How to choose the right courier broker

Successful fulfilment determines if your customers will shop with you again.

A report from Ipsos found that 85% of online shoppers won’t order from an ecommerce store again after having a poor delivery experience.

It means choosing the right shipping courier is vital for business owners. But should you negotiate directly with a carrier to secure the best rates or utilise a courier broker who has done all the hard work for you?

In this article, you’ll learn about the pros and cons of both these options and how you can make an informed decision about the right solution for your business.

Here’s what you need to know.

Functions and Role of Parcel Brokers

Parcel brokers are intermediaries between customers and courier service providers. They’re not just freight forwarders. They offer a range of tools and functions aimed at optimising shipping experiences. Carrier brokers also give customers access to several delivery options domestically and internationally.

The primary function of parcel brokers is negotiating shipping rates with multiple courier providers. They secure competitive prices across a wide array of delivery options on your behalf.

There are different types of parcel brokers. Some of the most common include:

• Comparison websites: Offers customers the ability to evaluate different shipping options and rates across various courier providers.
• Automatic best-price selectors: Streamlines the fulfilment process and automatically identifies the most cost-effective shipping options for customers.
• Quality control systems: Ensures the reliability and performance of selected courier services to maintain high delivery standards.

Functions and Role of Courier Companies

If you’ve ever shipped a parcel, you would be familiar with courier companies. There are dozens within Australia, including StarTrack, TNT, and CouriersPlease, to name a few. Each has a website where you can place an order directly.

You can also contact them directly to negotiate exclusive rates. Some of the conditions that can influence the price are your volumes and frequency of shipping items. You’ll need to get an agreement in writing and ensure you meet the contract's requirements.

Considerations for Choosing Between Parcel Brokers and Courier Companies

The size of your business can determine whether a parcel broker or courier company is right for you. For small and medium-sized ecommerce stores, a carrier aggregator is the best option. You won’t need to dedicate people to negotiate with carriers or manage the relationship. Plus, your business gains many time-saving fulfilment tools.

But for a corporate enterprise, you can utilise procurement teams and specialists to negotiate the best rates.

These are some other considerations to help you make the right choice for your business.

Benefits of Parcel Brokers to Courier Companies

There are several advantages to opting for parcel brokers over courier companies. Some of them include:

• Access to multiple couriers: One of the core features of a delivery broker is bringing several carriers under one roof. It simplifies the process for ecommerce businesses by enabling effortless comparisons of shipping rates and services.
• Real-time tracking: Courier aggregators offer reliable real-time order tracking, providing sellers with direct oversight of their orders and allowing buyers to monitor the delivery process.
• Seamless integration: Connecting ecommerce platforms and marketplaces directly with a shipping broker simplifies order fulfilment and speeds up the process.
• Return management: Some freight brokers facilitate uncomplicated return requests, offering flexibility in partner choices and direct submissions.
• Extensive coverage: With various courier partners, businesses can offer nationwide delivery and explore international markets.
• Enhanced Business Insights: Alongside courier services, several aggregator platforms provide detailed analytics about pickups and deliveries. These insights assist businesses in monitoring their progress and making informed decisions.

Why Interparcel is the Best Parcel Broker for Ecommerce Businesses

Finding success in ecommerce can be challenging for multiple reasons. For example, the rising costs of shipping products and the impact of negative customer feedback due to a poor post-purchase experience. But having access to a reliable fulfilment partner can sometimes be all the support you need.

Interparcel offers a range of solutions to overcome these obstacles that set it apart from other courier brokers. Here are just a few examples.

Affordability and Flexibility

Managing high shipping costs, in addition to budgeting for expensive third-party platforms, isn’t easy. Neither is finding cost-effective solutions and negotiating competitive courier rates.

Interparcel solves this issue by offering exclusive parcel delivery rates without lock-in contracts or subscription fees. It’s free to sign up and access all our fulfilment tools.

Efficient Order Management

Trying to manage orders across multiple platforms can be a nightmare. It often involves fulfilling them one by one, which is time-consuming, especially if you’re constantly shopping for the best price.

Interparcel offers one-click integration with multiple ecommerce platforms and marketplaces. You can import all your orders into a single-view dashboard and fulfil them in minutes using your preferred courier providers.

Strategic Shipping Expertise

If you’re new to the ecommerce landscape, it can be overwhelming to create a fulfilment strategy from scratch. You can turn to YouTube or TikTok for tips and tricks. However, it’s often best to get first-hand advice that’s personalised for your unique business.

Our team of shipping solution experts offer tailored support to build and fine-tune your fulfilment strategies. We take the time to get to know your business and work with you on how to make shipping fast, cost-effective and straightforward.

Optimised Post-Purchase Experience

A negative customer review can be devastating for up-and-coming ecommerce businesses. It’s even worse if it’s due to an issue within your control, such as fulfilment. Trustpilot found that 53% of customers read positive and negative reviews before they purchase an item.

Interparcel doesn’t just support you in finding the best parcel delivery rates. We also help you until the package is in your customer’s hands. Our tools enable shoppers to track their parcel throughout the entire journey and provide alerts if there are any delays.

Top-Quality Courier Matching

Shopping around for the best rate is something all businesses should be doing to save money on fulfilment. However, this task shouldn’t take all day. Plus, it’s time-consuming when you have to process hundreds of orders.

When you import all your orders into our Shipping Manager, you can compare rates from Australia’s largest selection of courier providers. Simply choose the service you want, hit add to cart and process the order.

Responsive Customer Support

If a customer wants you to track down their parcel, you will need to phone the carrier and listen to their hold music until someone can assist you. But if you have multiple people wanting updates, this task can take all day.

Our customer support team has direct access to courier companies. If your shoppers have an issue with their delivery, we can investigate and get back to you swiftly with an update.

How to Get Started

Locating the right courier service shouldn’t be hard. While negotiating exclusive rates benefits corporate enterprises, it’s not always the best solution for small to medium ecommerce businesses.

A courier broker provides a streamlined approach that allows you to effortlessly compare prices from multiple carriers and fulfil orders in minutes. You also gain user-friendly tools that deliver exceptional post-purchase experiences for your customers.

You don’t need to overhaul your budget to utilise Interparcel’s suite of shipping solutions. It’s free for everyone. Sign up and get started today!