About the figures in this guide. These are typical UK market ranges, gathered from published industry sources. They are not a Move Mate quote. For a price for your job, ask us.
The short answer
A same-day courier price is normally a minimum charge plus a rate per mile, with the per-mile rate rising as the vehicle gets bigger. A small van sits at the bottom of the range and a Luton van with a tail lift near the top.
Because the vehicle is dedicated to your job, you are effectively paying for the driver's whole round trip, which is why same-day costs several times what a next-day network service does.
Why it costs more than a parcel carrier
A parcel carrier moves your item through depots alongside thousands of others, so the cost is shared. A same-day courier puts one driver in one van with your consignment and nothing else on board.
That is what buys you the speed and the certainty. Nothing is sorted, transferred or left in a depot overnight, and there is one person responsible for it from collection to delivery.
If your delivery is not genuinely time-critical, a next-day service will almost always be cheaper.
What changes the price
Distance and vehicle size do most of the work. After that: how quickly you need collection, whether it falls outside normal hours, whether two people are needed to load, and whether the destination has access restrictions.
Return legs matter more than people realise. A courier already heading your way can price a job far better than one starting from cold, which is why quotes for the same journey vary so much between operators.
Tolls, congestion and clean-air charges are normally added, and waiting time beyond a free allowance is usually chargeable.
Getting an accurate quote first time
Have both full postcodes, the dimensions and weight, the number of items, when it needs collecting and when it must arrive. Those six things are enough to price almost any same-day job.
Say if either end has a loading restriction, a booking-in requirement or limited access. A van that turns up and cannot get to the door costs everybody money.
Confirm whether the figure includes VAT. Trade rates are usually quoted excluding it; consumer prices should include it.
Last reviewed 21 September 2026.