Comparison Of Shippingmailing Services Usps Ups Dhl Fedex
When mailing a box or large envelope in the United States, there are four major shipping service choices: the Postal Service (USPS), UPS, DHL, and Federal Express (FedEx). Each service has advantages, either in speed, imprint, or included free services.
The U.S. Postal Service offers a variety of mailing options, including Parcel Post, Priority, First Class, and Media Mail. First Class Mail is usually the cheapest for light items (usually small boxes and large envelopes), while Parcel Post or Media Mail are least expensive for heavier packages. Parcel Post is usually cheaper than UPS, except when mailing some types of heavy objects. Media Mail can only be used for mailing particular items, such as books and cassette tapes, and packages may take up to two weeks to advance at their destination.
The main advantages of USPS Priority Mail are the ability to exercise free boxes and the faster shipping speed. It may or may not be cheaper than UPS, but is often faster. Some lightweight packages are not much more expensive to ship using Priority, especially if they are being mailed to a nearby destination, and may cost as little as $0.10 more than Parcel Post. Mailing insurance costs extra on all USPS services except Express, which can be quite expensive. The USPS online tracking system usually provides minimal information.
Flat rate USPS Priority Mail boxes should be considered for contents of medium-to-heavy weight. These boxes are free and allow you to pay the same amount as long as the box’s weight doesn’t exceed 70 pounds. This lets you more easily budget mailing costs and use heavier packaging materials (like newspaper) without increasing the cost. Flat rate envelopes are also available. At some mailing centers (such as Goin’ Postal) the flat rate boxes can only be mailed at regular weight-based rates. It is generally not worth the cost to ship very lightweight packages or in-state items with Priority Mail. First Class Mail is almost as quick and substantially cheaper for sending light packages, and items being mailed in the same state often arrive just as fast with Parcel Post.
UPS offers relatively snappy but somewhat expensive shipping. It is often cheaper than Priority Mail or FedEx and sometimes less costly than USPS Parcel Post, especially on heavy packages. It is generally faster than Parcel Post or Media Mail, but slower than Priority, FedEx or DHL. An advantage of UPS is that insurance for valuables worth up to $100 is included free of additional charge. If there isn’t a UPS Store in your area, you may be able to ship items by UPS at a Goin’ Postal franchise. Some hardware stores and other businesses also offer UPS shipping.
FedEx is generally more expensive than USPS or DHL, but is usually very quick and provides the most detailed online tracking system. Like Priority Mail, FedEx offers boxes free of charge. Ground, Express, and Freight shipping services are available, as well as extra fast same-day and overnight options.
DHL is often less expensive than UPS or FedEx and offers fast delivery to some locations. Shipping can be very fast or relatively slow depending upon the portion of the country an item is shipping from and where it is being sent. DHL provides online tracking at no additional cost, and the tracking system shows more detailed information than some of the other shipping services, although perhaps not as much as FedEx does. DHL offers free boxes and other shipping supplies, but only for their Air Express service (not DHL Ground).
Overall, the best mailing service to determine depends upon the weight of your item, how fast it needs to be delivered, if insurance is necessary, and where it is being shipped.
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Filed under custom stamps by on Jan 21st, 2012. 
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