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href="#Before_the_industrial_era"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Before the industrial era</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Before_the_industrial_era-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Before the industrial era subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Before_the_industrial_era-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Hezekiah" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hezekiah"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Hezekiah</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hezekiah-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hemerodromi_and_Anabasii" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hemerodromi_and_Anabasii"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Hemerodromi and Anabasii</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hemerodromi_and_Anabasii-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Middle_Ages" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Middle_Ages"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Middle Ages</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Middle_Ages-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Types" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Types</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Types-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-By_country" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#By_country"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>By country</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-By_country-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle By country subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-By_country-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Australia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Australia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Australia</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Australia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-China" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#China"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>China</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-China-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-India" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#India"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.3</span> <span>India</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-India-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bangladesh" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bangladesh"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.4</span> <span>Bangladesh</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bangladesh-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Malaysia" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Malaysia"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.5</span> <span>Malaysia</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Malaysia-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ireland" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ireland"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.6</span> <span>Ireland</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ireland-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Singapore" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Singapore"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.7</span> <span>Singapore</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Singapore-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_Kingdom" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_Kingdom"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.8</span> <span>United Kingdom</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_Kingdom-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-United_States" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#United_States"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.9</span> <span>United States</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-United_States-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-In_fiction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#In_fiction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>In fiction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-In_fiction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" title="Table of Contents" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Courier</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 41 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-41" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">41 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koerier" title="Koerier – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Koerier" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AF_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9" title="خدمات البريد السريع – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="خدمات البريد السريع" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensaxeru" title="Mensaxeru – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Mensaxeru" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuryer" title="Kuryer – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Kuryer" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B8" title="কুরিয়ার সার্ভিস – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="কুরিয়ার সার্ভিস" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B5%D1%80" title="Куриер – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Куриер" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurir" title="Kurir – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Kurir" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missatger" title="Missatger – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Missatger" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kur%C3%BDrn%C3%AD_slu%C5%BEba" title="Kurýrní služba – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Kurýrní služba" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kur%C3%A9r" title="Kurér – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Kurér" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bote" title="Bote – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Bote" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A4skjalg" title="Käskjalg – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Käskjalg" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A4%CE%B1%CF%87%CF%85%CE%BC%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%81%CE%AD%CF%82" title="Ταχυμεταφορές – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Ταχυμεταφορές" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensajero" title="Mensajero – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Mensajero" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuriero" title="Kuriero – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Kuriero" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezulari" title="Mezulari – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Mezulari" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coursier_(m%C3%A9tier)" title="Coursier (métier) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Coursier (métier)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fy mw-list-item"><a href="https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koerier" title="Koerier – Western Frisian" lang="fy" hreflang="fy" data-title="Koerier" data-language-autonym="Frysk" data-language-local-name="Western Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Frysk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensaxeiro,_mensaxeira" title="Mensaxeiro, mensaxeira – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Mensaxeiro, mensaxeira" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%80%B5%EC%84%9C%EB%B9%84%EC%8A%A4" title="퀵서비스 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="퀵서비스" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4" title="दूत – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="दूत" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurir" title="Kurir – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Kurir" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corriere_espresso" title="Corriere espresso – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Corriere espresso" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%97" title="שליח – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="שליח" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nia mw-list-item"><a href="https://nia.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubala" title="Dubala – Nias" lang="nia" hreflang="nia" data-title="Dubala" data-language-autonym="Li Niha" data-language-local-name="Nias" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Li Niha</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurier" title="Kurier – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Kurier" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koerier" title="Koerier – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Koerier" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurer" title="Kurer – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Kurer" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurier_(transport)" title="Kurier (transport) – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Kurier (transport)" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cont%C3%ADnuo" title="Contínuo – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Contínuo" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%B5%D1%80" title="Курьер – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Курьер" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%80" title="Курир – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Курир" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurir" title="Kurir – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Kurir" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuriiri" title="Kuriiri – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Kuriiri" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurir" title="Kurir – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Kurir" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%82%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%88" title="விரைதூதர் சேவை – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="விரைதூதர் சேவை" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurye" title="Kurye – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Kurye" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D1%83%D1%80%27%D1%94%D1%80" title="Кур'єр – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Кур'єр" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%80%9F%E9%81%9E" title="速遞 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="速遞" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%80%9F%E9%81%9E" title="速遞 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="速遞" data-language-autonym="中文" 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src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/40px-Ambox_important.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/60px-Ambox_important.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/80px-Ambox_important.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="40" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span"><div class="multiple-issues-text mw-collapsible"><b>This article has multiple issues.</b> Please help <b><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Courier" title="Special:EditPage/Courier">improve it</a></b> or discuss these issues on the <b><a href="/wiki/Talk:Courier" title="Talk:Courier">talk page</a></b>. <small><i>(<a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove these messages</a>)</i></small> <div class="mw-collapsible-content"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Update plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Update" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg/42px-Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg.png" decoding="async" width="42" height="34" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg/63px-Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg/84px-Ambox_current_red_Americas.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="360" data-file-height="290" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article needs to be <b>updated</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">May 2016</span>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Lead_too_short plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-lead_too_short" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/40px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/60px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/Wiki_letter_w.svg/80px-Wiki_letter_w.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="44" data-file-height="44" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article's <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Lead_section#Length" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section">lead section</a> <b>may be too short to adequately <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Summary_style" title="Wikipedia:Summary style">summarize</a> the key points</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please consider expanding the lead to <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Lead_section#Provide_an_accessible_overview" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section">provide an accessible overview</a> of all important aspects of the article.