One of the most crucial decisions to make before, during, and after packaging is the delivery service to use.
FedEx, UPS, and USPS are the three most popular delivery services.
Whether you’re a company, a trader, or just sending a package to a relative, family, or colleague in another state, you may want to consider the financial cost of shipping your package.
The type of operations also affects the type of shipping services available to you. The quotations for retailers and individual patronage are different from commercials.
In this article, we will evaluate the cheapest option between UPS and USPS, and this will not only provide information but also guide your choices and decision. Let’s delve right in.
How Much Does UPS Charge Compared to USPS?
In comparing the cost of sending a package through UPS or USPS, I will largely base our comparison on the following variables.
- Weight
- Speed of delivery
- Dimension
- Distance
Weight:
For mail such as letters and boxes, the UPS dimensional formula for calculating in 2022 is L*W*H /139 in lbs. So, if you have a product with a dimension of 16 × 17 × 18 with a weight of 2 lbs, you’ll get charged for 35 lbs.
This is quite high because you can easily fit it in or not so easily into the small flat-rate shipping box provided by USPS as opposed to the dimensional calculations.
If your package weighs exactly 2 pounds, then UPS is cheaper.
For packages above 5 lbs, if it is possible to squeeze it into the medium priority mail flat rate shipping box by USPS and it fits in, it will save you a sizable amount of dollars. If it doesn’t fit into the Medium shipping box, it will be cheaper to use UPS.
Kindly note that the maximum allowed weight of packages for most of the services rendered by USPS is 70 pounds.
You can click on the link below to get a quote.
Speed of Delivery:
Most shipping services offer different delivery periods or times. UPS and USPS are not exemptions.
The available delivery windows offered by these two services are explained below:
Saturday or weekend delivery window
USPS offers free delivery on Saturdays for every type of package. On the other hand, UPS offers free Saturday delivery only for residential ground deliveries, which can take between 1 – 5 days.
Overnight Delivery window
Also known as Next day delivery or 24 hours delivery, overnight delivery ensures that packages or mail are delivered by the next business day after it is shipped.
This is referred to as Priority Mail Express and has guarantees or money-back provisions. It is available all through the week and is best for sending documents and emails that need to be delivered within a short period. Minimum pricing is usually $25.50.
On the other hand, UPS claims to have the best and fastest overnight delivery. This is a claim I have not been able to substantiate.
UPS operates three basic types of overnight delivery, which are:
| UPS Next Day Air Early | 8:00 hours |
| UPS Next Day | 10:00 hours |
| UPS Next Day Saver | 15:00 hours |
If you require your package delivered the next day, UPS is the fastest option, but USPS is cheaper.
Distance:
The distance of the shipping address can also affect the cost of shipping. UPS and USPS have different domestic, interstate, and international shipping prices. Our question remains the same. Which is cheaper?
For shipments going overseas or across international borders, USPS provides her services at cheaper rates for small or light packages. On the other hand, UPS is more affordable for heavier packages over a long distance.
Cheapest Way To Ship A Package Via USPS
Once you decide which companies’ service you intend to use for your shipping and your choice is USPS or UPS, you can employ easy-to-use shipping tools to receive discounts and Bonuses, which in turn makes it cheap.
One such tool is Shipping Easy.
Shipping Easy has a well-designed and customer-friendly interface that can be set up in just a few seconds.
All you have to do is register via This Link. You can also get up to 50 free shipping slots in a month. Amazing!
Other Shipping Tools and their rates include:
Easyship
Some companies offer you a mix or, more appropriately, a blend of both services together. A vivid example is Easyship which allows you to start with one and end the shipping process with the other.
For instance, you can start your shipping with USPS and then transition along the way to UPS or even FedEx. Easyship works with many other shipping companies, which are relatively unknown to many, to deliver a high-quality pairing of services that include cheaper alternatives, tracking updates, and delivery notifications on-time delivery.
Click on Register to begin.
Asendia
ASENDIA offers one of the most budget-friendly rates for businesses and individuals alike.
Asendia offers you a wide range of international packet and parcel service options and prices that are undoubtedly quite cheap.
They have a unique range of services such as the E-PAQ+, E-PAQ standard, E-PAQ select, and carbon-free. You can check them out here Asendia E-PAQ services.
They also are 100% carbon neutral.
Final Words
Suppose you’re concerned only about the cost of shipping your packages. In that case, USPS is the best, especially when you factor out delivery time and the probability of a miss.
USPS will also offer you boxes that can contain multiple items all at once. They also provide for you, upon request, free shipping containers of different sizes, flat rate envelopes including “bubble wrap,” mailing labels, etc., which you can select online.
Another alternative is to put a call across to the local post office and get them to send it to you in the comfort of your home.
USPS offers better rates for lighter packages, while UPS has better value-to-price rates for heavier items.
