Mondial Relay vs Chronopost is really a choice between cheap and fast. Pick wrong and you either pay €25 to send a €10 T-shirt, or you promise a customer next-day delivery from a carrier that takes five working days. One ships to 230 countries overnight; the other stops at nine European ones and never guarantees a date. Here are the real 2026 prices side by side, honest delivery times, exactly where each carrier delivers (and doesn’t), and how to track either parcel in one place.
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The quick verdict
If you only read one section, read this.
| Mondial Relay | Chronopost | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Economy relay & locker network | Premium express courier |
| Owner | InPost group | La Poste / Geopost |
| France delivery time | 3–5 working days | Next working day (time-guaranteed) |
| Cheapest parcel | From €4,15 (relay/locker) | From €4,50 (Shop2Shop relay) |
| Guaranteed date? | No | Yes — refunded if late |
| Home delivery | Yes, but slow & pricier | Yes, express, to the door |
| International | 9 European countries | ~230 countries worldwide |
| Max weight | ~25–30 kg | 30 kg home / 20 kg relay |
| Best for | Cheap, non-urgent, marketplace sales | Urgent, valuable, dated, worldwide |
Rule of thumb: urgent, valuable, dated or outside Europe → Chronopost. Cheap, flexible, marketplace or heavy-but-patient → Mondial Relay. Plenty of people use both.
What each carrier actually is
The two aren’t really competing for the same parcel — they were built for different jobs.
Chronopost — the express specialist
Chronopost is the express arm of Groupe La Poste, run through its Geopost network (the same group behind DPD). Founded in 1985, it handled 265 million parcels in 2024 and bills itself as France’s number-one express operator for parcels up to 30 kg.
Its whole promise is time: a parcel dropped off today arrives tomorrow, and the delivery window is guaranteed to the hour. You pay a premium for that certainty.
Mondial Relay — the economy network
Mondial Relay was founded in 1992 near Lille and has been owned by the locker group InPost since 2021. It’s one of the cheapest ways to send a parcel in France, and the model is different: you drop your parcel at a Point Relais shop or a Locker, and the recipient collects it from another one. You can track a Mondial Relay parcel from drop-off to pickup.
Mondial Relay says this out-of-home model saves senders more than 40% versus home postal delivery, with an average of 3 to 5 working days in mainland France. It is explicitly not an express service.
The delivery options each carrier offers
Both carriers sell several products under one brand. Knowing the names saves you money — and helps you read a tracking page when a parcel switches service.
Chronopost’s main services
- Chrono 13 — the standard consumer service: next working day to the door before 13:00, from about €23,40 online.
- Chrono 10 — same, but before 10:00, from about €28,80.
- Chrono 18 — before 18:00, aimed mainly at business/contract accounts.
- Chrono Relais 13 — next day before 13:00 to a pickup point, from about €10,80 (max 20 kg).
- Shop2Shop — the economy relay-to-relay option, from €4,50 in 2–4 working days (max 20 kg) — Chronopost’s direct answer to Mondial Relay.
- Chrono Classic — express to 28 European countries, 2–3 days to main cities, from about €21,60.
- Chrono Express — worldwide express to ~230 countries, 1–3 days to major capitals.
- Chrono Relais Europe — to about 42,000 European pickup points, 2–6 days, from about €12.
Mondial Relay’s main options
- Point Relais → Point Relais — the cheapest service: drop at a shop, collect at a shop, from €4,15.
- Locker — same price, drop and collect at automated lockers, often outside shop hours.
- Home delivery — a newer option from €4,99, slower and to fewer countries than the relay service.
- International to a relay — economy shipping to eight neighbouring European countries, from about €6,60.
- Included cover — €25 indemnity on every parcel, with a paid top-up to €500.
Delivery speed: how fast is each one?
This is the single biggest difference, and where most comparison pages stay vague. Here are the real windows.
| Route | Mondial Relay | Chronopost |
|---|---|---|
| France — pickup point | 3–5 working days | Next day before 13:00 (Chrono Relais 13, guaranteed); or 2–4 days economy (Shop2Shop) |
| France — home | 3–5 working days | Next day 08:00–13:00 (Chrono 13); before 10:00 (Chrono 10) |
| Saturday | Lockers open daily; no dated Saturday service | Saturday to the door with the +€7,20 Chrono Samedi option |
| Europe | 3–6 working days (Belgium ~3, Spain/Italy ~5) | 2–3 days to main cities; next-day to major capitals (Chrono Express) |
| Worldwide | Not offered | 1–3 days to major capitals, 2–5 days elsewhere |
Chronopost also refunds your shipping cost if it misses the guaranteed Chrono 13 window — a promise Mondial Relay never makes, because it doesn’t commit to a date in the first place.
