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UPS vs USPS vs FedEx: which lists lowest for your box?

By Ian Chang, founder of B2B Fees Updated

Run by SyncSpark Solutions Inc., Richmond, BC. Every price is read on the vendor's own page, and dated. How we test.

A 4 lb box, 14 x 10 x 6 in, to a home at zone 4

US$11.30 at USPS Ground Advantage, the lowest for this box after fuel. With home delivery and fuel (week of Nov 2, 2026), FedEx comes to US$31.19 and UPS Daily Rates to US$31.73. UPS Retail Rates list US$17.50 before fuel.

Prices read Nov 6, 2026 in USPS Notice 123 (in effect since Oct 4, 2026), the FedEx 2026 Service Guide (updated Sep 11, 2026) and the UPS 2026 Daily and Retail guides (updated Sep 7, 2026); fuel from each carrier's fuel page, week of Nov 2, 2026. How we test · How we are paid: no carrier has paid for this page, and none has a program with us.

Check this first. USPS's price is its Commercial list, and we did not read who qualifies. Without it you pay the USPS Retail price, US$15.65 for this box.

Four boxes, four price lists

Each bar is the price for the weight the carrier bills, to a home at zone 4, plus fuel at FedEx (29.25%) and UPS Daily Rates (30.25%). UPS Retail Rates are before fuel.

A 1 lb box, 9 x 6 x 3 in: USPS lists lowest at US$8.39

  • USPS Ground Advantagebills 1 lb
    US$8.39 · list US$8.39, cubic price, no fuel listed
  • UPS Retail Ratesbills 1 lb
    US$15.21 · list US$15.21, before fuel
  • FedEx Home Deliverybills 2 lb
    US$28.15 · list US$15.33 + home delivery US$6.45 + fuel US$6.37
  • UPS Daily Ratesbills 2 lb
    US$28.60 · list US$15.46 + home delivery US$6.50 + fuel US$6.64

A 4 lb box, 14 x 10 x 6 in: USPS lists lowest at US$11.30

  • USPS Ground Advantagebills 4 lb
    US$11.30 · list US$11.30, no fuel listed
  • UPS Retail Ratesbills 6 lb
    US$17.50 · list US$17.50, before fuel
  • FedEx Home Deliverybills 7 lb
    US$31.19 · list US$17.68 + home delivery US$6.45 + fuel US$7.06
  • UPS Daily Ratesbills 7 lb
    US$31.73 · list US$17.86 + home delivery US$6.50 + fuel US$7.37

A 10 lb box, 14 x 10 x 8 in: USPS lists lowest at US$12.47

  • USPS Ground Advantagebills 10 lb
    US$12.47 · list US$12.47, cubic price, no fuel listed
  • UPS Retail Ratesbills 10 lb
    US$20.83 · list US$20.83, before fuel
  • FedEx Home Deliverybills 10 lb
    US$32.33 · list US$18.56 + home delivery US$6.45 + fuel US$7.32
  • UPS Daily Ratesbills 10 lb
    US$32.89 · list US$18.75 + home delivery US$6.50 + fuel US$7.64

A light, bulky 6 lb box, 18 x 14 x 12 in: USPS lists lowest at US$25.12

  • USPS Ground Advantagebills 22 lb
    US$25.12 · list US$25.12, no fuel listed
  • UPS Retail Ratesbills 19 lb
    US$26.53 · list US$26.53, before fuel
  • FedEx Home Deliverybills 22 lb
    US$39.25 · list US$23.92 + home delivery US$6.45 + fuel US$8.88
  • UPS Daily Ratesbills 22 lb
    US$39.53 · list US$23.85 + home delivery US$6.50 + fuel US$9.18

Prices per package for the billed weight, read from each carrier's own table (Nov 6, 2026). Fuel is applied to the whole total. From Nov 9, 2026 FedEx lists 30.50% and UPS 30.00%, and USPS is still lowest in every case. USPS Commercial also has a cubic price for boxes up to 1 cubic foot and 20 lb; we use the lower of the two. At a counter, the 4 lb box lists at US$15.65 at USPS (Retail table, 4 lb) and US$17.50 at UPS Retail Rates; a UPS location may charge more. Estimates from published prices.

Where the lowest one changes

Before fuel, FedEx or UPS Daily Rates list lower than USPS in 3 of 12 business-address cases, all for the bulky box, shown with fuel added. To a home, USPS lists lowest in every case.

BoxZone 2Zone 4Zone 8
A 1 lb boxUSPS US$7.91USPS US$8.39USPS US$10.68
A 4 lb boxUSPS US$9.99USPS US$11.30USPS US$19.06
A 10 lb boxUSPS US$10.65USPS US$12.47USPS US$22.62
A light, bulky 6 lb boxUSPS US$22.27
Business: FedEx US$19.93, US$25.76 with fuel (USPS US$22.27)		USPS US$25.12
Business: UPS Daily US$23.85, US$31.06 with fuel (USPS US$25.12)		USPS US$51.49
Business: FedEx US$46.39, US$59.96 with fuel (USPS US$51.49)

Lowest list price before fuel, to a home, including the home delivery charge. Estimates from published prices.

