hassle. Leading carriers offer different services and packages, and there is no clear ‘best’ out of the lot. You should vet each carrier and find one that’s best suited for your specific shipping needs.
When choosing a shipment carrier, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ option out there; carriers have several similar services but they also have distinguished offerings. If you’re looking to ship to France, it’s important to vet each carrier’s cost structure, policies, and services offering to choose the right one for your needs.
To help you choose the best shipping carrier, we’ve compared leading carriers’ offers for shipping from the US to France.
Shipping to France: USPS vs. UPS. vs. FedEx vs. DHL
When evaluating the different couriers, keep in mind that the cheaper option might not always be the best option; if your budget has room to maneuver, then you should take the quality and stability of the service into account as well as the speed.
You should also check what special services the courier has to offer and the impact that it could have on both your company and your clients.
Every one of the couriers will try to make sure that your packages make it to the destination within the shortest time frame possible. But the pricing differs depending on the size, weight, time of day, and even destination of the packages.
Before we move on, it might interest you to note that the USPS offer flat rates to ship from the US to France. The other prices have been calculated using the respective carrier’s pricing calculators for a 3kg package in March 2022. These prices are subject to change, so don’t focus on the number and whether it fits into your budget just yet.
To get an exact quote, it’s best if you contact the courier of your choice within the next few business days.
| Service | Cost | Delivery Time | |
| USPS | Priority Mail Express International | $40.95 | 3-5 business days |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | $32.60 | 6-10 business days |
| USPS | First-Class International Service | $44.95 | 11-20 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Expedited | $37 | 2-5 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Saver | $32 | 6-10 business days |
| FedEx | International Priority | $45.47 | 3-5 business days |
| FedEx | International Economy | $40.23 | 6-10 business days |
| DHL | International Express | $38.94 | 3-6 business days |
USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is responsible for providing postal service in the USA. Though this independent government agency also offers international shipping options. When the parcel arrives in France and is processed through customs, it’ll usually be given to La Poste, the French postal service. They will deliver your package to the destination within France.
USPS pros
As an established courier service in the US, USPS has a large network of offices and drop-off points in the country. This makes it an attractive option for e-commerce brands looking to reach customer bases in different areas. They also have a Click-N-Ship service, which will make the process more efficient, especially if your company is just starting out and needs to get used to the shipment process.
The pricing for its services is relatively good, and it offers free packaging as well as flat shipping options. This makes it a good choice for a company that wants to keep the shipment costs of its items low. Some of their shipping options also offer a money-back guarantee for date-certain delivery. This option is applicable to the Priority Mail Express International service.
USPS cons
While USPS is known for its reliability, clients do have concerns about its less-than-accurate tracking information. This may have a negative impact on your own customers, who could become frustrated with the delivery process. Once the package is transferred to La Poste, the tracking information doesn’t get updated anymore.
So, you will have to consider your clients and their expectations when deciding whether to use USPS to ship your packages from the United States to France.
FedEx
The Federal Express (FedEx) is a US multinational company, which focuses on transportation, ecommerce, and services.
FedEx pros
They specialize in global air express freight and generally speaking (as it’ll depend on the options that you choose), FedEx is cheaper than UPS.
The company has experience in handling a variety of different goods, including fragile items, for international shipments. They also offer a premium service where they will handle and ship controlled or dangerous goods. They will also ensure that shipment of perishables or temperature-sensitive items to the destination country takes place under climate-controlled conditions.
If speed is an issue; then they have the FedEx International Next Flight shipping service or the FedEx International Priority Freight and FedEx International Economy Freight, which ships your customers’ purchases in 1-5 days.
Their International Shipping Assist tool aids you in the international shipping process with a variety of services including the ability to save the Harmonized System codes, to reuse at a later date, and access to any important shipping-related information.
FedEx cons
FedEx charges a pickup fee. They also only offer flat-rate service to clients who are interested in domestic shipping while USPS offers this perk to those who are looking to send parcels to another country.
The premium services that FedEx has to offer will unsurprisingly come at a cost. So you have to consider whether the cost is worth it. When doing so, consider the types of goods and items that your customers order, as well as the speed at which they will expect their packages to arrive from the US.
UPS
The United Parcel Service (UPS) is one of the largest international shipping couriers, based in the USA.
