What is the most economical shipping type to order?
Use flat-rate shipping where possible—flat-rate shipping will almost always be the best value for money, especially for domestic delivery. Flat-rate shipping means that you can predict prices more accurately. No matter what kind of parcel you have or what dimensions or weight it is, the price will always be the same.
UPS is often more expensive than USPS due to fees and surcharges, especially when it comes to shipping smaller packages. Generally, USPS offers much better rates when shipping smaller packages of less than two pounds. UPS typically is a better choice when shipping larger, heavier packages by offering superior value.
Cheapest Way to Ship a 20 lb Package: UPS Ground
However, the cost typically ranges from $18 to $50. One of the benefits of UPS Ground is that it includes free tracking and insurance up to $100. UPS Ground also offers faster delivery times than USPS Priority Mail, with most packages arriving within 1-5 business days.
USPS, FedEx, and UPS provide both affordable and express shipping services. However, USPS provides the cheapest retail shipping services.
UPS offers lower shipping rates, but with FedEx, you get your packages delivered faster and with time-definite services. In addition, if you're looking at the ACSI scores, FedEx has had a higher score in the last two years.
By far, the cheapest delivery option is local delivery, or even better, pick-up. For small businesses, a local delivery service is a great way to connect with nearby customers, drive sales, and provide a great customer experience.
The cheapest way to ship large, light packages is typically USPS Priority Mail with variable pricing. If you need faster delivery, parcel shipping is the cheapest option. UPS is typically slightly cheaper than FedEx.
Rates are based on the total actual weight or the total dimensional weight of all packages in a shipment, whichever is greater.
How much does USPS shipping cost per pound? USPS packages cost about $2.74 if less than one pound; if one pound or more, most packages start at $7. USPS rates for packages heavier than one pound typically increase by 10 to 25 cents for each pound added.
| Weight | Price from | Delivery time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lbs | $8.44 | 2-4 business days |
| 2 lbs | $9.96 | 2-4 business days |
| 3 lbs | $12.48 | 2-4 business days |
| 4 lbs | $13.36 | 2-4 business days |
What is flat rate shipping?
Flat rate shipping means the price of shipping is not connected to the weight, shape, or size of the shipped item, hence the term “flat rate.” It's based on how much you can stuff into the USPS-issued box.
| Weight | Price from | Delivery time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 lbs | $21.46 | 2-4 business days |
| 10 lbs | $24.11 | 2-4 business days |
| 11 lbs | $26.73 | 2-4 business days |
| 12 lbs | $28.99 | 2-4 business days |
| Delivery commitment5 | 3rd day by 4:30 p.m.6 | Next day by 10:30 a.m. |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx® Small Box | $12.40 | $51.25 |
| FedEx® Medium Box | $16.50 | $59.10 |
| FedEx® Large Box | $24.95 | $65.85 |
| FedEx® Extra Large Box | $39.10 | $78.30 |
DHL: Shipping 21-25 pounds with DHL costs about $250. UPS: The delivery rate will be $60 for sending your package by road freight. FedEx/TNT: Urgent shipments will cost you around $150, while ground shipping has the price of $40.
Key Points: UPS specializes in domestic ground package delivery and has a larger fleet of ground vehicles than FedEx. Both UPS and FedEx Ground deliver to every state in less than a week. Easyship offers users discounted shipping rates, including FedEx and UPS.
- Decrease the shipping distance. ...
- Weigh your packages and reduce dimensions. ...
- Find discounted supplies. ...
- Get discounted shipping rates. ...
- Check out offers from the platform(s) or marketplace(s) you sell on. ...
- Insure with third parties. ...
- Go prepaid.
FedEx Rates for Shipping a 25 LB Box
The cheapest way to ship a 25 lb package with FedEx is FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery. Rates for those services start at $17.44.
| Weight | Price from | Delivery time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 lbs | $31.16 | 5-7 business days |
| 10 lbs | $33.04 | 5-7 business days |
| 11 lbs | $35.96 | 5-7 business days |
| 12 lbs | $39.18 | 5-7 business days |
If you are primarily shipping products locally across short distances, opting for Priority Mail services rather than Fixed Rate might make sense. If your shipments generally cover a long distance or you are shipping all across the US, Flat Rate envelopes and boxes will often work out to be cheaper.