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">May 2016</span>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> </div> </div><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg/290px-Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg" decoding="async" width="290" height="218" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg/435px-Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg/580px-Courier_serivce_men_arranging_packages_for_the_final_stage_home_delivery_in_Taipei.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4032" data-file-height="3024" /></a><figcaption>Courier in <a href="/wiki/Taipei" title="Taipei">Taipei</a>, Taiwan, organizing parcels for delivery</figcaption></figure> <p>A <b>courier</b> is a person or organization that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are government or state agency employees (for example: a <a href="/wiki/Diplomatic_courier" title="Diplomatic courier">diplomatic courier</a>). </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Duties_and_functions">Duties and functions</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Duties and functions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Couriers are distinguished from ordinary <a href="/wiki/Mail" title="Mail">mail</a> services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for most everyday mail services. As a premium service, couriers are usually more expensive than standard mail services, and their use is normally limited to packages where one or more of these features are considered important enough to warrant the cost. </p><p>Courier services operate on all scales, from within specific towns or cities, to regional, national and global services. Large courier companies include <a href="/wiki/DHL_Express" class="mw-redirect" title="DHL Express">DHL</a>, Pathao<a href="/wiki/DTDC" title="DTDC">DTDC</a>, <a href="/wiki/FedEx" title="FedEx">FedEx</a>, <a href="/wiki/EMS_International" class="mw-redirect" title="EMS International">EMS International</a>, <a href="/wiki/TNT_Express" title="TNT Express">TNT</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_Parcel_Service" title="United Parcel Service">UPS</a>, <a href="/wiki/India_Post" title="India Post">India Post</a>, <a href="/wiki/J%26T_Express" title="J&T Express">J&T Express</a> and <a href="/wiki/Aramex" title="Aramex">Aramex</a>. These offer services worldwide, typically via a <a href="/wiki/Hub_and_spoke" class="mw-redirect" title="Hub and spoke">hub and spoke</a> model. </p><p>Couriers services utilizing <a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier_software&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Courier software (page does not exist)">courier software</a> provide electronic <a href="/wiki/Proof_of_delivery" title="Proof of delivery">proof of delivery</a> and electronic tracking details. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Before_the_industrial_era">Before the industrial era</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Before the industrial era"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg/220px-Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="298" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg/330px-Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg/440px-Beato_courier_or_postman.jpg 2x" data-file-width="562" data-file-height="760" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Hikyaku" title="Hikyaku">hikyaku</a> (<i>courier or postman</i>), Japan, <a href="/wiki/Hand-colouring" class="mw-redirect" title="Hand-colouring">hand-coloured</a> albumen print by <a href="/wiki/Felice_Beato" title="Felice Beato">Felice Beato</a>, between 1863 and 1877</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg/220px-A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="325" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg/330px-A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg/440px-A_Ya-Yieh_or_Yamen_Runner.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2846" data-file-height="4199" /></a><figcaption>A Ya-Yieh or Yamen Runner in Western China, 1915</figcaption></figure> <p>In ancient history, messages were hand-delivered using a variety of methods, including <a href="/wiki/Runner_(soldier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Runner (soldier)">runners</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pigeon_post" title="Pigeon post">homing pigeons</a> and riders on horseback. Before the introduction of mechanized courier services, foot messengers physically ran miles to their destinations. <a href="/wiki/Xenophon" title="Xenophon">Xenophon</a> attributed the first use of couriers to the <a href="/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire" title="Achaemenid Empire">Persian</a> prince <a href="/wiki/Cyrus_the_Younger" title="Cyrus the Younger">Cyrus the Younger</a>. </p><p>Famously, the <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greece" title="Ancient Greece">Ancient Greek</a> courier <a href="/wiki/Pheidippides" title="Pheidippides">Pheidippides</a> is said to have run 26 miles from <a href="/wiki/Marathon,_Greece" title="Marathon, Greece">Marathon</a> to <a href="/wiki/Athens" title="Athens">Athens</a> to bring the news of the <a href="/wiki/Battle_of_Marathon" title="Battle of Marathon">Greek victory over the Persians</a> in 490 BCE. The long-distance race known as a <a href="/wiki/Marathon" title="Marathon">marathon</a> is named for this run. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hezekiah">Hezekiah</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Hezekiah"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Judah's king, Hezekiah, dates between 200 and 400 BCE, where several couriers brought letters throughout the land of Judah and Israel (cf. 2 Chron 30 ESV). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hemerodromi_and_Anabasii">Hemerodromi and Anabasii</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Hemerodromi and Anabasii"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Hemerodromoi" title="Hemerodromoi"><i>Hemerodromoi</i> (day-runners), <i>Hemeroscopoi</i> (day-watchers) and <i>Dromokerykes</i> (runner heralds)</a> were specialized couriers in ancient Greece renowned for their exceptional endurance. These trained runners were employed to carry important news, often conveying information about significant events across the Greek world. They also performed a form of surveillance. In times of danger, they were often stationed on elevated positions such as hills to observe important events or military movements.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Starting at the time of <a href="/wiki/Augustus" title="Augustus">Augustus</a>, the ancient Greeks and Romans made use of a class of horse and <a href="/wiki/Chariot" title="Chariot">chariot</a>-mounted couriers called <i>anabasii</i> to quickly bring messages and commands from long distances.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The word <i>anabasii</i> comes from the Greek <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CE%BD%CE%AC%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%B9%CF%82" class="extiw" title="wikt:ἀνάβασις">ἀνάβασις</a>(<i>anábasis</i>, "ascent, mounting").