Although the postal service in the UK is generally reliable there are occasions when a courier service may be more appropriate. A courier service is run by a private company that arranges the transportation of parcels and documents to places both locally and around the world and are tailored to offer a service that is specific to the goods that are shipped. Couriers are often used in larger cities to transfer legal documents from office to office that cannot be emailed or faxed as putting these documents in the normal postal service would take longer.

The main benefit of using a courier service rather than the normal postal service in the UK is that the sender has more control over the shipping of goods, that is to say they can determine when the shipment is delivered. Courier service is usually much quicker than other methods of shipping, is more reliable and more secure which is of vital importance when sending valuable items. There is also less chance of parcels getting lost in transit using a courier service, a problem that has escalated in recent months. Although the cost of sending goods via a courier is more expensive many companies choose this method over the Royal Mail for its reliability and convenience.