The Most Expensive Shipping Mistake You Didn’t Know You Were Making
When it comes to getting your goods to your customer, it’s easy to assume that faster means better. So the instinct is often to play it safe: choose the premium service, pay extra, and move on.
But here’s the truth most shippers don’t realize:
You’re often paying for speed that a lower-tier service could’ve delivered anyway.
That well-intentioned decision? It might be one of the most expensive mistakes in your shipping strategy.
The Premium Service Myth
It makes sense in theory: air services are designed to deliver faster, and you’re willing to invest in customer experience. But in practice, those premium services:
- Can often arrive no faster than standard ground
- Don’t always reflect lane-by-lane performance
- Add up fast, especially when chosen by default
So why pay significantly more for the same result?
How Does This Happen?
When shippers rely on broad averages from outdated reports—or internal habits that no one’s revisited in months (or years)—it’s nearly impossible to know when a premium service is truly worth it...or when it’s simply a well-packaged waste of money.
The High Cost of Playing It Safe
Over time, these small decisions snowball:
- You're overspending on Air when Ground would do
- You’re missing refund opportunities when delivery speed underperforms
- You’re creating unnecessary margin pressure without realizing it
And worst of all? Your customers may not even notice the difference.
How to Fix It (Without More Work)
One word: Catalyst.
Catalyst analyzes your actual parcel performance data and delivers insights to optimize every shipment. It gives you clear, data-backed insight into where to switch services— and where you can save, without compromising experience.
Try Catalyst for free
....and find out how much your "safe" shipping choices are really costing.
