Delivery Estimate

When you request shipping rates through the Envia API, each carrier option includes an estimated delivery time. This information helps you and your customers choose the most appropriate service based on speed and cost.

Envia provides delivery estimates in two complementary formats, both included in the rate response.

Format 1 -- Simple estimate

The deliveryEstimate field contains a human-readable string with the estimated delivery range. This is ideal for displaying directly to end customers.

Examples of values:

Format 2 -- Detailed delivery date

The deliveryDate object provides structured data with a specific estimated delivery date and time. This is useful for precise logistics planning and integration with order management systems.

Example API response

Here is how both formats appear together in a rate response:

{
  "carrier": "fedex",
  "service": "express",
  "deliveryEstimate": "1-2 days",
  "deliveryDate": {
    "date": "2026-03-06",
    "dateDifference": 2,
    "timeUnit": "days",
    "time": "18:00"
  },
  "totalPrice": "285.50"
}

How to use delivery estimates

The simple deliveryEstimate string is best suited for displaying shipping options to end customers in a checkout flow, as it provides a clear and easy-to-understand timeframe.

The detailed deliveryDate object is more useful for backend logic, such as:

• Calculating expected arrival dates for order management systems
• Setting delivery promise dates in your e-commerce platform
• Filtering or sorting shipping options by fastest delivery
• Triggering automated notifications to customers based on the expected delivery date

Important considerations

• Delivery estimates are provided by the carrier and represent expected transit times under normal conditions. Actual delivery may vary due to weather, customs processing, or carrier capacity.
• Some values in the deliveryDate object may be calculated internally by Envia when the carrier does not provide this information directly.
• Not all carriers return both formats. Always check for the presence of deliveryDate before accessing its properties.
• Business days typically exclude weekends and national holidays in both the origin and destination countries.

Tip: Use the dateDifference and timeUnit fields together for programmatic comparisons between shipping options. For example, you can sort options by fastest delivery by converting all estimates to hours.

Related pages

• Additional Charges — Fuel surcharges and other fees in rate responses
• Taxes — Tax breakdown in rate responses
• Core Workflow — See delivery estimates in context of the full shipping flow