Some Chinese express companies will increase their delivery fees beginning June 1, a move that will not directly affect consumers.
YTO, STO, ZTO, Yunda and Best have all published notices on 56ec.org.cn, an e-commerce logistics service portal, asking outlets to increase delivery fees by 0.15 yuan (US.02) per ticket from previous levels. The news was first reported last Friday in the Beijing Times.
Since the media and social media accounts said the delivery fees would be raised, public concern was aroused. Readers often mistake delivery fees for shipping rates.
Delivery fees refer to the income a courier gets from collecting or delivering mail or parcels, according to industry experts.
This price adjustment will increase delivery fees. No increases have yet been announced for consumer fees. The shipping rates remain the same as before.
Delivery couriers are currently paid 1 to 1.5 yuan for each delivery. A courier working at an STO branch in Guangzhou said he hands out about 100 parcels per day. After the adjustment, he may gain an extra 15 yuan or so per day. How many delivery fees each courier can get turns out to be decided by each delivery branch.
Employees at YTO, STO and Yunda said delivery fees would be hiked, but no details or timetable had been given.
All the express companies assessing the higher fee operate on a franchise model, saying the move was aimed at increasing the salaries of couriers, improving delivery service quality and preventing cutthroat competition, according to the Beijing Times.
SF Express, an industry leader that sticks to a company-owned model, will not join the price hike, it said.