Price comparison: real 2026 rates by weight
Here’s what almost no competitor gives you — the actual euro prices, side by side, at the same service level. All figures are TTC (VAT included) and current for 2026. Tariffs are revised annually, and marketplace channels (Vinted, Leboncoin) or prepaid boxes can be cheaper, so treat these as standard direct-sender rates.
Economy: sending to a pickup point in France
This is Mondial Relay’s home turf — but note Chronopost’s own economy relay product, Shop2Shop, competes directly here.
| Parcel weight | Mondial Relay (relay/locker, 3–5 days) | Chronopost Shop2Shop (relay, 2–4 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 500 g | ~€4,15 | €4,50 |
| Up to 1 kg | €5,99 | ~€4,50 |
| Up to 2 kg | ~€7,99 | ~€6,50 |
| Up to 5 kg | ~€15,99 | ~€10,50 |
| Up to 10 kg | ~€15,99 | ~€10,50 |
| Up to 20 kg | ~€22–26 | ~€17,50 |
The surprise: for economy relay drop-off, Chronopost’s Shop2Shop can undercut Mondial Relay at heavier weights. Mondial Relay’s real edge isn’t always the headline price — it’s the network density (over 12,000 Lockers plus 7,000 Points Relais, many open outside shop hours) and cheap cross-border Europe.
Express and home delivery in France
If you need speed or a doorstep, the gap is enormous.
| Service | Weight | Price | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondial Relay — home | 2 kg | ~€7,99 | 3–5 working days |
| Chronopost Chrono Relais 13 — to relay | 2 kg | ~€12,72 | Next day before 13:00 (guaranteed) |
| Chronopost Chrono 13 — home | 2 kg | ~€25,20 | Next day 08:00–13:00 (guaranteed) |
A 2 kg parcel costs about €8 with Mondial Relay or €25 with Chronopost express — roughly three times more. You’re paying for the guaranteed next-morning window, not the handling.
Cross-border Europe
| Destination (to a pickup point) | Mondial Relay | Chronopost |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium / Luxembourg, ~1 kg | from ~€6,60 | Chrono Classic, premium (2–3 days) |
| Spain / Portugal, ~1 kg | from ~€9,50 | Chrono Classic, premium (2–3 days) |
| Italy, ~1 kg | from ~€10,40 | Chrono Classic, premium (2–3 days) |
For non-urgent European shipping to a relay, Mondial Relay is dramatically cheaper. Chronopost only wins abroad when you need express speed or a country Mondial Relay doesn’t serve.
Where one delivers and the other doesn’t
This is the part that decides most real cases.
Chronopost delivers where Mondial Relay can’t:
- Anywhere outside Europe. Chronopost reaches ~230 countries and territories; Mondial Relay ships to just nine European ones.
- On a guaranteed date and time — before 08:00, 10:00 or 13:00. Mondial Relay offers no dated or timed delivery at all.
- To the door, overnight. Chronopost’s express home delivery is next-day; Mondial Relay’s home option takes 3–5 working days.
- On Saturdays (with the paid Chrono Samedi option), and by appointment on some routes.
Mondial Relay delivers where Chronopost is impractical:
- To a pickup point on almost any street — over 12,000 Lockers and 7,000 Points Relais in France, many open outside shop hours.
- At a price that makes small and second-hand sales viable — from €4,15, versus Chronopost’s express floor.
- Cheap economy across nearby Europe — France to Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland, to a relay.
Mondial Relay’s nine countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland. Everything else on Earth is Chronopost territory.
Weight and size limits
| Mondial Relay | Chronopost | |
|---|---|---|
| Max weight | Up to ~30 kg at a staffed Point Relais; lockers and the online grid cap around 25 kg | 30 kg (home express); 20 kg (relay / Shop2Shop) |
| Max size | Sum of dimensions ≤ 150 cm; longest side ≤ 120 cm (locker box ~64×38×39 cm) | Length ≤ 150 cm; length + 2×(H+W) ≤ 300 cm |
Mondial Relay’s weight ceiling has shifted between 20, 25 and 30 kg depending on the drop-off type, so check the current limit in the app before you pack a heavy box.
Insurance, tracking and returns
| Mondial Relay | Chronopost | |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance included | €25 indemnity per parcel | Contractual (capped) liability by default |
| Extra cover | Top-up to €500 from €2 | Ad valorem: ~€6,10 up to €500, up to €5,000 cover |
| Tracking | Real-time; email + SMS/voice pickup alerts | Real-time, 13-digit number, signature on delivery |
| Returns | Return solutions, mainly for e-commerce sellers | Return labels (Chrono Retour) |
Chronopost’s tracking is more granular and always ends in a signature; Mondial Relay’s shines at the pickup stage, pinging the recipient the moment the parcel lands at the relay. Either way, you can follow both in one place — see below. If a scan stalls, our guide on a package stuck in transit explains what’s normal.
Pros and cons
Mondial Relay
Pros
- Among the cheapest options in France — from €4,15, roughly 40% below home postal delivery.
