The courier is the part of the e-shop customers remember most. A parcel that is late or gets lost costs you a bad review. Most sellers in Greece end up combining two options.
BoxNow: lockers
BoxNow is a Greek parcel locker network. The customer collects from an automated locker near home or work, whenever they like. It is usually one of the cheapest options and a favourite for small parcels. It suits clothing, cosmetics, accessories and generally anything that fits in a locker compartment.
The e-shop checkout needs a map or list for choosing a locker, so the customer can pick a location.
ACS: the large network
ACS is one of Greece's biggest courier companies, with a large network of branches across the country, reliable cash on delivery and door-to-door delivery. A good choice as the main courier for most e-shops, especially when many customers pay cash on delivery.
ELTA Courier: everywhere, including the islands
ELTA Courier, the courier arm of the Hellenic Post, reaches almost every part of the country, including small islands and villages. Useful as a second option for hard-to-reach areas.
Geniki Taxydromiki and others
There are other companies, such as Geniki Taxydromiki, with competitive prices, especially on a contract. It is worth asking two or three for quotes.
What to check before you choose
- Contract: contract rates are much lower than over-the-counter prices.
- Cash on delivery: how much it costs and how quickly the money is paid back to you.
- Pickup from your premises: do they come by every day, or do you have to drop parcels off yourself?
- Weight and dimensions of your parcels.
- Integration with the e-shop: does it create vouchers and tracking automatically?
Integration with WooCommerce
With the right integration, each order creates a shipping voucher in one click, the customer automatically gets an email with the tracking number, and the order closes by itself once delivered. Shipping costs are calculated by weight, area or order value, and you can set free shipping above a certain amount.
Our recommendation
For most e-shops: BoxNow for small parcels and a classic courier (ACS or ELTA) for door-to-door delivery, cash on delivery and the islands. In the e-shops we build, couriers are connected from day one. See also how much an e-shop costs.