UPS pros
If you are shipping smaller parcels then UPS services are generally faster than USPS. They are known for the quality of their services, with an international network that is larger than the one that FedEx has developed. UPS also offers a variety of value-added services, though they will vary depending on the country.
So we’d advise you to contact them directly if this is something that catches your interest. In general, these services may include delivery notifications or special handling of your packages.
UPS cons
If you are sending small packages then the UPS shipping services will be more expensive, when compared to the delivery rates that USPS has to offer. On the flip side, if you are shipping larger packages then UPS shipment rates are lower than USPS.
This may be in part due to the difference in their flat-rate services- USPS offers smaller packaging options (and bases their rates on the dimensions of the parcel) while UPS offers flat rate shipping options on 10 KG and 25 KG boxes.
DHL
DHL is a well-known courier, package delivery, and mail service. It’s also the only courier on this list that isn’t based in the US! The company hails from Germany, and functions as a division of the German logistics firm Deutsche Post. Their international shipping services include land and sea delivery.
DHL pros
DHL has a good international customer support service. This service includes a wide range of cross-border international shipping services, door to door delivery, flexible pick-up times with electronic invoicing options, and a variety of online shipping tools. DHL also has an online portal for customers, and a live support option, which allows them to manage their shipments with ease.
What e-commerce companies may find interesting is that DHL keeps both the companies and their clients in mind when designing their surfaces, particularly for packages that are being shipped to Europe (or in this case, France). They have a Parcel Connext delivery and return service, which will help to reduce the complications that can come with shipping packages to Europe.
This service includes a single label, which will give you access to 28 different countries, and an IT system that will track your customer data across the DHL network. They are also willing to personalize the service, based on your company’s needs.
DHL cons
The fact that they will have a few extra surcharges can be a disadvantage for some. An example of this would be the extra fee that they will charge for Saturday delivery.
Ship to France with ShippingTree
Looking to ship to France from the USA? ShippingTree can help you out.
Done for you fulfillment
ShippingTree offers done for you fulfillment services – we’ll manage your entire fulfillment process from initially receiving inventory to shipping orders and managing reverse logistics.
Reduced shipping costs
ShippingTree has a network of strategically positioned distribution centers and a team of fulfillment experts. Thanks to our in-house experience and strategic infrastructure, we can help you scale your operations while reducing shipping costs. Thanks to our partnerships with carriers, we can ship your products at a discounted rate.
Ecommerce integrations
ShippingTree is a tech-enabled 3PL provider, so our systems integrate seamlessly with your ecommerce store and all major platforms. This helps us streamline your ecommerce fulfillment, optimizing key processes such as inventory management.
FAQs about shipping to France from the USA
We answered some of the most frequently asked questions to help you understand more about shipping from France to the US.
Is USPS the cheapest way to ship from the US to France?
The USPS flat rate shipping option could potentially be the cheapest way to ship your parcels from the United States to France. But the exact cost of the shipment depends on the size of the items as their rates differ depending on the size of the box that you choose (Small, Medium, Large).
How much does it cost to ship from the US to France?
The exact cost will vary on the parcel that you are shipping and the items that it contains. This is true no matter the carrier that you choose to use, as they will have a number of options with varying rates. For an exact quote, contact the carrier directly.
But as you consider the cost, keep in mind that the shipped parcels will be taxed and have duties levied against them. As a member of the EU, France has a minimum threshold on duties and taxes, and they will not charge you for either if the package’s value is below 22€.
What’s the cheapest way to send a parcel to France?
The answer isn’t a simple this or that. It depends on the speed of the shipment, as well as the parcel’s specifications (type, dimensions, size, weight, etc). Generally speaking, you could consider UPS and their flat-rate fee for larger parcels (10kg or 25kg). But if the package is smaller, then USPS and their flat-rate fee may work out better.
Does UPS ship to France?
Yes, it does. UPS actually has a number of Access Point locations across France, which makes it an attractive option for customers as they can pick up their goods from the drop-off location that’s closest to them. Just make sure that the items you are sending aren’t on the list of prohibited items.
Conclusion
We hope you now have a better understanding of the different types of carriers and their offerings for shipping from the US to France.
And if you need help with shipping internationally, you can always contact us.
