How Much Does It Cost to Ship the Smallest Package?
June 30, 2023 •Joe Jordan
Shipping can be an expensive affair - you may find yourself paying more for shipping than the price of the item. In this blog, we will explore the shipping services and rates of the three major small parcel shipping carriers to determine how much each carrier charges to ship the smallest possible package.
How Much Does It Cost to Ship the Smallest Package?
For most carriers, the minimum billable weight of a package is 1 pound. Remember that package weight is always rounded up to the nearest whole number. For example, if you want to ship a package that weighs 0.7 pounds, it will be billed as a 1-pound package.
Due to differences in company policies, structures, and rules of operation, package shipping rates vary from carrier to carrier. Below we have the UPS, USPS, and FedEx rates for shipping the smallest package, a 1-pound package.
|
FedEx Service |
|||||||
|
FedEx First Overnight |
FedEx Priority Overnight |
FedEx Standard Overnight |
FedEx 2Day A.M. |
FedEx 2Day |
FedEx Express Saver |
FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery |
|
|
Cost to Ship a 1-Pound Package |
$68.04–$128.32 |
$37.04–$ 97.32 |
$33.87–$ 85.43 |
$25.37–$ 45.22 |
$22.59–$37.55 |
$21.03–$34.37 |
$10.10–$12.74 |
|
USPS Service |
|||
|
Priority Mail Express |
Priority Mail |
USPS Retail Ground |
|
|
Cost to Ship a 1-Pound Package |
$29.20–$66.30 |
$9.35–$104.50 |
$8.95–$11.05 |
|
Cost to Ship a 0.5-Pound Package |
$28.75–$56.00 |
– |
– |
How Much Does It Cost to Ship 1LB UPS?
|
UPS Service |
|||||||
|
UPS Next Day Air Early |
UPS Next Day Air |
UPS Next Day Air Saver |
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. |
UPS 2nd Day Air |
UPS 3-Day Select |
UPS Ground |
|
|
Cost to Ship a 1-Pound Package |
$65.00–$136.72 |
$35.00–$106.79 |
$31.71–$86.29 |
$23.64–$45.11 |
$21.64–$66.79 |
$13.66–$33.33 |
$10.10–$61.37 |
The cost of shipping a 1-pound package via UPS depends on the service you choose. For example, if you're shipping time-sensitive goods like emergency medication, go for UPS Next Day Air Early, which provides next-morning delivery for a price of between $65 and $132.72. If, on the other hand, low costs are the priority, go for UPS Ground which will charge you only $10.10–$61.37.
UPS also has a same-day delivery service known as UPS Express Critical. There are no standard rates for this service, you need to contact UPS to get a custom pricing quote for your 1-pound package.
Is UPS or FedEx Cheaper for Small Packages?
|
UPS Small Parcel Service |
|||||||
|
Weight |
UPS Next Day Air Early |
UPS Next Day Air |
UPS Next Day Air Saver |
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. |
UPS 2nd Day Air |
UPS 3-Day Select |
UPS Ground |
|
1–10 pounds |
$65.00–$241.38 |
$35.00–$220.81 |
$31.71–$166.88 |
$23.64–$125.26 |
$21.64–$122.21 |
$13.66–$81.74 |
$10.10–$112.33 |
|
11–20 pounds |
$87.74–$336.20 |
$57.74–$334.89 |
$51.04–$244.25 |
$34.07–$204.68 |
$30.87–$185.36 |
$24.10–$131.10 |
$14.10–$166.06 |
|
21–30 pounds |
$104.81–$407.52 |
$74.81–$401.18 |
$68.28–$323.01 |
$52.04–$280.59 |
$46.53–$259.15 |
$33.51–$180.11 |
$16.69–$219.32 |
|
31–40 pounds |
$122.69–$489.82 |
$92.69–$473.74 |
$85.35–$391.28 |
$68.58–$368.28 |
$58.69–$335.80 |
$44.84–$226.57 |
$20.19–$265.35 |
|
41–50 pounds |
$145.49–$572.75 |
$115.49–$553.61 |
$104.26–$468.37 |
$85.90–$435.70 |
$76.65–$370.88 |
$54.94–$269.82 |
$23.03–$316.11 |
|
51–60 pounds |
$173.79–$698.48 |
$143.79–$681.86 |
$123.26–$571.10 |
$104.82–$511.04 |
$86.54–$440.32 |
$65.10–$315.87 |
$24.79–$366.36 |
|
61–70 pounds |
$200.53–$782.36 |
$170.53–$768.24 |
$144.21–$656.79 |
$116.75–$597.70 |
$101.07–$495.98 |
$73.06–$374.64 |
$26.03–$422.73 |
|
FedEx Service |
|||||||
|
Weight |
FedEx First Overnight |
FedEx Priority Overnight |
FedEx Standard Overnight |
FedEx 2Day A.M. |
FedEx 2Day |
FedEx Express Saver |
FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery |
|
1–10 pounds |
$68.04–$199.53 |
$37.04–$168.53 |
$33.87–$165.22 |
$25.37–$127.21 |
$22.59–$106.40 |
$21.03–$91.63 |
$10.10–$22.40 |
|
11–20 pounds |
$93.53–$280.16 |
$62.53–$ 249.16 |
$55.08–$241.82 |
$36.28–$ 206.09 |
$33.06–$176.30 |
$32.41–$149.10 |
$14.17–$36.17 |
|
21–30 pounds |
$109.85–$367.87 |
$78.85–$ 336.87 |
$73.68–$319.81 |
$57.43–$276.22 |
$49.83–$243.54 |
$45.48–$205.05 |
$16.80–$51.83 |
|
31–40 pounds |
$128.73–$435.45 |
$97.73–$404.45 |
$92.11–$387.40 |
$74.31–$ 362.84 |
$63.05–$312.64 |
$61.81–$ 259.57 |
$20.29–$63.95 |
|
41–50 pounds |
$149.28–$510.78 |
$118.28–$479.78 |
$112.52–$462.75 |
$94.83–$ 438.26 |
$82.33–$359.69 |
$79.96–$308.02 |
$23.15–$74.72 |
|
51–60 pounds |
$185.48–$613.46 |
$154.48–$582.46 |
$133.04–$565.44 |
$114.67–$522.93 |
$93.47–$424.98 |
$91.63–$373.06 |
$24.85–$81.11 |
|
61–70 pounds |
$214.21–$698.31 |
$183.21–$667.31 |
$151.33–$650.28 |
$133.01–$602.70 |
$108.74–$479.00 |
$104.68–$436.39 |
$26.09–$85.57 |
FedEx Vs. UPS: Cost Comparison
Let's compare a UPS service with a FedEx service to find out which carrier offers cheaper rates. For this example, we will compare FedEx Express Saver and UPS 3-Day Select since they have the same delivery time of 3 days.