- Package dimensions. All major carriers use a pricing technique called dimensional weight (also called DIM weight) to calculate shipping rates. ...
- Package weight. ...
- Shipping destination. ...
- Value of contents shipped. ...
- Delivery times. ...
- Unexpected problems.
What is the cheapest way to ship a 50 pound package?
A 50 lb box can be shipped via USPS using either flat rate or variably priced services. The best option depends on how fast you need your package to arrive. With delivery in 1-3 business days, USPS Priority Mail Flat rate shipping is typically the cheapest way to ship a 50 lb box.
Size and Weight Limits
Packages can be up to 150 lbs. Packages can be up to 108 inches long. Your specific shipment may have different package size and weight limits.
| Service | Starting Price | Ship Time |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Mail® | $0.63 (at Post Office & Online) $0.471 (Commercial)6 | 1-5 days |
| First-Class Package Service® | $4.75 (at Post Office) $3.59 (Commercial6) | 2-5 days |
| USPS Retail Ground® | $8.95 (at Post Office) | 2-5 days |
| Media Mail® | $3.65 (at Post Office) $2.32 (Commercial)6 | 2-8 days |
UPS® Simple Rate carries a max weight of 50 lbs, as does FedEx. USPS Flat Rate offers a maximum weight of 70 lbs. UPS lets you ship in your own boxes, meaning you can use branded packaging.
Priority Mail Retail Pricing
If you prefer to ship an item in your own box, the post office will weigh your package and determine the Priority Mail rate. If you are a Stamps.com customer, the digital scale will weigh the item and automatically calculate the postage rate into the software.
Otherwise, Priority Mail® is just the name of the service class, and you can use any box or packaging that you'd like... and for most cases, it's actually cheaper to use your own packaging instead of a Flat Rate service. Use our postage rate calculator to find your most cost effective options.
The length fee is a nonstandard fee charged when the parcel length is either 22 inches up to 30 inches or more than 30 inches. The cubic fee is a nonstandard fee charged when the parcel cubic volume is more than 2 cubic feet (3,456 cubic inches). These can be charged for: Priority Mail Express (Retail and Commercial)
To prepare packages for UPS shipment, you can use your own packaging, if boxes are new or almost new, or one of a variety of containers provided free of charge that can be used with certain, selected UPS services.
| Parcel Select (wt. not over) | Zones 1 & 2 | Zone 5 |
|---|---|---|
| 12 lb | $12.40 | $25.34 |
| 13 lb | $13.07 | $26.73 |
| 14 lb | $13.77 | $28.33 |
| 15 lb | $14.32 | $29.82 |
3 Day Select: $42.02 (1 to 3 business days for delivery) Next Day Air Early AM: $142.23 (1 business day for delivery) Ground: $18.59 (1 to 5 business days for delivery) Next Day Air Saver: $99.29 (1 business day for delivery)
What are USPS flat rate prices?
| Priority Mail Flat Rate | 2022 Retail | |
|---|---|---|
| Small Flat Rate Box | $8.25 | $9.45 |
| Medium Flat Rate Box | $14.25 | $16.10 |
| Large Flat Rate Box | $19.20 | $21.50 |
| APO/FPO/DPO Large Flat Rate Box | $17.70 | $20.00 |
In flat rate shipping, there is a predetermined delivery time that cannot be altered. Standard shipping is priced based on the regular shipping charges that are calculated based on pincodes and zones. You do not need to follow any specific flat-pricing strategy to ensure that the customers get only one shipping price.
To ship via Flat Rate, you need to use the Flat Rate branded boxes. To use Cubic and weight-based options, you must use your own packaging or USPS Priority Mail boxes.
FedEx Rates for Shipping a 20 LB Box
FedEx 2Day A.M. FedEx's fastest service, FedEx First Overnight, has prices starting at $106.55, while its slowest service, FedEx Ground, costs between $16.21 and $36.17.
1. Ground Shipping. FedEx Ground is the most cost-effective way to send items inside the United States. It is a reliable, low-cost shipping service that delivers things in one to five business days, depending on the location of the delivery.
Yes, weight is one of several factors used to determine the shipping cost. Once your package arrives at a FedEx facility, it will be weighed. The total weight and other factors — including origin, destination and desired delivery date — will determine the shipping cost.
