This private carrier company specializes in express delivery, offering a variety of expedited services and detailed tracking, with some services guaranteeing your parcel will arrive at its destination by 8am the next day.įurther reading: How to negotiate better shipping rates with FedEx and UPS FedEx is one of the best options if you need to send: Many people got to know FedEx after watching Tom Hanks carefully guard his shipwrecked FedEx parcel for years on a desert island. Limited tracking options compared to FedEx and UPSĬan be less reliable than other leading carriersĬan be slow if you’re sending internationally due to global partner carriers Ships to PO Boxes, military bases, and isolated areas Pros of USPSĭiscounted services like Priority Mail Cubic where you pay for labels based on the size of a package instead of the weight So if you’re planning to repurpose that fancy whiskey box to send out a customer order, you’ll need to remove or cover all the branding, labels, and logos first. They even go a step further by preventing you from using any alcohol packaging that displays brand names, logos, or labels. USPS prohibits any type of alcohol from being picked up or shipped, both domestically and internationally. It also offers a variety of options for flat rate shipping, making it a competitive choice of carrier in comparison to UPS and FedEx.īut it’s not so good if your ecommerce store sells alcohol! USPS beats out its competitors when it comes to sending flat mailers and parcels under 20 pounds. USPS is a good option if you send a lot of small, lightweight packages It’s a simple, affordable carrier due to the flat-rate shipping options, free pickup, and range of shipping services. While any type of business can use USPS shipping, it’s better suited for low-volume sellers and retailers who ship within the United States, or who don’t need things to be delivered urgently. This means you can send packages from anywhere, and deliver to anyone in the country. USPS is built for the American people, and it’s the only carrier that is legally allowed access to every mailbox in the USA.

And they still deliver by horseback to some places! if you’re in a rural area)įounded in 1775, USPS is owned by the US Government and handles over 127 billion pieces of mail every year. Surcharges and extra fees might be added to base label pricesĪdditional pickup and handling charges may apply (e.g. UPS offers customers a good mix of speed, affordability, and reliabilityĬompetitive pricing against FedEx if you need premium shipping options So if you don’t trust yourself to wrap that vintage Fabergé egg order properly, you can leave the wrapping and boxing to the experts and get peace of mind that your most precious items will reach your customer in one piece. FedEx also offers high-value item insurance, but UPS can often give you better shipping rates.įragile items - Unlike FedEx and USPS, UPS provides their customers with a special Fragile Packing service. Unlike USPS, which typically only insures up to $5,000, UPS lets you insure up to a generous declared value of $50,000 USD per package.

High-ticket items - If your products are on the expensive side, you’ll need to protect both your business and your buyers from any damage or loss to these luxury items that might occur during transit. They offer a maximum weight limit of 150 pounds per package, which is more than double USPS’s limit of 70 pounds per parcel. Large items - UPS can handle your oversized items with ease, making it an ideal carrier if you need to ship big or heavy items such as furniture. UPS is one of the best carriers if you need to send: It offers competitive rates for retailers who ship globally from the USA, and is a good solution if you need a range of 2-3 day shipping options at affordable prices. In this article, we’re looking at the differences between UPS vs USPS vs FedEx so you can make an informed decision about which carrier will work best for your unique business shipping needs.įounded in 1907, UPS is one of the world’s largest shipping companies, and a popular choice of carrier for ecommerce sellers. The main differentiators between leading UPS, USPS, and FedEx carriers are their respective costs and delivery speed, but you should also take into account which carrier is best if you’re sending a lot of heavy packages, small parcels, luxury goods, or fragile items. For ecommerce stores looking to provide an exceptional customer experience, choosing the right shipping carrier for every package you send is essential-especially if you’re shipping high volumes at scale.

Ups shipping rates by weight