Which Is The Least Expensive Shipping – USPS, FedEx, UPS?

It has been a while since I've done an aggressive examination of the different transportation bearers so I thought I'd do a snappy refresh. With the Unified States Postal Administration lifting their rates each 4-6 months, what used to be the most conservative transportation technique is currently valued inline or considerably more costly than a portion of the more solid bearers like UPS or FedEx.

Since there are such a variety of various transportation factors and choices to browse, it’s difficult to make an apples to apples comparison without locking down some of the basic parameters. For the reasons for this article, I will expect the accompanying.

  1. A 14in X 12in X 3in package is being sent cross-country from California to a habitation on the east drift. Unexpectedly, this is an indistinguishable size from a USPS Medium Need Mail Level Rate Box.
  2. Out of the box pricing for all delivery bearers which implies that lower arranged rates in light of volume are not considered.
  3. Labels are being printed online which implies all related USPS web rebates apply.

If You Are Shipping Something 2 Lbs Or Heavier With A 2 Day Delivery Window…

FedEx Ground or UPS Ground will quite often be less expensive than USPS Need Mail. Between FedEx and UPS, FedEx will be less expensive than UPS out of the case since they furnish you with a moment 15% off all shipments only to create an online account(Note: The level of markdown will shift however there's dependably a rebate program).

Update: Starting at 2016, both UPS and FedEx are currently charging for what is called "dimensional weight". Fundamentally this means if your bundle is expansive or larger than usual, then the delivery charges will be definitely expanded.

The dimensional weight estimation for UPS is as of now L*W*H/166. So for instance, if your bundle is 20X20X20 and measures 10 pounds, then you would be charged for a bundle weighing 20*20*20/166 = 49 lbs rather than 10 lbs. Something else, bundles underneath 5184 cubic feet will be less expensive than USPS in this classification.

The main special case to the above decide is that USPS offers 3 flat rate box shipping options, small, medium and large.On the off chance that you can figure out how to push stock that is heavier than 2lbs into a little level rate box (far-fetched), you can spare around 4 dollars.

However more practically, you will require a medium level rate box to ship something measuring at least 2lbs. The make back the initial investment point between FedEx or UPS Ground and a Need Mail level rate medium box is around 4 lbs.


The equal the initial investment point for a huge Need Mail level rate box is around 7 lbs. So if your thing is heavier than 4lbs, utilize a USPS level rate medium box.

In the event that you require a vast level rate Need Post box, ensure it's heavier than 7 lbs. Something else, FedEx or UPS Ground will dependably be less expensive.

Note: You can get noteworthy rebates on USPS transporting by agreeing to accept a ExtraShip account. ExtraShip likewise works with FedEx and UPS so you can without much of a stretch think about delivery costs. Additionally it's free for up to 50 shipments for each month!

If You Are Shipping Items Under 2 Pounds…

USPS will dependably be less expensive than FedEx or UPS no doubt. However as the weight crawls more like 2 pounds, USPS essentially achieves estimating equality with UPS and FedEx Ground.


USPS truly sparkles when your bundle weighs under 13 oz and can be sent by means of Top of the line mail. In the event that you couldn't care less about dependability, USPS is by a long shot the least expensive transportation alternative for light things.

If You Need Next Day Service…

USPS Express is at the end of the day the least expensive arrangement by a wide margin and it is ensured. The main issue with USPS Expedited delivery is that occasionally the conveyance window is 2 days and you won't know unless you check on the web.

USPS likewise doesn't offer a morning conveyance time so if your customer needs something toward the start of the business day, they are up the creek without a paddle.

I've likewise found that USPS Expedited delivery is less solid than FedEx or UPS Following Day Benefit. While they "ensure" their conveyance times, what this truly means is that they'll discount your cash if the bundle is conveyed late.

This has transpired a few times as of now and a delivery discount doesn't compensate for having an irate client.

If You Need a 2-3 Day Delivery Window… 

It is vague which conveyance administration is better on the off chance that you require 2-3 day conveyance since USPS doesn't ensure their conveyance times for Need or Top notch Mail.

So while USPS Need Mail refers to a 2-3 day ordinary conveyance time, it could be slower or quicker relying upon different obscure components.

As far as I can tell, I've had some Need Mail bundles conveyed inside a solitary day and I've seen conveyance times the length of 1.5 weeks. While the last has a tendency to be an inconsistency, general the conveyance speed is fairly irregular.

FedEx and UPS in any case, dependably ensure their conveyance times yet are essentially more costly. Sometimes, FedEx and UPS will cost you will more than 2X the cost of USPS. 

My Take On The 3 Carriers

While USPS is the least expensive transportation bearer by and large, their unwavering quality is effectively the most noticeably bad among the 3 bearers. Our online store basically utilizes USPS in light of the fact that the majority of our requests are under 2 pounds. Be that as it may, we routinely get bundles postponed or lost via the post office.

This previous couple of months alone, we have had 3 clients email us pondering where the damnation their request was. Given our volumes, 3 clients is most likely factually immaterial yet dealing with any despondent clients is an undeniable irritation.

While we don't keep an eye on the status of the greater part of our requests, I can let you know for a fact that the cited conveyance times from USPS for both Top of the line and Need Mail are totally all in or all out.

On the off chance that you are sending a bundle to some podunk, center of no where town, it will probably get deferred. In the interim, I've yet to ever have a FedEx or UPS bundle postponed or lost.

At last, it comes down to unwavering quality versus cost. For light things, USPS is the least expensive if that is your objective. For heavier things >2lbs in which conveyance time is not an element, FedEx or UPS Ground is the least expensive.

It's the 2-3 day conveyance window where you need to measure the exchange offs. Do you esteem unwavering quality? Is real travel time a worry? On the off chance that you require a bundle to be conveyed on time, utilize FedEx or UPS. On the off chance that you are attempting to spare cash, utilize USPS.

Our online store offers a blend of both. As a matter of course, we utilize USPS delivery to keep the transportation costs low (our things are normally under 2 lbs). In any case, if a client has a tight due date, we utilize FedEx.

Talking for a fact, the reserve funds of utilizing USPS is not worth the bother of annoying a client if there's a due date.

However, it's extreme choice to make since clients are normally killed by high dispatching costs. Obviously, the other choice is dependably to raise your costs and lose cash on delivery. You need to decide.

Cheapest Way To Ship USPS 

On the off chance that you choose to utilize USPS as your essential transportation transporter, the least expensive approach is to utilize an administration like Extraship.


Extraship gives you a chance to print "Top of the line" postage from your printer (the USPS site does not permit this) and offers critical rebates on for all intents and purposes each administration that the Unified States Postal Administration offers.

Be that as it may, you'll encounter the most reserve funds on the off chance that you send a ton of Need Mail or Expedited delivery orders. The best part is that the administration is totally free for up to 50 shipments for every month.

What's more, transportation with FedEx, UPS and DHL is all pleasantly coordinated into Extraship so you just need a solitary apparatus to deliver over all bearers.

Look at them. We utilize them as our essential delivery instrument.

Cheapest Way To Ship FedEx Or UPS

The best way to improve bargain on FedEx or UPS is to arrange. Obviously, you'll have to show that you can and will transport in volume yet that shouldn't be too hard on the off chance that you run an online store.
In a perfect world, you ought to pick one bearer and concentrate on them. I would say, UPS is by all accounts somewhat hungrier than FedEx for your business so they might be additionally eager to arrange. Be that as it may, your mileage may fluctuate. Try not to be excessively modest, making it impossible to get a telephone and address a business rep. Good fortunes!