China Post Air Mail

What is a China Post air mail?

China Post air mail is a method of sending goods with China Post. It is most often used for deliveries which are urgent, and for small parcels, particularly eCommerce orders from marketplaces based in China such as Alibaba, BangGood and GearBest.
Each registered China Post air mail parcel will have a unique which can be used by anyone, such as buyers and sellers of eCommerce orders, to track their order. China Post air mail orders are often bound internationally from China, to destinations such as the US or Europe. Once the airmail has arrived, it is then usually delivered by a different logistics partners or courier. In the US, this could be USPS or FedEx and in Europe this is usually DHL or DPD, however other couriers may also be used, depending on the size and weight of your package and its final destination. (For instance, delivery in France or the UK may be done by either of their national postal services, La Poste or the Royal Mail.

Most of the time, the route and handlers of your parcel will be named before dispatch and you will be able to track them via the China Post website. However, this isn't the ideal and can make tracking a guessing game if you are not 100 percent sure who is handling your parcel as well as where and when. This is where Ship24 comes in.

Ship24 was created to solve these issues, providing true end-to-end tracking capability across couriers worldwide. It works by scanning more than 1000 carriers, logistics handlers, e-tailers, marketplaces and more simultaneously to find and retrieve the latest data on your China Post airmail parcel, no matter who it is being handled by at the time or during any part of its transit to the final destination.

What are the types of packages which travel via China Post air mail?

Typically, packages that travel via China Post air mail will be small parcels. Usually, they will be eCommerce orders. As China Post airmail orders are the fastest mode of delivery offered by the postal operator, this option is usually picked for overseas orders made on marketplaces. Relatively, it is also one of the cheapest mail delivery services from China compared to private competitors, which has meant the air mail service has continued to be used by merchants and e-tailers alike to send goods abroad.

As the demand for eCommerce goods from China continues to grow, the use of China Post airmail as a reliable, fast, and economic way of sending goods shows no sign of slowing down. All China Post airmail can be tracked using Ship24, either for free or through our business level airmail tracking API and webhook options.

How do I use the China Post air mail service?

You can use China Post air mail by heading to their website and purchasing it as an option on the next item you want to send through the postal service. However, as airmail is specifically designed for smaller parcels, you will need to check if your parcel falls under the maximum dimensions as set by the China Post. Furthermore, you should check which prohibited items cannot be flown through China Post air mail before purchasing the service to avoid your parcel being rejected or stuck at a processing center. Make sure you head to the China Post website to find the latest information about parcel weight and dimension limitations and a list of the prohibited items, such as explosives, firearms or organic materials.

China Post air mail customer services can be contacted on +86 11185 or +86 11183

What do China Post air mail notifications mean?

If you are unsure about what a China Post airmail notification means, then please contact the courier directly to get an answer. Ship24 works by delivering notifications provided by couriers that a China Post package is being handled by, and does not directly create notifications and therefore is unable to give an answer about the meaning of a notification.

What can affect China Post air mail delivery?

China Post air mail delivery is by far the fastest form of delivery when compared with land (rail and road) and sea, with the latter being the slowest. This makes China Post air mail delivery one of the more expensive transportation options offer by China Post. However, China Post airmail can still be subject to delays, which can happen when the following occurs:

• Problem with parcel dispatch: In order to make sure your parcel with able to be sent by China Post air mail, it must meet a certain number of requirements as far as size, weight, and contents. The accepted dimensions concerning the size and weight of a parcel can be found on the China Post website, however, if you are ordering a package from a marketplace then the seller should be in charge of making sure an item can be shipped before selling. Make sure to check that this is the case when purchasing products for air mail delivery. Secondly, there is also a list of prohibited items that cannot be sent via airmail. This includes explosives, some medical items and so on. The full list can also be found on the China Post website.
• Customs processing issue. Processing of your package will also happen in the country where your parcel lands will also check your parcel before it passes through its customs, ensuring it doesn't contain any prohibited goods and fits the accepted size. If you think the goods you are sending might be sensitive, check with the destination countries' accepted and prohibited items list before sending to ensure it is not seized by customs.
• Weather delays: International deliveries often make it on time, however unforeseen extreme weather can stop planes from taking off in rare circumstances. If you need a parcel delivering urgently, it is best to order it as soon as possible.
• Holidays: When ordering goods from China, it is best to order before Chinese New Year as many couriers scale back their operations and thus capacity during the period. Equally, the huge rise in demand for goods around Christmas in Europe and the US also sees carriers pushed to their limit, so it is best to order well in advance of these holiday periods to ensure your parcel arrives in time.