FedEx vs UPS: A Comparison – ShippyPro Blog
If you manage an e-commerce business then you know the importance of choosing the right mail courier. FedEx vs UPS are considered to be the nations top couriers in the e-commerce service industry, and will be compared as you read on.
Choosing the correct courier is not just a search for the right supplier. It’s about identifying a serious ally that will help you deliver the best value and service to your customers.
To better compare FedEx vs UPS services consider:
- UPS vs DHL
- UPS vs TNT
- FedEx vs TNT
- FedEx vs DHL
The right courier will satisfy your customers with the best quality, speed, and cost effective services.
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FedEx vs UPS
Here at ShippyPro, we want to help you in your search for that perfect carrier.
Today we will be analyzing UPS and FedEx’s National US services, National UK services, European, and international services.
Both are based in the US and play a key role in the global shipping market.
National US Shipments 
Below is a table that compares UPS and FedEx’s domestic services within the US.
UPS
FedEx
Services
Delivery Time
Cost
Services
Delivery Time
Cost
UPS Express Critical
Best available time, provided when order is placed
FedEx First Overnight
Next business day by 8:00am
UPS Next Day Air Early
Next business day delivery by 8:00 a.m.
FedEx First Priority Overnight
Next business day by 10:00am
UPS Next Day Air
Next business day delivery by 10:30 a.m.
FedEx Standard Overnight
Next business day by 3:00pm
UPS Next Day Air Saver
Next business day delivery by 3:00 a.m.
FedEx 2Day
Second business day between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm
UPS 2nd Day Air a.m.
Delivery by second business day by 10:30 a.m.
FedEx Express Saver
Third business day delivery by 4:30 pm
UPS 3 Day Air Select
Delivery by the third business day by the end of the day
FedEx Ground
By end of 1-5 business days
UPS Ground
Delivery between 1 to 5 business days
FedEx 1Day Freight
Next business day by 10:30am
FedEx 2Day Freight
Second business day by 12:00 pm
FedEx 3Day Freight
Third business day by 3:00 pm
UPS’ services mainly fall into four categories: Same day, next day, two day, and three or more day delivery.
Same Day Delivery is for those critical packages that must arrive on the same day, no matter what day of the year.
Next Day Delivery guarantees delivery your packages the next business day with options of by 8:00am, 10:30am, or 3:00pm.
Two Day Delivery delivers your packages in two business days with the options of 10:00am or by the end of the day.
Three or More Day Delivery provides economic options with a guaranteed delivery by the end of the third business day. Or for the most economic option of delivery between one and five business days.
FedEx’s US domestic services can separated into four categories.
Next day delivery, second day delivery, third day delivery and economy delivery.
FedEx First Overnight guarantees delivery the next business day by 8:00 am Monday through Friday.
FedEx First Priority Overnight guarantees delivery the next business day by 10:00 am Monday through Saturday.
FedEx Standard Overnight guarantees delivery the next business day by 3:00 pm Monday through Friday.
FedEx 2Day guarantees delivery in two business days between 4:30 pm and 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday.
FedEx Express Saver guarantees delivery in three business days by 4:30 pm.
FedEx 1Day Freight guarantees delivery the next business day by 10:30 pm Monday through Friday.
FedEx 2Day Freight guarantees delivery in two business-days by 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
FedEx 3Day Freight guarantees delivery in three business-days by 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
FedEx Ground guarantees delivery in 1-5 business-days by the end of the day Monday – Friday.
National UK Services 
Below is a table that compares UPS and FedEx’s domestic services within the UK.
FedEx
UPS
Service
Delivery Time
Cost
Service
Delivery Time
Cost
FedEx Next Day
By end of next business day
UPS Express Plus
Before 9:00 am the next business day
FedEx Next Day by Noon
By 12:00 pm next business day
UPS Express
Before 10:30 am the next business day
FedEx Next Day by 10:00pm
By 10:00 am next business day
UPS Express Saver
Before 12:00 pm the next business day
FedEx Next Day by 9:00pm
By 9:00 am next business day
UPS Express Critical
Same day delivery within one hour of shipment collection, 365 days a year
FedEx Economy
By end of the day in 1-3 business days
UPS Standard
By end of day, 1-5 business days
UPS offers a wide range of services that can be broken down into same day, next day, and 1 to 5 day categories.
UPS Express Critical offers same day delivery within one hour of collection. This is the perfect option if time is critical and money is no issue.
UPS Express options deliver the package the next business day with times of delivery ranging from 9:00am, 10:30am and 12:30pm.
UPS Standard offers the most economic option with delivery times falling between 1 and 5 days.
FedEx offers a range of times for their next business day delivery services. They also offer an economic option.
The next day delivery options are by 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, or by the end of the day Monday through Friday.
FedEx Economy offers delivery by the end of 1-3 business days Monday through Friday.
Europe
UPS
FedEx
Services
Delivery Time
Cost
Services
Delivery Time
Cost
WorldWilde Express
1-3 business days
Europe First
The morning after the withdrawal
Express Saver
By the end of the day, 1-5 business days
Europe Economy
By end of day in 2-5 business days
Standard
By the end of a defined business day
International Priority
By end of day in 1-2 business days
Express Plus
By 9:00 am in 1-3 business days
International Economy
By end of day in 4 business days
Expedited
By the end of the day in 2-5 business days
UPS offers all the same services for Europe that it offers internationally.
Standard Service is the most basic service, trading slightly longer delivery times for cost effectiveness.
Express Service offers the opposite with shorter delivery times at a slightly higher cost.
