RISING fuel costs and transportation expenses are pushing Jamaican businesses to rethink how they move documents and small parcels, a challenge logistics company Showfa Express believes it can solve with the launch of a new flat-rate delivery network priced at $690 per shipment.

The company has partnered with Paymaster to roll out Showfa One, a prepaid parcel service that allows customers to send documents and small packages between participating locations across the island for a single fee, regardless of distance.

Founder Jamie Hall said the service was developed in response to mounting pressure on businesses trying to manage logistics costs in an environment where fuel prices and other operating expenses remain volatile.

“With the current global issues and economic pressures, gas prices are going up for a lot of businesses and individual consumers, and it makes it that much more difficult to move things around,” he told the
Jamaica Observer.

“Businesses can no longer reliably forecast what it will cost to move documents and parcels from one quarter to the next. What we wanted to create was something more predictable,” Hall continued.

The launch marks the latest step in Showfa’s effort to build out a nationwide logistics network following the company’s entry into the market last year with a technology-driven courier platform designed around Jamaica’s transportation challenges.

Under the new arrangement, customers can visit participating Paymaster locations and other approved agents, purchase a Showfa envelope, package their items, and send them to another participating location anywhere on the network. Packages are sorted overnight and delivered to the recipient’s selected pickup point the following day. Both sender and recipient receive WhatsApp and email updates throughout the process.

“Only limit on this new service is that the item should be able to fit inside the envelope/plastic mailer, and not be perishable, illegal or cash,” he said.

The company is initially launching the service in Kingston, Portmore, Spanish Town, May Pen and Mandeville, with plans for weekly expansion. The network is being anchored by Paymaster’s more than 180 locations, giving Showfa access to an established retail footprint without the capital costs associated with opening dedicated branches.

For Showfa, the partnership provides a way to scale rapidly while keeping operating costs under control.

“We already visit many of these locations and do business there,” Hall told the Business Observer. “Because the infrastructure is already there, we’re able to increase revenue without making major additional investments.”

The company said participating locations will earn commissions on parcels dropped off and collected through the network, creating an additional revenue stream for retailers while generating extra customer traffic.

The new service does not replace Showfa’s existing door-to-door courier operation, which remains focused on businesses requiring direct collection and delivery. Under that model, customers can schedule pickups through the company’s platform and track shipments in real time. In-parish deliveries currently start at $790 for packages weighing up to 20 pounds, while out-of-parish shipments attract a flat rate of $1,690.

Beyond individual consumers, Showfa is also targeting businesses and institutions that regularly move documents and parcels between locations. Through a programme called Private Stops, offices, schools and government agencies can establish dedicated collection points at their premises for a monthly access fee of $4,000 plus GCT, while still benefiting from the $690 delivery rate.

Hall said the service is particularly suited to lawyers, online merchants, medical suppliers and other businesses that frequently move physical documents and products across the island.

“If you’re running a small business you finally have that predictability. There’s no friction. You know exactly what the delivery cost is every time,” he said.

Showfa’s flat-rate model is supported by a hub-and-spoke logistics system operating from a central facility, allowing the company to consolidate shipments and leverage routes already being serviced by its existing network. According to the company, the structure enables it to maintain a single nationwide price while expanding its reach.

Since entering the market, Showfa has positioned itself as a technology-driven logistics provider serving small and medium-size enterprises, online merchants, and institutional clients across several parishes. The company has argued that the technology and tracking capabilities available through its platform would typically require millions of dollars in investment to build at scale but can be accessed by Jamaican businesses at a fraction of the cost.

The launch comes as businesses continue searching for ways to contain operating costs amid persistent economic pressures, with transportation and logistics increasingly becoming a significant expense for small and medium-size enterprises.

Jamie Hall, a Columbia-trained mechanical engineer and founder of Showfa Express, returned to Jamaica in 2020 and launched the logistics company in 2023.