Key Points:
- Domestic delivery time frames vary, and depend on the distance your parcel is traveling and the speed your chosen service offers
- On average, couriers will ship items that weigh no more than 150 pounds with a length no longer than 108 inches, and girth + length more than 165 inches
- If you’re looking to offer a speedy delivery service to your customers, USPS offers the Priority Mail Express service, which promotes an “overnight delivery guarantee” to most US addresses
US-based merchants are spoiled for choice when it comes to domestic courier availability.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) remains a very popular option due to its affordable shipping rates and its federal mandate that requires it to deliver to every address in the United States.
But how does USPS domestic shipping compare to other popular express couriers? In this post, we aim to demystify domestic shipping by comparing USPS service offerings against other competitors in the U.S. shipping landscape.
Table of Contents
Domestic Shipping Options in the US
Here are the popular couriers that eCommerce businesses look to for handling their U.S. domestic shipping:
How Long Does Domestic Shipping Take?
Domestic delivery time frames vary, and depend on the distance your parcel is traveling and the speed your chosen service offers.
Some couriers provide same-day local delivery, while delivery outside a metro area or within the same state can average between 1-3 business days depending on the speed of service chosen.
For cross-country shipping, you can expect the average time frame to be around 5 days if you’re using a ground solution, with the shortest being from 1-3 days for air freight and some being as long as 6-8 days.
What's the Cheapest Way to Ship a Package Domestically in the US?
eCommerce shipping costs depend on the following factors:
- Weight of your parcel
- Dimensions of your parcel’s packaging
- The distance your parcel will travel
One way to easily compare domestic shipping prices is to use Easyship’s Get A Quote feature.
In the following examples, we will see how much it costs to ship a 3-pound package in a box similar to the size of USPS’ Small Flat Rate Box, across different distances.
Rates for a 3 lb parcel, 5 in x 10 in x 5 in, from New York City to Los Angeles:
*Easyship's Negotiated Rates
As you can see from the screenshot above, UPS Ground is the best value option with the fastest delivery, however USPS - Media is the most affordable.
Rates for a 3 lb parcel, 5 in x 10 in x 5 in, from New York to Chicago:
*Easyship's Negotiated Rates
When shipping across states, USPS and UPS remain competitive, both offering low prices, plus great discounts with Easyship.
When shipping across the country, USPS seems to be the most economical option. The ground services offered by express couriers still have slightly longer delivery time frames and are pricier than USPS.
However, if you are looking for a speedy solution that delivers during a specific time frame and provides frequent tracking, there may be value in using an express courier that charges a higher rate.
What's the Cheapest Way to Ship Large Packages Domestically?
Each courier has different size restrictions, so the " large " definition will vary.
On average, couriers will ship items that weigh no more than 150 pounds with a length no longer than 108 inches, and girth + length more than 165 inches. Anything larger than these dimensions could qualify as a freight shipment.
For items that are below these restrictions, it’s advised to keep the shape of the shipment as a square or rectangular box, as couriers can charge extra fees for odd-shaped packaging.
The materials of your packaging also matter; if you use wood or metal, extra fees can also be charged.
How to Offer Fast Shipping Domestically
If you’re looking to offer a speedy delivery service to your customers, USPS offers the Priority Mail Express service, which promotes an “overnight delivery guarantee” to most US addresses.
Here’s how it compares to other express couriers:
Example overnight rates for a 3 lb parcel, 5 in x 10 in x 5 in, from Denver to Seattle
*Easyship's Negotiated Rates
**Retail Rates
On pricing alone, UPS Next Day Air® wins, offering the cheapest overnight rate. Still, Easyship data reflects that delays may happen. However, UPS manages to deliver within 1 day most of the time.
USPS Domestic Shipping: The Economical Option for SMBs
Our price comparisons show that both UPS and USPS are great couriers to choose from. However, SMBs continue to rely on USPS’ Priority Mail services as the most economical option to handle their domestic standard shipping: their rates are affordable, the 1-3 day time frames are acceptable, and they legally have to deliver to all US addresses.
However, when it comes to the UPS vs. FedEx vs. USPS debate, express couriers still offer a lot of value to SMBs who are willing to pay for speedy, reliable services that must deliver between specific time frames, or require special solutions such as frequent tracking services to appeal to a more demanding clientele.
