Comparison
A detailed side-by-side of Corp-Merch and a standard shipping carrier — DHL, FedEx, UPS, PPL, Zasilkovna. The differences in services, pricing, tracking, and multi-address delivery explain why a merch specialist with built-in logistics is rarely the same thing as a courier.
The comparison of Corp-Merch against a shipping carrier spans four areas, taken together they show the gap between a merch specialist with its own logistics operation and a pure transporter.
Corp-Merch — full fulfillment: sourcing, production, quality control, warehousing, packing, order assembly, and delivery. A single contact point covers the entire process.
Shipping carrier — transport from point A to point B only. No sourcing, production, packing, or order assembly. The client has to arrange everything else separately.
Corp-Merch — pricing covers sourcing, production, packing (cartons with paper fill, labels, documentation), and delivery. The full cost shows up on a single invoice.
Shipping carrier — pricing covers transport only (weight × distance × service). Packing, labels, and documentation are the client's responsibility — either handled in-house or sourced from another supplier.
Corp-Merch — internal tracking system with reference numbers for every shipment, recipient notifications, and coordination with the underlying carriers. When something goes wrong, Corp-Merch handles the carrier, the client, and the recipient actively.
Shipping carrier — basic tracking via web or app. Recipient notifications are standard. When something goes wrong, the carrier typically only reports status passively.
Corp-Merch — one order, delivered to five to 200+ addresses across the Czech Republic and the EU. Each address carries its own packing slip, invoice, and labelling. Shipments are consolidated by carrier and route-optimised.
Shipping carrier — typically one address per shipment. For multi-address deliveries, the client has to create a separate shipment for each destination.
Production and logistics is where Corp-Merch and a shipping carrier differ most fundamentally. Corp-Merch delivers full fulfillment — sourcing, production, packing, and delivery under one roof. A shipping carrier delivers transportation only.
Corp-Merch owns the entire logistics chain: intake from the supplier, quality control, warehousing, order assembly (packing, labels, documentation), handoff to the carrier, shipment tracking, and active issue resolution. The client gets a single invoice and a single contact for the whole process.
A shipping carrier (DHL, FedEx, UPS, PPL, Zasilkovna) provides transport from point A to point B only. Packing, labels, documentation, and order assembly are the client's responsibility. That means more contact points, more invoices, and more coordination overhead for the client.
For international shipments (inside and outside the EU), Corp-Merch has in-house experience with customs clearance, VAT reverse charge, and English-language documentation. A shipping carrier handles customs clearance, but VAT reverse charge and the supporting documentation still sit with the client.
Planning a Corp-Merch program and planning work with a shipping carrier look very different. Corp-Merch allocates a dedicated project manager to every order, coordinating every phase. A shipping carrier typically exposes an API for creating shipments and otherwise stays out of the workflow.
Corp-Merch — four planning phases: (1) brief and approval (three to seven days), (2) supplier selection and samples (five to ten days), (3) serial production (10 to 25 days), (4) quality control, packing, and logistics (three to seven days). Total: 21 to 49 days.
Shipping carrier — single planning phase: creating the shipment and handing it to the carrier (one day). Delivery per the carrier's standard (one to five days). Total: two to six days.
Corp-Merch planning runs longer because the service mix is broader, but it covers the program end to end. Carrier planning is shorter, but only because the carrier is doing one narrow thing.
How success is measured at Corp-Merch and at a shipping carrier is fundamentally different. Corp-Merch reports on a full set of KPIs across sourcing, production, logistics, and client satisfaction. A shipping carrier reports on a narrower set — delivery speed and damage rate.
Corp-Merch — full KPI set: schedule adherence 92%, AQL 1.0 to 2.5 on incoming inspection, client satisfaction 88%, retention 87%, quote-to-order conversion 42%, claims rate 1.2%, damage rate 0.32%.
Shipping carrier — narrow KPI set: schedule adherence 94% (carriers run tight delivery ops), damage rate 0.5 to 2% (varies by carrier), delivery satisfaction 85%, but the client has no consolidated view of the broader process.
When choosing a provider, the key question is whether you only need transport — a courier will do — or whether you need a full fulfillment chain for a B2B merch program. For B2B merch, Corp-Merch is usually the better fit.
A shipping carrier makes sense for simple transport — documents or parcels that need no value-added services. For B2B merch fulfillment (sourcing, production, packing, delivery), Corp-Merch is the better fit.
A shipping carrier charges for transport only — typically CZK 80 to 250 per parcel, depending on weight and distance. Corp-Merch prices cover sourcing, production, packing, and delivery on a single invoice. For larger programs the Corp-Merch price is usually clearer to read.
Corp-Merch works with a broad range of carriers: Ceska Posta (Balik do ruky / Balik na postu), PPL, Zasilkovna, GLS Czech Republic, DHL Czech Republic, DPD Czech Republic, UPS Czech Republic, and FedEx. Carrier choice depends on parcel size, transit time, and cost. International shipments typically run via DHL Express or UPS Express.
Yes — Corp-Merch can handle transport without the merch package, for clients who already have products and only need fulfillment and delivery. Pricing is calculated separately for that scenario.
The comparison between Corp-Merch and a shipping carrier is based on real Corp-Merch client experience and on publicly available information from the carriers themselves. Specific terms (pricing, services, availability) vary from one carrier to another. For an exact comparison tailored to a specific shipment profile, contact Corp-Merch.
A shipping carrier can be the right choice in some narrow cases — for example, simple document or parcel transport with no value-added services. For comprehensive B2B merch fulfillment, Corp-Merch is usually the better fit.
The figures cited (prices, KPIs) are average values and may differ across individual providers. For an exact comparison, we recommend a consultation with Corp-Merch.
This comparison page does not provide specific pricing as a universal guarantee. Final pricing depends on the brief, the product mix, and the timeline. For a precise quote, contact Corp-Merch.
Want a closer look at how the two options compare for your case? Get in touch — we reply within 24 hours on business days.
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