<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Roman_Britain" title="Roman Britain">Roman Britain</a>, <a href="/wiki/Tyrannius_Rufinus" title="Tyrannius Rufinus">Rufinus</a> made use of anabasii, as documented in <a href="/wiki/Jerome" title="Jerome">Saint Jerome</a>'s memoirs (<i>adv. Ruffinum</i>, l. 3. c. 1.): "Idcircone Cereales et Anabasii tui per diversas provincias cucurrerunt, ut laudes meas legerent?" ("Is it on that account that your Cereales and Anabasii circulated through many provinces, so that they might read my praises?") </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Middle_Ages">Middle Ages</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Middle Ages"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Ages" title="Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a>, royal courts maintained their own messengers who were paid little more than common labourers. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Types">Types</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Types"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In cities, there are often <a href="/wiki/Bicycle_messenger" title="Bicycle messenger">bicycle couriers</a> or <a href="/wiki/Motorcycle_courier" title="Motorcycle courier">motorcycle couriers</a> but for consignments requiring delivery over greater distance networks, this may often include <a href="/wiki/Trucks" class="mw-redirect" title="Trucks">trucks</a>, <a href="/wiki/Railroads" class="mw-redirect" title="Railroads">railroads</a> and <a href="/wiki/Aircraft" title="Aircraft">aircraft</a>. </p><p>Many companies which operate under a <a href="/wiki/Just_In_Time_(business)" class="mw-redirect" title="Just In Time (business)">just-in-time</a> or "JIT" inventory method often use on-board couriers (OBCs). On-board couriers are individuals who can travel at a moment's notice anywhere in the world, usually via commercial airlines. While this type of service is the second costliest—<a href="/wiki/General_aviation" title="General aviation">general aviation</a> charters are far more expensive—companies analyze the cost of service to engage an on-board courier versus the "cost" the company will realize should the product not arrive by a specified time (an assembly line stopping, untimely court filing, lost sales from product or components missing a delivery deadline, loss of life from a delayed organ transplant). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="By_country">By country</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: By country"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Unreferenced_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Unreferenced" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>does not <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">cite</a> any <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">sources</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Courier" title="Special:EditPage/Courier">improve this section</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Burden_of_evidence" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">removed</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">February 2008</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Australia">Australia</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Australia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The courier business in Australia is a very competitive industry and is mainly concentrated in the high population areas in and around the capital cities. With such a vast mass of land to cover the courier companies tend to transport either by air or by the main transport routes and national highways. The only large company that provides a country-wide service is Australia Post.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (March 2013)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup>Australian Post operates quite differently to government departments, as it is government-owned enterprise focused on service delivery in a competitive market. It operates in a fully competitive market against other delivery services such as <i><a href="/wiki/Fastway_Couriers" title="Fastway Couriers">Fastway</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_Parcel_Service" title="United Parcel Service">UPS</a>, and Transdirect</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="China">China</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: China"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>International courier services in China include <a href="/wiki/TNT_Express" title="TNT Express">TNT</a>, <a href="/wiki/EMS_International" class="mw-redirect" title="EMS International">EMS International</a>, <a href="/wiki/DHL_Express" class="mw-redirect" title="DHL Express">DHL</a>, <a href="/wiki/FedEx" title="FedEx">FedEx</a> and UPS. These companies provide nominal worldwide service for both inbound and outbound shipments, connecting China to countries such as the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">US</a>, <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>, and <a href="/wiki/New_Zealand" title="New Zealand">New Zealand</a>. Of the international courier services, the Dutch company TNT is considered to have the most capable local fluency and efficacy for third- and fourth- tiered cities. EMS International is a unit of China Post, and as such is not available for shipments originating outside China. </p><p>Domestic courier services include <a href="/wiki/SF_Express" title="SF Express">SF Express</a>, STO Express (申通), <a href="/wiki/ZTO_Express" title="ZTO Express">ZTO Express</a> (中通), YTO Express (圆通), E-<a href="/wiki/Express_mail" title="Express mail">EMS</a> (E邮宝), <a href="/wiki/Cainiao_Express" class="mw-redirect" title="Cainiao Express">Cainiao Express</a> (菜鸟) and many other operators of sometimes microscopic scales. E-EMS, is the special product of a co-operative arrangement between <a href="/wiki/China_Post" title="China Post">China Post</a> and <a href="/wiki/Alipay_(payment_platform)" class="mw-redirect" title="Alipay (payment platform)">Alipay</a>, which is the <a href="/wiki/Online_payment" class="mw-redirect" title="Online payment">online payment</a> unit of <a href="/wiki/Alibaba_Group" title="Alibaba Group">Alibaba Group</a>. It is only available for the delivery of online purchases made using Alipay. </p><p>Within the Municipality of Beijing, TongCheng KuaiDi (同城快递), also a unit of China Post, provides intra-city service using <a href="/w/index.php?title=Cargo_bicycles&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cargo bicycles (page does not exist)">cargo bicycles</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="India">India</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: India"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>International courier services in India include <a href="/wiki/DHL" title="DHL">DHL</a>, <a href="/wiki/FedEx" title="FedEx">FedEx</a>, <a