|
Weight |
FedEx Express Saver |
UPS 3-Day Select |
|
1–10 pounds |
$21.03–$91.63 |
$13.66–$81.74 |
|
11–20 pounds |
$32.41–$149.10 |
$24.10–$131.10 |
|
21–30 pounds |
$45.48–$205.05 |
$33.51–$180.11 |
|
31–40 pounds |
$61.81–$ 259.57 |
$44.84–$226.57 |
|
41–50 pounds |
$79.96–$308.02 |
$54.94–$269.82 |
|
51–60 pounds |
$91.63–$373.06 |
$65.10–$315.87 |
|
61–70 pounds |
$104.68–$436.39 |
$73.06–$374.64 |
From the table above, we can see that UPS 3-Day Select is consistently cheaper than FedEx Express Saver.
For good measure, let's also compare FedEx 2Day A.M. with UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. Both these services offer delivery of packages on the morning of the second day after shipping.
|
Weight |
FedEx 2Day A.M. |
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. |
|
1–10 pounds |
$25.37–$127.21 |
$23.64–$125.26 |
|
11–20 pounds |
$36.28–$ 206.09 |
$34.07–$204.68 |
|
21–30 pounds |
$57.43–$276.22 |
$52.04–$280.59 |
|
31–40 pounds |
$74.31–$ 362.84 |
$68.58–$368.28 |
|
41–50 pounds |
$94.83–$ 438.26 |
$85.90–$435.70 |
|
51–60 pounds |
$114.67–$522.93 |
$104.82–$511.04 |
|
61–70 pounds |
$133.01–$602.70 |
$116.75–$597.70 |
From the above table, we can see that UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. is cheaper than FedEx 2Day A.M.
Therefore based on the two examples above, we can say that UPS is cheaper than FedEx for shipping small packages.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Small Package Shipping Costs
What is the minimum billable weight for a small package shipped via UPS or FedEx?
For UPS and FedEx, the minimum billable weight is 1 pound, and carrier systems round any package weighing less than a full pound up to the nearest whole number. A package weighing 0.7 pounds, for example, is billed as a 1-pound shipment. USPS Priority Mail Express is an exception, with a minimum package weight of 0.5 pounds.
How does the choice of delivery speed affect the cost of shipping a 1-pound package?
Delivery speed is the primary driver of per-shipment cost for small packages. FedEx First Overnight rates for a 1-pound package range from $68.04 to $128.32, while FedEx Ground for the same package runs $10.10 to $12.74. Selecting a ground or economy service instead of overnight delivery reduces base shipping costs by 80% or more.
Does USPS offer a lower minimum shipping weight than UPS or FedEx?
USPS Priority Mail Express accepts packages as light as 0.5 pounds, compared to the 1-pound minimum used by UPS and FedEx. This makes USPS the only major carrier in this comparison with a sub-pound minimum billable weight. Rates for a 0.5-pound USPS Priority Mail Express shipment start at $28.75.
Which carrier charges less for 3-day small parcel delivery, UPS or FedEx?
UPS 3-Day Select is consistently cheaper than FedEx Express Saver across all weight bands tested, with 1-to-10-pound starting rates of $13.66 versus $21.03. The same cost advantage applies to 2-day morning delivery, where UPS 2nd Day Air AM rates begin at $23.64 for 1-to-10 pounds versus $25.37 for FedEx 2Day AM. UPS is the lower-cost option at every weight tier for both service comparisons.
What is the least expensive way to ship a small package with UPS or FedEx?
UPS Ground and FedEx Ground/Home Delivery are the lowest-cost services for both carriers, with 1-pound rates starting at $10.10 for each. Rates rise steeply for weight-based tiers and zone distance, reaching over $85 per shipment at 70 pounds. Ground service is the appropriate choice when delivery speed is not a constraint.