Two private couriers -- Yunda Express and ZTO Express -- which previously announced a price hike, will not raise the prices of express delivery services for online shop owners on Taobao.com, China's biggest online commercial site, according to statements posted on their websites Thursday.

Taobao users should not worry about the price hike as they could still enjoy the old prices of express delivery services, the companies' statements said.

As for the exemption they had given to Taobao users, they explained they had earlier signed contracts with Taobao to limit the highest charges of delivery services so the prices they charged Taobao online shop owners would not exceed the limits, the paper said.

But the paper quoted a source from Taobao as saying: " Taobao is only a platform and will not?meddle with operations?or pricing?in the logistics industry. Prices are?set by the sellers and the logistics companies on their own through negotiations."

Some industry insiders said the courier firms' different policies and price standards might arouse resentment among non-Taobao clients and the price hike may end in farce, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

Several domestic private couriers including Shentong Express, Shanghai Yuan Tong Express, Yunda, and ZTO recently announced price increases of their express delivery services by an average of 40 percent due to rising commodity prices, oil prices and labor costs.