href="/wiki/Blue_Dart_Express" title="Blue Dart Express">Blue Dart Express</a>,<a href="/w/index.php?title=Spicexpress_and_Logistics_Pvt_Ltd&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Spicexpress and Logistics Pvt Ltd (page does not exist)">Spicexpress and Logistics Pvt Ltd</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ekart" title="Ekart">Ekart</a>, <a href="/wiki/DTDC" title="DTDC">DTDC</a>, <a href="/wiki/VRL_Group#Cargo_and_Courier" title="VRL Group">VRL Courier Services</a>, <a href="/wiki/Delhivery" title="Delhivery">Delhivery</a>, <a href="/wiki/TNT_Express" title="TNT Express">TNT</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Amazon.com" class="mw-redirect" title="Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Overseas_Courier_Service&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Overseas Courier Service (page does not exist)">OCS</a> and <a href="/wiki/Gati_Ltd" class="mw-redirect" title="Gati Ltd">Gati Ltd</a>. Apart from these, several local couriers also operate across India. Almost all of these couriers can be tracked online. <a href="/wiki/India_Post" title="India Post">India Post</a>, an undertaking by the Indian government, is the largest courier service with around 155 thousand branches (comprising 139 thousand (90%) in rural areas and 16 thousand (10%) in urban areas).<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> All couriers use the PIN code or postal index number introduced by India Post to locate delivery address. Additionally, the contact number of the recipient and sender are voluntarily added on the courier for ease of locating the address. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Bangladesh"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The history of courier services in Bangladesh dates back to the late 1970s when private companies started offering delivery and parcel services. These companies played a crucial role in facilitating the movement of documents and goods within the country. Over the years, the courier industry in Bangladesh has grown significantly, adapting to changes in technology and expanding its services to include international shipments. Today, various local and international courier companies operate in Bangladesh, contributing to the country's logistics and trade networks. </p><p>Couriers that operate across Bangladesh include\ <a href="/w/index.php?title=Pathao_Courier&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pathao Courier (page does not exist)">Pathao Courier</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=RedX&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="RedX (page does not exist)">RedX</a>,<a href="/wiki/ECourier" title="ECourier">eCourier</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Sonar_Courier&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sonar Courier (page does not exist)">Sonar Courier</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Almost all of these couriers can be tracked online. Also international courier services in Bangladesh include <a href="/wiki/DHL" title="DHL">DHL</a>, <a href="/wiki/FedEx" title="FedEx">FedEx</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_Express" title="United Express">United Express</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Royale_International_Bangladesh&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Royale International Bangladesh (page does not exist)">Royale International Bangladesh</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=DSL_Worldwide_Courier_Service&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="DSL Worldwide Courier Service (page does not exist)">DSL Worldwide Courier Service</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aramex" title="Aramex">Aramex</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Pos_Laju&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pos Laju (page does not exist)">Pos Laju</a>, <a href="/wiki/J%26T_Express" title="J&T Express">J&T Express</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Amazon.com" class="mw-redirect" title="Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Malaysia">Malaysia</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Malaysia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>International courier services in Malaysia include <a href="/wiki/DHL" title="DHL">DHL</a>, <a href="/wiki/FedEx" title="FedEx">FedEx</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Pgeon&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pgeon (page does not exist)">Pgeon</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Skynet_Express&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Skynet Express (page does not exist)">Skynet Express</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=ABX_Express&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="ABX Express (page does not exist)">ABX Express</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=GDex&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="GDex (page does not exist)">GDex</a>, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Pos_Laju&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Pos Laju (page does not exist)">Pos Laju</a>, <a href="/wiki/J%26T_Express" title="J&T Express">J&T Express</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Amazon.com" class="mw-redirect" title="Amazon.com">Amazon.com</a>. Apart from these, several local couriers also operate across Malaysia. Almost all of these couriers can be tracked online. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ireland">Ireland</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Ireland"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The main courier services available in Ireland as alternatives to the national <a href="/wiki/An_Post" title="An Post">An Post</a> system are <a href="/wiki/Parcel_Direct_Ireland" title="Parcel Direct Ireland">Parcel Direct Ireland</a>, <a href="/wiki/DHL" title="DHL">DHL</a>, UPS, <a href="/wiki/TNT_Express" title="TNT Express">TNT</a>, <a href="/wiki/Dynamic_Parcel_Distribution" class="mw-redirect" title="Dynamic Parcel Distribution">DPD</a> and FedEx. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Singapore">Singapore</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Singapore"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There are several international courier companies in Singapore including TNT, DHL and FedEx. Despite being a small country, the demand for courier services is high. Many local courier companies have sprung up to meet this demand. Most courier companies in Singapore focus on local deliveries instead of international freight. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_Kingdom">United Kingdom</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: United Kingdom"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The genus of the UK same-day courier market stems from the London Taxi companies but soon expanded into dedicated motorcycle despatch riders with the taxi companies setting up separate arms to their companies to cover the courier work. During the late 1970s small provincial and regional companies were popping up throughout the country. Today, there are many large companies offering next-day courier services.