We calculate prices using either the dimensional weight (dim weight) or actual weight of the package—whichever is greater. (Dim weight reflects a package's density—that is, the amount of space a package occupies in relation to its actual weight.) Usually, the bigger and heavier your shipment is, the more it will cost.
Do I have to use FedEx packaging? The only time you have to use FedEx packaging is when you use FedEx One Rate®. Otherwise, you can use any sturdy, undamaged packaging for your shipments. If you're reusing a box, just make sure any old addresses and barcodes are completely covered.
With FedEx Express® U.S. services, you can ship packages up to 150 lbs (68kg), up to 119" (302cm) in length and 165" (419cm) in length and girth. With FedEx Express international services, you can ship packages up to 150 lbs (68kg), up to 108" (274cm) in length and 130" (330cm) in length and girth.
For large light boxes, USPS Priority Mail will be the cheapest. For heavy large boxes or shipments of multiple boxes, consolidated freight is one of the most cost-effective shipping methods.
How much would it cost to ship a 40 lb package?
For 40 lbs
The estimated cost of shipping this package using UPS Ground service is around $200, with a delivery period of a maximum of six days. Use the shipping calculator for the best delivery prices.
| Weight Tiers | FedEx Ground | FedEx Standard Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 51-60 lbs | $43 | $204 |
| 61-70 lbs | $46 | $237 |
| 71-80 lbs | $51 | $286 |
| 81-90 lbs | $54 | $308 |
Best shipping method for small packages: USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box. Best shipping method for medium and large packages: UPS Simple Rate or FedEx One Rate. Best shipping for oversized items: UPS Ground Service.
- DHL Express.
- United States Postal Service.
- Sendle.
- UPS.
- FedEx.
- Spee-dee.
- LSO.
- LaserShip.
UPS is one of the most reliable shipping carriers available. At any time, you can track your package to find out exactly where it is. In my experience, they are almost always on time.
UPS is often more expensive than USPS due to fees and surcharges, especially when it comes to shipping smaller packages. Generally, USPS offers much better rates when shipping smaller packages of less than two pounds. UPS typically is a better choice when shipping larger, heavier packages by offering superior value.
The shipping costs of UPS are higher than USPS, and the services can cost more due to surcharges and other fees. Especially if you're shipping internationally, it can be a burden. A flat rate is charged for pickup.
UPS Ground. FedEx Home Delivery has the same delivery time and costs as FedEx Ground, so it's still more expensive than UPS Ground.
Above 2 lbs, the USPS medium flat rate box is slightly cheaper than FedEx or UPS Ground. The break even point compared to FedEx and UPS for a large USPS Priority Mail flat rate box is about 5 lbs. If you need a large flat rate USPS Priority Mail box, make sure it's heavier than 5 lbs.
USPS: Selecting USPS services will cost you around $100. DHL: Shipping 21-25 pounds with DHL costs about $250. UPS: The delivery rate will be $60 for sending your package by road freight. FedEx/TNT: Urgent shipments will cost you around $150, while ground shipping has the price of $40.
Is it cheaper to use a flat rate box or my own?
Is flat rate shipping cheaper? USPS flat rate shipping can be cheaper than other shipping methods because you can optimize what you fit in the flat rate box, but the major benefit is that it makes it easier to budget for shipping costs because you can predict the cost every time.
- From any page on ups.com, select the Shipping tab.
- Select Calculate Time and Cost.
- Follow the directions, noting the required fields (required fields are indicated with a. symbol).
This one's pretty straightforward: the bigger the package, the more it's going to cost to ship. Most shipping carriers use a pricing method known as dimensional weight to calculate the rates they offer. This is calculated by multiplying the length, height, and the width of the package.
USPS Priority Mail offers a cost-effective option when sending items between 1-10 lbs, while FedEx and UPS Ground/Home delivery offer the lowest rates for heavy packages within the US.
| Weight | Price from | Delivery time |
|---|---|---|
| 18 lbs | $51.68 | 5-7 business days |
| 19 lbs | $52.00 | 5-7 business days |
| 20 lbs | $52.40 | 5-7 business days |
| 21 lbs | $56.60 | 5-7 business days |
| Parcel Select (wt. not over) | Zones 1 & 2 | Zone 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 18 lb | $15.78 | $23.96 |
| 19 lb | $16.15 | $24.52 |
| 20 lb | $16.81 | $25.02 |
| 21 lb | $17.57 | $25.61 |