What’s The Difference Between FedEx, USPS, And UPS?

You need to ship mail, but which mailing service is best for your business? Which one will deliver your packages and mail in a timely manner without breaking the bank?

This is a struggle every business has to go through, almost like a rite of passage.

You can make it less of a struggle by finding out the differences between the three major delivery services: FedEx, USPS, and UPS.

About FedEx’s Shipping Services And Its Pros And Cons

FedEx was previously known as Federal Express, until 2000 when it was shortened to its now internationally iconic name.

FedEx is very well-known for its incredible package tracking system, a weight limit of 150 pounds, and reliable overnight shipping. This makes it ideal for companies who need to send larger packages nationally and internationally, especially if speed is an important factor.

Available Shipping Options

FedEx offers the following services:

• Ground Delivery: delivers mail via ground transportation in 1 to 7 business days
• Home Delivery: delivers mail to residential areas via ground transportation in 1 to 7 business days
• Same-Day Shipping: delivers mail door-to-door within hours depending on availability, with the added bonus of operating every day in the United States
• Two-Day Shipping: delivers mail to most areas of the United States in 2 days
• Express Saver Shipping: delivers mail to most of the United States in 3 business days
• First Overnight Shipping: delivers mail to most parts of the United States by the next business day between 8 and 9 a.m. local time. It’s one of the fastest options for shipping mail

FedEx Pros

1. Better insurance coverage
2. Get discounts ranging from 6 to 20 percent
3. Ship packages weighing up to 150 pounds
4. Track and manage packages using their Ship Manager tool
5. Weekend deliveries
6. In-person service

FedEx Cons

1. Higher shipping rates
2. Pick-up fees for one-time deliveries
3. Limited options for free packaging (especially for express services)
4. Mostly service-based pickups

About USPS Shipping Services And Its Pros And Cons

The United States Postal Service is a governmental agency with more strict guidelines when it comes to the weight and size of packages. USPS is fantastic when it comes to shipping smaller packages, especially when you consider its cost-effectiveness.

Available Shipping Options

• Priority Mail: flat rates for boxes weighing less than 70 pounds and delivery in 1 to 3 business days
• First Class Mail: best for envelopes and smaller packages weighing less than 13 pounds; delivery options range from 1 to 3 business days
• Retail Ground: best for mailing oversized packages that don’t need urgent delivery
• Priority Mail Express: the fastest mailing option that can deliver mail overnight, no matter what day of the week it is
• Media Mail: only for mailing media and educational audio and video files, though it has a 70-pound limit and a delivery time of 2 to 8 days

USPS Pros

1. Free one-time or repeat pickups for businesses that use high-volume shipping
2. Free package tracking across all of their services
3. Many choices of free Express and Priority Mail packaging
4. Better insurance coverage of Express and Priority Mail
5. All-in-one pickups for differing services
6. Easily print postage and shipping labels from home
7. Delivers to mailboxes and P.O. boxes
8. A large number of locations across the United States
9. In-person service

USPS Cons

1. You can only mail packages that weigh 70 pounds or less
2. It can be pricier if your business is mailing a large number of individual packages

About UPS Shipping Services And Its Pros And Cons

The United Parcel Service is the largest mailing and delivery service in the world. UPS is a private corporation, with a miraculous, singular worldwide network structure to manage all of its services, including air, ground, domestic, international, commercial, and residential.

Available Shipping Options

• Ground Shipping: ship mail in 1 to 5 days
• Overnight Shipping: ship mail by the next business day via UPS Next Day Air
• Freight Shipping: ship to anywhere in the world by plane, train, or automobile; you can also use their Urgent Services Freight to ship mail on the next flight out
• International Shipping: ship mail anywhere in the world in 1 to 12 business days, depending on the delivery you choose
• Flat Rate Shipping: for a flat rate, you can ship a package to anywhere in the United States

FedEx vs USPS

FedEx is better if you need to ship larger packages anywhere in the world. They have a better mail tracking system, more responsive customer service, and a higher weight limit for packages (150 pounds vs 70 pounds). FedEx is usually more expensive to use than USPS, though they are normally faster when it comes to business mail.

USPS is better if your packages and mail weigh 2 pounds or less. They also have more pickup and drop-off locations. USPS is cheaper than FedEx if you can fit your item into one of their small, medium, or large flat rate shipping boxes.

FedEx vs UPS

FedEx has the upper hand against UPS when it comes to international air delivery service, especially if it is time-sensitive.

UPS is better when it comes to ground delivery inside of the United States. They tend to work primarily with smaller businesses.

UPS vs USPS

UPS ground can take a lot longer to reach its destination, but they can deliver any size package. They also have the upper hand when it comes to shipping larger packages around the globe.

USPS will deliver your mail more quickly, but their guidelines for package weight and size are more strict than with UPS. They’re better when it comes to delivering mail and smaller packages more cost-effectively.

Which Mailing Service Is The Best?

It all comes down to what your business needs. Do you need to deliver large packages, or do you just need to send mail and small parcels? Do you only ship domestically, internationally, or both?

Compare your business needs to the pros and cons of each mailing service, and you can make the choice that fits the best.

You Can Trust Your Businesses Mail To Lineage’s Mailing Solutions

If you don’t know who to turn to when it comes to handling your business’s mail, you can rely on Lineage’s outsource mail preparation service. If you’re in the greater Kansas City area, then our fleet of vehicles will pick up your outgoing mail and process it at a cost-effective price. We then entrust it to USPS’s processing plants, guaranteeing you the most cost-effective delivery.

Contact Lineage today to learn more about how you can help your business save money and make timely mail deliveries.