Need to get something across town, like, right now? Combine this great need, with a few other circumstances we've all heard of happening:

- You need to send an important contract, NOW.

- Your friend who's a chef made you some hummus in the middle of the night, and he wants to send it to you, NOW.

- You're having a movie night and forgot to buy a very particular brand of gluten free, low sodium microwaveable pop-corn, and only one store has it, and THEY DON'T DO DELIVERY. Madness. You need someone to go get it for you.

- Blast, you left your keys at your friend's house, in Suzhou. You're not riding the train back there. You need them pronto!

Shansong (闪送, "flash delivery") is the move. It's same-city express delivery, as fast as you can get it, no fuss.

Here's how Shansong is different than other courier services: While regular courier services shuffle your package through a labyrinth of warehouses, hubs, and random stops, Shansong keeps it simple. One courier, one job, door to door. No nonsense, no pit stops.

The pitch? One minute to place an order, ten minutes for pickup, and your stuff delivered within an hour. Bold promises, but hey, they seem to make it happen.

Shansong's got three main services:

1. Pickup and delivery (帮取送),
2. "Help me buy" (帮我买),
3. Cross-city delivery (跨城闪送).

So, if you need something dropped off, need a snack run, or have to send something way out there, Shansong is ready to roll.

Alright, let's get into how you can use these services.

Pickup and delivery (帮取送)

Here is a step-by-step guide for using its classic citywide "pickup and delivery" service.

1. Download the Shansong (闪送) application. Put in your Chinese mobile number, receive a code and log into your account. You'll see a map where you can select the pickup address.

2. Click "Pickup and delivery (帮取送)". 

Fill in the sender information and pickup address, and then do the same for the recipient information and delivery address.

3. Select the item type and fill in the item details.

4. Choose the pickup time. You can schedule a pickup up to one day in advance.

5. Review the price, which includes mileage and service fees. Choose a payment method. Alipay and WeChat Pay are available. Finally, click "Confirm payment."

Then, wait for the courier to arrive and show them the pickup code you receive when they collect your item.

Note:

In Shanghai, the base price is 15 yuan (US$2.11) for delivery distances no more than 3 kilometers and items weighing no more than 5 kilograms. Additional fees apply for distances over 3 kilometers or items heavier than 5 kilograms.

Help me buy (帮我买)

With the "help me buy (帮我买)" service, the courier takes care of the shopping for you and drops it right at your door. No need to get off the couch.

Here's how to use the "help me buy" service:

1. Tap "Help me buy (帮我买)", then hit "Place order."

2. Enter the details of the item you want to buy.

3. Select the purchase location. You can choose "Buy at a specific store" (you will specify a store for the courier to purchase from) or "Buy nearby" (the courier will buy the item within a 3-km radius).

4. Choose your preferred purchase time.

5. Enter the delivery address and recipient information.

6. Provide the product details, such as the cost and weight of the item you want to buy.

7. Review the delivery fees, which include mileage and service fees. Then, choose a payment method. Finally, click "Confirm Payment.”

Note:

The courier will wait for up to 10 minutes for free while purchasing the item. After that, a wait time fee applies.

Upon delivery, you'll need to pay the courier for the item and any applicable wait time fees.

Shansong works through their app or the WeChat mini-program, and they’re both pretty much the same deal.

Pro tip: If you're using the WeChat mini-program, you can translate the interface into English. Just click those three dots in the top right corner and select "Translate."

Cross-city delivery (跨城闪送)

The "cross-city delivery" service is your go-to when you need to get something to another city — fast. You've got a few options here, depending on how quickly you need it and how much you want to spend: air, high-speed rail, or car delivery.

For example: sending something from Shanghai to Beijing? Air delivery takes about 7 hours and costs roughly 900 yuan. High-speed rail delivery will take around 10 hours and set you back 500 yuan. Need to send something from Shanghai to Hangzhou? High-speed rail takes about 5 hours for 500 yuan, while car delivery takes about 7 hours for 350 yuan.

Here is a step-by-step guide.

1. You can click "Cross-city delivery (跨城闪送)" on the app or WeChat mini-program, and it will automatically redirect you to the "跨城闪送" WeChat mini-program to place an order.

2. Fill in the sender and recipient information.

3. Enter the item details, including weight, size, category and more.

4. Delivery options and prices will be provided. Choose the one that suits your needs. Finally, click "Pay."

Try this out a few times, and you'll become a Shansong pro. This is one of those services, that... just doesn't exist in a lot of countries. So don't take it for granted, it's a great little service for tons of things.