Choosing a shipping company for your online store in Egypt: comparison criteria

What types of shipping providers are available?

Names and offers change, so compare current offers yourself and do not rely on outdated listings.

• Egypt Post

  Wide reach covering remote areas.

• Last-mile delivery companies specializing in e-commerce

  They focus on online stores and provide dashboards and tracking.

• Regional and international companies

  Such as Aramex: suitable if you sell outside Egypt or need a wide network.

• Your own fleet

  Worth considering when there is a high volume of orders in a specific city.

Comparison criteria

Don't look at the shipping price alone. A company that is a few pounds cheaper but has a higher return rate may cost you more.

• Coverage

  Does it cover the governorates and areas your customers actually order from?

• Delivery success

  What is the first-attempt delivery rate? How many attempts before a return?

• Cash settlement

  After how many days are the collected amounts transferred to me? How do I verify them?

• Returns

  How much does a return cost? Is there an exchange service?

• Tracking

  Does it send automatic updates (Webhook), or do I follow up manually?

• API integration

  Is there a documented API to create shipments and print waybills?

• Pricing

  Is pricing by zone or by weight? What are the collection and return fees?

• Compensation

  What is the compensation policy for loss or damage?

• Pickup

  Do they pick up from your warehouse daily, and at what time?

Try before you sign

Split a small number of similar orders (say, 100 to 200 orders) between two or three companies over two weeks, and record the following indicators for each company. After the trial, you will not need opinions, because the numbers will show what is best for each area.

• First-attempt delivery rate

• Average delivery time by governorate

• Percentage of damaged or lost shipments

• Cash settlement days

• Quality of communication when problems arise

API integration: what should happen automatically?

When an order is confirmed in your store, the following should happen:

• The shipment is created with the shipping company via API, with no manual entry

• The waybill is printed and linked to the tracking number

• The order status in the store updates automatically (out for delivery, delivered, refused)

• The customer receives a tracking link via WhatsApp or SMS

• Collection reports are matched against expected orders

Use more than one company

Relying on one company exposes you to a standstill whenever it has a problem. Larger stores set routing rules: a specific company for each governorate, a fast company for urgent orders, or the cheapest for light orders. You start with manual rules, then turn them into automated routing inside the dashboard.

Customer experience after ordering

• Show an expected delivery date before payment

• Send an update at each stage instead of silence

• Clarify the return policy and who bears its cost

• Allow changing the address or time before the shipment leaves

Frequently asked questions

• Should I start with one company?

  Yes, when the store is starting out, but choose a company that offers an API so you don't have to rebuild later.

• Do I need an API integration, or is the manual dashboard enough?

  At a few dozen orders per day, the manual dashboard is enough, but beyond that, automatic integration saves time and reduces errors.

• How do I deal with lost shipments?

  Ask for a clear compensation clause in the contract, and keep shipping and delivery records to prove the case.