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>There are many 'specialist' couriers usually for the transportation of items such as freight/pallets, sensitive documents and liquids. </p><p>The 'Man & Van'/Freelance courier business model, is highly popular in the United Kingdom, with thousands upon thousands of independent couriers and localised companies, offering next-day and same day services. This is likely to be so popular because of the low business requirements (a vehicle) and the lucrative number of items sent within the UK every day. In fact, from 1988 to 2016, UK couriers were considered universally self employed, though the number of salaried couriers employed by firms has grown substantially since then. However, since the dawn of the electronic age the way in which businesses use couriers has changed dramatically. Prior to email and the ability to create PDFs, documents represented a significant proportion of the business. However, over the past five years,<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers"><span title="The time period mentioned near this tag is ambiguous. (December 2018)">when?</span></a></i>]</sup> documentation revenues have decreased by 50 percent. Customers are also demanding more from their courier partners. Therefore, more organisations prefer to use the services of larger organisations who are able to provide more flexibility and levels of service, which has led to another level of courier company, regional couriers. This is usually a local company which has expanded to more than one office to cover an area. </p><p>Some UK couriers offer next-day services to other European countries. FedEx offers next-day air delivery to many EU countries. Cheaper 'by-road' options are also available, varying from two days' delivery time (such as France), to up to a week (former USSR countries). </p><p>Large couriers often require an account to be held (and this can include daily scheduled collections). Senders are therefore primarily in the commercial/industrial sector (and not the general public); some couriers such as DHL do however allow public sending (at higher cost than regular senders). </p><p>In recent years, the increased popularity of Black Friday in the UK has placed some firms under operational stress.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg/220px-Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg/330px-Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg/440px-Food_delivery_driver_in_car.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4000" data-file-height="2667" /></a><figcaption>An image of three takeout boxes and one paper bag sitting on the passenger seat of a car while the delivery driver drives in the foreground.</figcaption></figure> <p>The process of booking a courier has changed; it is no longer a lengthy task of making numerous calls to different courier companies to request a quote. Booking a courier is predominantly carried out online. The courier industry has been quick to adapt to an ever-changing digital landscape, meeting the needs of mobile and desktop consumers as well as e-commerce and online retailers, offering end users access to instant online payments, parcel tracking, delivery notifications, and the convenience of door to door collection and delivery to almost any destination in the world. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_States">United States</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The courier industry has long held an important place in <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a> commerce and has been involved in pivotal moments in the nation's history such as westward migration and the <a href="/wiki/Gold_rush" title="Gold rush">gold rush</a>. <a href="/wiki/Wells_Fargo" title="Wells Fargo">Wells Fargo</a> was founded in 1852 and rapidly became the preeminent package delivery company. The company specialised in shipping gold, packages and newspapers throughout the West, making a Wells Fargo office in every camp and settlement a necessity for commerce and connections to home. Shortly afterward, the <a href="/wiki/Pony_Express" title="Pony Express">Pony Express</a> was established to move packages more quickly than the traditional <a href="/wiki/Stagecoach" title="Stagecoach">stagecoach</a>. It illustrated the demand for timely deliveries across the nation, a concept that continued to evolve with the <a href="/wiki/Railroad" class="mw-redirect" title="Railroad">railroads</a>, automobiles and interstate highways and which has emerged into today's courier industry. </p><p>The courier industry in United States is a $59 billion industry, with 90% of the business shared by DHL, FedEx, UPS and USA Couriers. On the other hand, regional and/or local courier and delivery services were highly diversified and tended to be smaller operations; the top 50 firms accounted for just a third of the sector's revenues. <a href="/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service" title="United States Postal Service">USPS</a> is mail or packages delivered by the government and are the only ones who can legally ship to mailboxes.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2019)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>In a 2019 quarterly earnings call, the CEO of FedEx named <a href="/wiki/Amazon_(company)" title="Amazon (company)">Amazon</a> as a direct competitor,<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> cementing the e-<a href="/wiki/E-commerce" title="E-commerce">commerce</a> company's growth into the field of logistics. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="In_fiction">In fiction</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: In fiction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/List_of_fictional_couriers_in_film_and_television" title="List of fictional couriers in film and television">List of fictional couriers in film and television</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Casual_courier" title="Casual courier">Casual courier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Common_carrier" title="Common carrier">Common carrier</a> vs. <a href="/wiki/Private_carrier" title="Private carrier">private carrier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Defense_Courier_Service" title="Defense Courier Service">Defense Courier Service</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diplomatic_courier" title="Diplomatic courier">Diplomatic courier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Express_mail" title="Express mail">Express mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail" title="Mail">Mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_service_provider" class="mw-redirect" title="Mail