What are Cainiao shipments on AliExpress and how to track them?

By being a regular AliExpress shopper, you’ve probably noticed that on multiple occasions, shipping methods appear with the word Cainiao on them.

What is Cainiao?

Well, it turns out that Cainiao Global is a company created in 2013 by the Alibaba group (to which AliExpress belongs) to manage its own shipments. The direct consequence of its creation resulted in benefits for you and other buyers, since in some orders you’ll be able to pay much less for shipping.

We clarify that it applies to “some orders” because there are different types of shipments through Cainiao. Naturally, some are better than others.

Therefore, we’ll explain below which one you should choose according to the characteristics of your order.

Cainiao and its shipping types

On AliExpress there are four main types of shipping through Cainiao:

Cainiao Standard for Special Goods

It has tracking and packages are received between 43 and 68 days. These shipments are certified, so they’re usually paid separately, in addition to being used in high-cost shipments. This means that you can follow the path of your order at all times.

It’s one of the most used options in some countries, more specifically in those items with a lot of value that come from China and can’t suffer the risk of getting lost.

Although deliveries usually take less than the 43-68 days it claims to take, it’s inevitable to recognize that it remains the worst option with respect to the classic AliExpress Standard Shipping, which usually arrives much earlier.

You can find more information in our article on Cainiao Standard for Special Goods.

Cainiao Super Economy for Special Goods

It has no tracking, its deliveries are between 30 and 50 days. They’re classified as ordinary shipments and are used for low-value shipments.

This would be the most similar option to AliExpress Saver Shipping, which is low-cost ordinary shipping (that you can’t track).

In this case, it happens that the seller takes care of the cost, which means that you get it for free. This is the best option for low-cost orders that don’t need to arrive in such a hurry.

You can find more information in our article on Cainiao Super Economy for Special Goods.

Cainiao Warehouse Standard Shipping

It has tracking and deliveries are from 7 days if they’re in a European warehouse. It can be said that this is some kind of fast shipping, thanks to the many warehouses that Cainiao has on the European continent.

You can find more information in our article about Cainiao Warehouse Standard Shipping.

Cainiao Expedited Economy

This type of shipping is untracked, parcels are received within 30 to 50 days, but, if it’s a combined shipment, it can take 15 to 20 days. This type of shipment is similar to the Super Economy, the difference is that the Expedited Economy allows orders to be combined, so they’re delivered in less time.

It’s an ordinary shipment like the Cainiao Super Economy. The only difference is that it allows the combination of orders.

You can find more information in our article on Cainiao Expedited Economy.

How can I track my shipments?

Four types of shipping have been mentioned so far, where only the Cainiao Standard for Special Goods and Cainiao Warehouse Standard Shipping are certified. This allows you to get information during the entire journey of your order.

The way you’ll be able to track these orders is by entering the tracking number on one of the free websites that you can learn about in our tracking article.

For those ordinary orders, such as Super Economy and Expedited, it’s necessary to mention that they’ll provide a tracking number. However, this tracking number will only provide you with information about the order’s route within China. From the moment it leaves China, you won’t know where it is until it arrives home.