Key Points:

  • UPS SurePost® and UPS® Ground are reliable shipping services that deliver to the US and US territories
  • UPS SurePost® is an economy ground service that relies on USPS for the final leg of delivery
  • UPS® Ground is an economy shipping service that delivers in 1-5 business days, guaranteed

UPS SurePost® and UPS® Ground are both reliable, economical shipping services with affordable rates.

Though UPS® Ground and UPS SurePost® are both economy services, UPS® Ground is the cheaper shipping option. On the other hand, UPS SurePost® offers free Saturday delivery since SurePost relies on USPS for the final leg of delivery. So while both are excellent shipping options, UPS® Ground and UPS SurePost® are uniquely different.

In this blog, we’ll compare the differences between UPS SurePost® vs. UPS® Ground so you can decide what works best for your eCommerce business.

Table of Contents

The Differences: UPS SurePost® vs. UPS® Ground

UPS SurePost® and UPS® Ground are reliable shipping services that deliver to the US and US territories. More importantly, UPS SurePost® hands off the final leg of delivery to the US Postal Service (USPS), which adds some time to delivery. Unlike UPS SurePost®, UPS® Ground guarantees your delivery is on time, or you can file for a reimbursement.

UPS SurePost vs. Ground

Here’s how UPS SurePost® vs. UPS® Ground differs:

Delivery lead time

  • UPS® Ground: Delivery in 1-5 business days
  • UPS SurePost®: Delivery in 2-7 business days

Price

  • UPS® Ground: More expensive but shorter delivery lead time
  • UPS SurePost®: Pay $10.52 to ship a 5-pound package from Florida to New York, compared to $17.25 for Ground

Features:

  • UPS® Ground: Day-definite delivery or your money back and shorter delivery lead times
  • UPS SurePost®: Offers Saturday delivery at no additional cost because USPS handles the final leg of delivery

UPS SurePost® is a cost-effective way to ship if you're not in a rush. But, if you want a day-definite delivery service in less than a week, UPS® Ground is the better option.

Related post: UPS vs. USPS: 2022 Shipping Comparison

Basics of UPS® Ground Shipping

UPS® Ground is an economy shipping service that delivers in 1-5 business days, guaranteed. Ground ships within the 50 US states, plus Puerto Rico.

Here are the features of UPS® Ground:

  • Guaranteed delivery: Know when your shipments will arrive for peace of mind. If your package is late, file a claim to get a full refund.
  • Included Insurance: Your shipment includes $100 of shipping insurance
  • Tracking visibility: Track your shipment with UPS via their website or mobile app

Basics of UPS SurePost®

UPS SurePost® is an economy ground service that relies on USPS for the final leg of delivery. That means shipments typically arrive one business day later than shipping options like UPS® Ground.

Here are some other features of UPS SurePost®:

  • Affordable shipping rates: Since UPS SurePost® uses USPS for the final leg of delivery, UPS you’ll save some extra cash on shipping
  • Weekend delivery available: Get free Saturday delivery with UPS SurePost® since USPS handles last-mile delivery via their website or mobile app
  • Included insurance: Receive up to $100 of shipping insurance for your parcel.

How to Pay Less for UPS Shipping

Finding the cheapest shipping rates is accessible for eCommerce businesses of all sizes, not just high-volume shippers. Having said that, it makes it easy for companies to scale their business globally when accessing heavily discounted rates.

UPS Ground vs. SurePost

Easyship’s Free Shipping Rates Calculator makes it possible to access the cheapest rates possible for UPS shipping. Save on the shipping services your business needs. Get discounts on domestic and international shipping, including up to 77% off on UPS® Ground shipments, up to 72% for UPS 2nd Day Air® service, and UPS Next Day Air® service and up to 88% off international services.

Say you want to ship a 5-pound package from New York to Dallas, Texas. First, we’ll calculate how much UPS shipping rates cost.

Below are the cheapest shipping rates from UPS:

  • UPS® Ground: $18.10
  • UPS 3 Day Select®: $47.58

Now, let’s use our free shipping rates calculator to find the cheapest shipping rates available.

UPS Ground vs. UPS SurePost
*UPS Discounts are off of UPS daily rates. Rates are limited to shipping from the U.S. only. Rates and any applicable discounts are subject to change at any time without notice.

As we can see, Easyship offers high-volume discounts for the following UPS shipping rates from NY to Dallas:

  • UPS® Ground: $12.89 with $5.21 in savings
  • UPS 3 Day Select®: $16.22 with $31.36 in savings

Easyship users save big when shipping and receive up to $10,000 of shipping insurance for any shipment. Connect with our shipping experts and access 24/7 customer support when you sign up for a free account.

How Easyship Can Help

When it comes to UPS SurePost® vs. UPS® Ground, you’ll want to consider delivery lead time, price, and other factors to see what works best for your eCommerce business.

UPS® Ground offers day-definite service with a lead time of one to five business days with guaranteed delivery or your money back. On the other hand, UPS SurePost® typically takes one business day longer because UPS relies on USPS for the final leg of delivery.

Connecting with a reliable shipping platform to access high-volume discount rates is easier than you might think. Easyship is the leading shipping platform that offers users automatic discounted shipping rates, including UPS. Plus, if you have your own UPS account, you can easily connect it with Easyship to instantly access our high-volume discounts.

Ready to ship with UPS? Sign up for a free Easyship account today and learn how you can save big on shipping rates.


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