service provider">Mail service provider</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_services_center" class="mw-redirect" title="Mail services center">Mail services center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Motorcycle_courier" title="Motorcycle courier">Motorcycle courier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mule_(smuggling)" title="Mule (smuggling)">Mule (smuggling)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Package_delivery" title="Package delivery">Package delivery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pony_Express" title="Pony Express">Pony Express</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Post_riders" title="Post riders">Post riders</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Telegraphy" title="Telegraphy">Telegraphy</a></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-05-21</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=dictionary.cambridge.org&rft.atitle=COURIER+%7C+meaning+in+the+Cambridge+English+Dictionary&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.cambridge.org%2Fdictionary%2Fenglish%2Fcourier&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACourier" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:id=hemerodromi-harpers">Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898), Hemerodromi</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0063%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DH%3Aentry+group%3D1%3Aentry%3Dhemerodromi-cn">A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Hemerodromi</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://topostext.org/work/537">Valerius Harpocration, Lexicon of the Ten Attic Orators, d80</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&id=HistSciTech.Cyclopaedia01&entity=HistSciTech.Cyclopaedia01.p0129">"Cyclopædia, or, An universal dictionary of arts and sciences: Alguazil - anagram"</a>. <i>digicoll.library.wisc.edu</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Financial+Times&rft.atitle=UK+logistics+sector+hit+by+collapse+of+couriers+and+hauliers&rft.date=2015-01-18&rft.aulast=Lewin&rft.aufirst=Joel&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcontent%2F7acf8a4e-9ef3-11e4-ba25-00144feab7de&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACourier" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKim2019" class="citation web cs1">Kim, Eugene (2019-09-18). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/18/fedex-now-calls-amazon-a-competitor.html">"FedEx has officially changed its tune and now calls Amazon a competitor"</a>. <i>CNBC</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2020-09-03</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=CNBC&rft.atitle=FedEx+has+officially+changed+its+tune+and+now+calls+Amazon+a+competitor&rft.date=2019-09-18&rft.aulast=Kim&rft.aufirst=Eugene&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2019%2F09%2F18%2Ffedex-now-calls-amazon-a-competitor.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACourier" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Courier&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/16px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/24px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/32px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="193" data-file-height="193" /></a></span> <a href="https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Air_courier#Q848466" class="extiw" title="voy:Air courier">Air courier</a> travel guide from Wikivoyage</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output 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.navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Mail_and_postal_systems645" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="3"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_system" title="Template:Postal system"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Postal_system" title="Template talk:Postal system"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Postal_system" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Postal system"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Mail_and_postal_systems645" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Mail" title="Mail">Mail and postal systems</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Postal_history" title="Postal history">History</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_postal_history" title="Timeline of postal history">Timeline of postal history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_history_of_Africa" title="Template:Postal history of Africa">African countries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_history_of_Asia" title="Template:Postal history of Asia">Asian countries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_history_of_Europe" title="Template:Postal history of Europe">European countries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_history_of_Oceania" title="Template:Postal history of Oceania">Oceanian countries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Template:Postal_history_of_the_Americas" title="Template:Postal history of the Americas">Pan-American countries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_censorship" title="Postal censorship">Postal censorship</a></li></ul> </div></td><td class="noviewer navbox-image" rowspan="8" style="width:1px;padding:0 0 0 2px"><div><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Cartica.png" class="mw-file-description" title="Envelope for mailing"><img alt="Envelope for mailing" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Cartica.png/70px-Cartica.png" decoding="async" width="70" height="70" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Cartica.png/105px-Cartica.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Cartica.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></a><figcaption>Envelope for mailing</figcaption></figure></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Components</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Advertising_mail" title="Advertising mail">Advertising mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bulk_mail" title="Bulk mail">Bulk mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Envelope" title="Envelope">Envelope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indicia_(philately)" title="Indicia (philately)">Indicia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Information-Based_Indicia" title="Information-Based Indicia">Information-Based Indicia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Letter_box" title="Letter box">Letter box</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail" title="Mail">Mail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_bag" title="Mail bag">Mail bag</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meter_stamp" title="Meter stamp">Meter stamp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parcel_post" title="Parcel