- Huge, dense pickup network (over 12,000 Lockers + 7,000 Points Relais); lockers open outside shop hours.
- Cheap economy shipping to nine European countries.
- €25 cover included, with a €2 top-up to €500.
- Ideal for Vinted, Leboncoin and other marketplace sales.
Cons
- Slow: 3–5 working days, no next-day and no guaranteed date.
- Built around pickup points — the recipient usually has to travel; home delivery is pricier and slower.
- Europe only, and home delivery reaches an even shorter country list.
- Reliability is the trade-off for the price — delays and the odd mishandled parcel are common complaints.
Chronopost
Pros
- Fastest guaranteed delivery in France — next day before 08:00/10:00/13:00, refunded if late.
- Express home delivery to the door, Saturday option, up to 30 kg.
- Worldwide reach — ~230 countries, next-day to major European capitals.
- Strong tracking, signature on delivery, higher declared-value insurance.
Cons
- Expensive for everyday parcels — often 3× Mondial Relay for the same box.
- Overkill and overpriced for non-urgent or low-value items.
- Home express can suffer failed-delivery attempts in dense cities.
Which should you choose? A scenario guide
| Your situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Selling clothes on Vinted / Leboncoin | Mondial Relay | Cheapest relay drop-off, buyers expect it |
| Urgent gift or document, must arrive tomorrow | Chronopost (Chrono 13) | Guaranteed next-day, refunded if late |
| Heavy 15–20 kg box, not urgent | Mondial Relay | Low, near-flat relay rates |
| Valuable or fragile item | Chronopost | Signature, tracking, higher insurance |
| Sending within Europe, cheaply | Mondial Relay | Economy relay from ~€6,60 |
| Sending outside Europe | Chronopost | Mondial Relay doesn’t ship there |
| Recipient wants the door, fast | Chronopost | Express home delivery |
Many senders keep both: Mondial Relay as the everyday economy default, Chronopost for the shipments that genuinely can’t be late — the same split we see with Mondial Relay vs DHL.
How to track Mondial Relay and Chronopost in one place
Here’s the practical annoyance: the two carriers have completely separate tracking systems. A Mondial Relay number is 8, 10 or 12 digits and updates on their app; a Chronopost number is 13 characters and lives on chronopost.fr. Buy from different shops — or sell on marketplaces — and you end up juggling both.
Package Tracker fixes that. Paste either number (or let it detect the carrier) and you get one timeline for every parcel, with push alerts when the status changes or delivery is close. It follows Mondial Relay, Chronopost and 1,700+ other carriers, so a cross-border parcel that starts with one and finishes with another stays in a single view.
If your number won’t update, our guide on why a tracking number isn’t working covers the usual causes, and cross-border parcels often pause at customs clearance — normal, and not a lost parcel. You can also compare the network against GLS, another Geopost carrier.
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Stop checking two carrier sites. Package Tracker shows every parcel in one timeline with delivery alerts — free.
Frequently asked questions
Mondial Relay is usually cheaper for light parcels and home delivery — from €4,15 to a relay and €4,99 to a door, versus Chronopost’s express floor. For heavier economy relay drop-offs, Chronopost’s Shop2Shop can actually undercut it, so compare at your exact weight.
Chronopost, by a wide margin. It delivers next working day in France with a guaranteed time window, while Mondial Relay averages 3 to 5 working days and never guarantees a date.
Both. Its core service is relay-point and locker collection, but it now offers home delivery too — from €4,99 — though it’s slower and reaches fewer countries than the relay service.
Yes. Chrono Relais 13 delivers to a pickup point next day before 13:00, and Shop2Shop is its cheaper relay-to-relay option in 2 to 4 days — the product that competes most directly with Mondial Relay.
Chronopost carries up to 30 kg for home express and 20 kg to relay points. Mondial Relay accepts up to around 30 kg at a staffed Point Relais, with lockers and the online grid capping nearer 25 kg — check the current limit when you book.
Chronopost’s guarantees, signature on delivery and detailed tracking make it more dependable for anything important. Mondial Relay is reliable enough for everyday parcels but attracts more delay and mishandling complaints — the trade-off for its low price.
Yes, to a limited set of European countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland. For anywhere outside Europe you’ll need Chronopost, which reaches around 230 countries.
Mondial Relay includes €25 of cover on every parcel, with a top-up to €500 from €2. Chronopost includes capped contractual liability and sells ad valorem cover on declared value up to €5,000 for private senders.
On average 3 to 5 working days in mainland France, and 3 to 6 working days across Europe. It’s an economy service, so allow extra time during busy periods.
Enter the tracking number on the carrier’s site, or use one app that handles both. Package Tracker follows Mondial Relay, Chronopost and 1,700+ carriers in a single timeline with delivery alerts.
A new label often shows nothing until the parcel is first scanned, which can take a day. If it stays blank longer, check for a typo in the number, or the parcel may not have entered the network yet.
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