The main difference between UPS’s standard and express services is the mode of transportation. UPS standard services use a truck while express services use an airplane.
FedEX for Europe with the Europe First service ensures a rapid delivery the morning after the collection of the goods. The timeliness of the service does result in a increased price.
Europe Economy, on the other hand, represents the basic shipping service on European territory with delivery within 2-5 working days. These delivery times are more cost-effective.
International 
The table below outlines the different international services FedEx and UPS have to offer.
FedEx
UPS
Service
Delivery Time
Cost
Service
Delivery Time
Cost
International Priority
By end of 1-2 business days
Worldwide Express
By end of 1-3 business days
International Economy
By end of 4 business days
Worldwide Freight
By end of 1-3 business days
Ground
By end of defined by a in Canada and US
Standard
By end of defined day
Same Day
By end of business day in the US
Express Plus
Before 9:00 am, 1-3 business days
Europe First
By 12:00 pm the next business day from withdrawal
Expedited
By end of 2-5 business days
Europe Economy
By end of 2-5 business days
Express Saver
By end of 1-5 business days
UPS offers several international services, some of these services are the same for shipments in Europe.
Express Saver and the Expedited Service are the most cost effective solutions guaranteeing safe delivery with reasonable delivery times.
Both are door-to-door services with delivery scheduled within 5 business days. Customs clearance is even included.
The Worldwide Express Saver is the fastest international solution UPS has to offer. Delivery times range from 1 to 3 days depending on the destination location (time slots are preset). Three free delivery attempts are included.
Finally, if you choose the Worldwide Express Saver option, free packaging is included in the service at a slightly lower price point.
The International Priority service represents the fastest option for FedEx international shipments. Depending on the destination FedEx is able to deliver the goods the next morning in Europe, in a single business day in the US and Canada, and in 2 working days for Latin America.
The same service can be purchased for less cost if you are willing to extend the time of delivery. The International Economy offer follows that one but arrives at your destination in 4 working days.
The FedEx Same Day service, thanks to the widespread distribution network in the US, allows the company to complete shipments on the same day the goods are picked up.
The Ground service is an economic service designed for shipments throughout North America.
Additional Services for E-commerce 
FedEX is also very attentive to the industrial sector and offers a wide range of support services to improve customer loyalty and satisfaction.
FedEx Office offers other services to businesses including: printing, digital printing, computer rental and internet access.
FedEx has a deposit service at authorized outlets, called Pick up and Drop-off.
Through this service, FedEx customers can receive and send packages from selected stores, manage withdrawals and purchase supplies to be received at the designated point of sale.
UPS’s offers an extensive list of useful additional services to its customers.
The physical UPS stores offer customers business services as well as shipping materials.
The most used additional service is the UPS Access Point.
A UPS Access Point is an efficient and convenient location that allows customers to send and collect their parcels.
Through this service you can also deposit parcels being returned and choose the preferred time to pick up the parcel.
It is an extremely simple service to use.
Once you select the time the package will arrive at the access point, the customer will receive an email or sms message notifying them when their package will be ready to be picked up. Allowing them to collect their package at their earliest convenience.
Only a valid identification card is required for the withdrawal.
UPS Returns is the UPS service that deals with simplifying and managing the returns of its customers. The service consists of 3 options:
- UPS Returns is the standard return service that allows you to create and deliver customer-generated labels that attach to the original shipment or to a new delivery.
Labels can be sent via email or traditional delivery.
- UPS Returns Plus, is the service where UPS is responsible for everything. From label creation to delivery of the item up to final destination, all the responsibly is off your shoulders.
The service has two additional options, a one-day return attempt or a 3-day return attempt.
- Returns via the UPS Web is the service that allows the end customer to complete the reselling process online (via a web browser), including the creation of a UPS return label.
Additionally, companies can link their back-end databases to the yield process, making the most of return product information, thereby reducing costs and improving customer service.
FedEx vs UPS: Reviews and Considerations!
We at ShippyPro operate in the e-commerce sector, especially in the field of online shipments. We are in daily contact with many domestic and international couriers.
Evaluating all the work of a courier is not an easy task.
The one perfect courier does not exist, however, there are certain couriers that are more suited for the needs of your business.
In this article we have introduced the main services of both UPS and FedEx, used heavily at a national and international level.
We want to help you choose the ideal logistics partner for your needs, but there are other considerations we need to look at.
To do this, we will show you the only metric of transparent judgment we have; the reviews of customers who use UPS and FedEx daily to ship domestically and around the globe.
Below are the total reviews of the two couriers formed on the basis of daily feedback from customers.
FedEx vs UPS: Who do we choose to ship?
At this point you understand how difficult it is to determine which courier is better than another.
It is well known that some carriers work better in some areas than others.
Now, considering that your goal is to provide the best customer service, there is nothing better than trying to enter into a contract with not one, but multiple couriers.
This way you will be able to offer excellent service in every area and every category of product.
Don’t limit yourself to a single shipping service provider
Instead, look to choose different couriers, each for a specific scope, significantly reducing asset management costs.
In fact, each freight forwarder charges very different tariffs in relation to the weight, size, and destination of the goods.
Compare and choose the best carriers for any type of shipping you make!
Comparing all these carriers is a time-consuming process, but there are services for managing the various shippers that can help.
The best way to manage this important decision is to choose a software like ShippyPro, which automatically compares the prices of different vendors and allows you to set shipping rules, saving you time and money.
Connect Fedex and UPS to ShippyPro
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