post">Parcel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parcel_locker" title="Parcel locker">Parcel locker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Post_box" title="Post box">Post box / Mailbox</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Relay_box" title="Relay box">Relay box</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Post_office" title="Post office">Post office</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Post_office_box" title="Post office box">Post office box</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postage_meter" title="Postage meter">Postage meter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postage_stamp" title="Postage stamp">Postage stamp</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_code" title="Postal code">Postal code</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_marking" title="Postal marking">Postal marking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Variable_value_stamp" title="Variable value stamp">Variable value stamp</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Delivery</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Airmail" title="Airmail">Airmail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Express_mail" title="Express mail">Express</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Package_delivery" title="Package delivery">Package delivery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Registered_mail" title="Registered mail">Registered</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surface_mail" title="Surface mail">Surface</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surface_Air_Lifted" title="Surface Air Lifted">Surface Air Lifted (SAL)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Staff</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mail_carrier" title="Mail carrier">Mail carrier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_worker" title="Postal worker">Postal worker</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postmaster" title="Postmaster">Postmaster</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postmaster_General" title="Postmaster General">Postmaster General</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Processing</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Intelligent_Mail_barcode" title="Intelligent Mail barcode">Intelligent Mail barcode</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_Isolation_Control_and_Tracking" title="Mail Isolation Control and Tracking">Mail Isolation Control and Tracking</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Multiline_Optical_Character_Reader" class="mw-redirect" title="Multiline Optical Character Reader">Multiline Optical Character Reader</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_cover" title="Mail cover">Mail cover</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mail_sorting" title="Mail sorting">Mail sorting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Package_forwarding" title="Package forwarding">Package forwarding</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_Alpha_Numeric_Encoding_Technique" title="Postal Alpha Numeric Encoding Technique">PLANET</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/POSTNET" title="POSTNET">POSTNET</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><div style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1.2em; padding: .1em 0;"> Institutions and systems</div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_postal_entities" title="List of postal entities">Postal entities</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Postal_museum" title="Postal museum">Postal museums</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_national_postal_services" title="List of national postal services">Postal services</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Postal_systems_by_country" title="Category:Postal systems by country">Postal systems by country</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Postal_trade_unions" title="Category:Postal trade unions">Trade unions</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Courier</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Philately" title="Philately">Philately</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_philatelic_items" title="List of most expensive philatelic items">most expensive philatelic items</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stamp_collecting" title="Stamp collecting">Stamp collecting</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_postage_stamps" title="List of postage stamps">notable stamps</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stamp_catalog" title="Stamp catalog">catalogues</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Philatelic_terminology" title="Category:Philatelic terminology">Philatelic terminology</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">List of entities that have <br />issued postage stamps</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_entities_that_have_issued_postage_stamps_(A%E2%80%93E)" title="List of entities that have issued postage stamps (A–E)">A–E</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_entities_that_have_issued_postage_stamps_(F%E2%80%93L)" title="List of entities that have issued postage stamps (F–L)">F–L</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_entities_that_have_issued_postage_stamps_(M%E2%80%93Z)" title="List of entities that have issued postage stamps (M–Z)">M–Z</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="3"><div> <ul><li><b><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg/24px-Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg" decoding="async" width="24" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg/35px-Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg/47px-Stamp_UK_Penny_Red_pl148.jpg 2x" data-file-width="450" data-file-height="534" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Philately" title="Portal:Philately">Philately portal</a></b></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Category"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/23px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/31px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> <b><a href="/wiki/Category:Postal_systems" title="Category:Postal systems">Category</a></b></li> <li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Commons page"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/18px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/24px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span> <b><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Post" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Post">Commons</a></b></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox1268" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a>: National <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a 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