  1. Box size

    Box size can raise the weight you pay for

    • The 4 lb box bills: USPS 4 lb, UPS Retail 6 lb, FedEx and UPS Daily 7 lb
    • The 6 lb bulky box bills: UPS Retail 19 lb, USPS, FedEx and UPS Daily 22 lb
    • Next: enter your packed box before you compare
  2. Home or business

    A business address can flip it before fuel, not after

    • Before fuel, the bulky box to a business: FedEx US$19.93 at zone 2, UPS Daily US$23.85 at zone 4, FedEx US$46.39 at zone 8
    • Adding that fuel, USPS is lower in all three: US$22.27, US$25.12, US$51.49 against US$25.76, US$31.06, US$59.96
    • Next: check how each carrier counts your address
    Details

    FedEx and UPS treat a business run from a home as a home. Home delivery adds US$6.45 at FedEx and US$6.50 on UPS Daily Rates; UPS Retail Rates list US$0.00 and USPS lists none.

  3. Fuel

    Fuel is bigger than the gaps

    • Bulky box, business, zone 4: UPS Daily US$23.85 before fuel, US$31.06 after; USPS US$25.12
    • Fuel for the week of Nov 2, 2026: FedEx 29.25%, UPS 30.25%
    • Next: check FedEx and UPS fuel pages the week you ship

Two UPS price lists, one service

UPS's guide gives Daily Rates to shippers who open a six-digit UPS account on or after July 11, 2016. Per UPS's rates page, read Nov 5, 2026, Daily Rates also apply with a scheduled pickup or a UPS contract that gives Daily Rates; Retail Rates apply if you ship from a UPS location, have no payment account or pickup, or ship infrequently with a card.

To a home, Retail Rates listed lower in 9 of 12 cases here, but higher at zone 8 for the 4 lb, 10 lb and 6 lb boxes. One reason is the home delivery charge: Daily Rates US$6.50, Retail Rates US$0.00, FedEx US$6.45. We have not found which list a platform's label follows.

What is not in these numbers

  • Fuel. FedEx 29.25% for Nov 2, 2026 to Nov 8, 2026 and 30.50% for Nov 9, 2026 to Nov 15, 2026; UPS Ground 30.25% from Nov 2, 2026 and 30.00% from Nov 9, 2026. Both adjust weekly with diesel prices (read in a browser Nov 6, 2026). USPS lists none. We applied fuel to the whole FedEx and UPS Daily total; their fuel base may differ a little. We could not settle whether UPS adds fuel at a UPS location, so UPS Retail Rates are shown before fuel. USPS stays lowest either way, since fuel only raises them.
  • Discounts. Platform and contract rates are not published. These are list prices; what you pay may be lower.
  • Add-ons. FedEx and both UPS lists charge a delivery area surcharge on certain ZIP codes; amounts differ by list and ZIP area, and UPS Retail Rates charge one only in extended areas. USPS adds US$4.50 for a parcel over 22 up to 30 inches long, US$10.00 over 30 inches and US$21.00 over 2 cubic feet (3,456 cubic inches).
  • Peak surcharges. FedEx and UPS demand surcharges may apply now; we did not read dates or amounts.
  • Other services. Priority Mail, FedEx Express, UPS air, UPS Ground Saver and the rest. FedEx delivers to businesses by FedEx Ground and to homes by FedEx Home Delivery, on the same rate table.
  • Zone numbers. We compare the same zone number at each carrier. Each has its own zone tool (FedEx, UPS); we did not test whether they match for your ZIP codes.

Quick answers

Is UPS, USPS or FedEx cheaper?

It depends on your box, zone and address. With fuel for the week of Nov 2, 2026, USPS Ground Advantage listed lowest in 24 of 24 box, zone and address cases we priced; UPS Retail Rates are before fuel. Before fuel, FedEx or UPS Daily Rates listed lower in 3 of 12 business-address cases and none of the home cases.

Why does FedEx bill 7 lb for a 4 lb box?

FedEx and both UPS lists count size on every box, and the 14 x 10 x 6 in box bills 7 lb at FedEx and UPS Daily Rates. USPS bills the 4 lb on the scale. The size rules are on our dimensional weight page.

Are UPS Retail Rates lower than UPS Daily Rates?

Often to a home (9 of 12 cases) and rarely to a business (3 of 12), before fuel. On the 4 lb box at zone 4, US$6.50 of the US$6.86 gap is the home delivery charge.

Not for you if

  • You already have a UPS or FedEx contractContract rates are not published.
  • You ship from Canada or to another countryThese are US prices for the lower 48 states. We read nothing for Canada.
  • You ship over 70 lb or need speedUSPS Ground Advantage prices stop at 70 lb. We compared price only.

How we know

  • We read the Ground Advantage Commercial and Retail tables in USPS Notice 123, the Ground and Home Delivery table on page 117 of the FedEx guide, and the UPS Ground tables in the Daily guide (page 89) and Retail guide (page 84).
  • The FedEx 2026 Service Guide carries this update date.
  • UPS's 2026 Daily and Retail guides carry this update date. We have not read any 2027 UPS information.

Every price is one row and column of a carrier's own table, and a test checks every box against sums worked by hand. We did not ship a box or run a carrier's rate tool, so no price here is a quote. A person re-reads the UPS and FedEx documents and fuel pages. Carriers pay us nothing.

Sources: USPS Notice 123, FedEx Service Guide, UPS rates pages, FedEx fuel, UPS fuel.

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