Weekend Shipping Costs and Options: USPS, UPS, FedEx

USPS, UPS, and FedEx all deliver on Saturdays, but fees and rules differ significantly. USPS Saturday delivery is free across all major services. FedEx Home Delivery Saturday is automatic and free for residential addresses. UPS charges $0 for residential Ground on Saturday but up to $16 per package for air services. Here’s how each carrier handles the weekend.

In this article

• Saturday Delivery: USPS, UPS, and FedEx
  • Does USPS deliver on Saturday?
  • Does UPS deliver on Saturday?
  • Does FedEx deliver on Saturday?
• Sunday Delivery: USPS, UPS, and FedEx
  • Does USPS deliver on Sunday?
  • Does UPS deliver on Sunday?
  • Does FedEx deliver on Sunday?
• Weekend Drop-Off Locations and Pickup Options
• Full Weekend Delivery Comparison Table
• What Changed for Weekend Shipping in 2026
• FAQ

Saturday Delivery: USPS, UPS, and FedEx

All three major carriers offer Saturday delivery, but what you pay—and how you access it—varies significantly. USPS and FedEx Home Delivery treat Saturday as a standard delivery day. UPS charges fees that depend on service type and whether the destination is residential or commercial.

Does USPS deliver on Saturday?

Yes. USPS delivers on Saturday at no extra cost across all of its major services. Saturday is a regular business day for delivery purposes, so you don’t need to select anything special when creating a label—packages arrive when they arrive.

Services with Saturday delivery included:

• First Class Mail
• USPS Ground Advantage
• Media Mail
• Priority Mail
• Priority Mail Express

One nuance worth knowing: USPS does not offer day-certain delivery (except Priority Mail Express, which guarantees 1–2 day delivery to most destinations). You cannot request Saturday as a specific delivery date. If the delivery window falls on a Saturday, it will be delivered then.

USPS Saturday pickup via Shippo: You can schedule free Saturday pickups for USPS through Shippo’s platform. To be eligible, your shipment must include at least one Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, international, or return service transaction. Requests must be submitted before 4:59 a.m. local time on the pickup day, and only one pickup per day is allowed. There is no USPS Sunday pickup option.

USPS does not deliver on federal holidays, even when they fall on a Saturday.

For more on USPS services and how to get the most out of them, see our guides to USPS Priority Mail vs. Priority Mail Express and USPS Ground Advantage. You can also manage all your USPS shipments directly through Shippo’s USPS shipping software.

Does UPS deliver on Saturday?

Yes. UPS delivers on Saturday, but the fee structure depends on service type and delivery address.

2026 UPS Saturday delivery fees:

Can you request Saturday delivery specifically?

That depends on how you’re using Shippo.

• Shippo Web App users cannot specifically request guaranteed Saturday delivery for any UPS service. UPS Ground and UPS Ground Saver shipments can arrive on Saturday organically: if the committed delivery date falls on a Monday or Tuesday, the package may be delivered the prior Saturday in eligible residential areas, at no extra charge.
• Shippo API users can request Saturday delivery for Next Day Air Early, Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, and 3 Day Select. Note that Saturday delivery is not available for Next Day Air Saver or 2nd Day Air A.M.

When Saturday delivery is added for air services, the $16 per package fee applies. No added fee applies for Ground or 3 Day Select.

For more detail on UPS air services, see our breakdown of UPS 3 Day Select. You can also manage all your UPS shipments through Shippo’s UPS shipping software.

Does FedEx deliver on Saturday?

Yes—and for residential addresses, FedEx Saturday delivery is automatic and free.

FedEx Home Delivery Saturday requires no selection at label creation and carries no additional fee. It covers 98 percent of the US population, with delivery by 8 p.m. local time.

FedEx Ground (commercial addresses) operates Monday through Friday only and does not deliver on Saturday.

FedEx Express services (Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight, First Overnight, 2Day) offer an optional Saturday delivery add-on, which requires selection at checkout and carries an additional fee of approximately $16 per package.

FedEx Saturday pickup fees (for picking up packages from your location):

• U.S. Express packages: $16/pkg
• Freight services: $210/shipment
• International services: $16/shipment

Manage all your FedEx shipments through Shippo’s FedEx shipping software.

Sunday Delivery: USPS, UPS, and FedEx

Sunday delivery is more limited than Saturday, but all three carriers offer it under specific conditions.

Does USPS deliver on Sunday?

In limited cases, yes. Priority Mail Express is the only USPS service that can be guaranteed for Sunday delivery, and it requires a $12.50 surcharge selected at checkout. This is USPS’s only day-certain, guaranteed service.

USPS also delivers Amazon packages on Sundays in many areas under a special agreement with Amazon—but that arrangement isn’t available to independent merchants shipping through standard USPS services.

There is no USPS Sunday pickup option, and post office retail locations are not open on Sundays.

Does UPS deliver on Sunday?

For practical e-commerce purposes, no. Standard UPS services do not offer Sunday delivery in 2026.

UPS Ground Saver (formerly UPS SurePost—renamed April 2, 2025) no longer reliably delivers on Sundays. Before January 2025, UPS SurePost (now Ground Saver) used USPS for last-mile delivery, which is what enabled Sunday coverage. UPS ended that USPS handoff arrangement in January 2025, removing the Sunday delivery capability that many merchants had relied on.

UPS Express Critical is the one UPS service that can arrange Sunday delivery, but it is a premium emergency service starting at approximately $700 per shipment. It is not a practical option for standard e-commerce fulfillment.

Merchants who previously used UPS SurePost (now Ground Saver) for Sunday delivery should plan on using FedEx Home Delivery for that coverage instead.

Does FedEx deliver on Sunday?

Yes, with solid coverage. FedEx Home Delivery covers approximately 67 percent of the US population on Sundays at no additional charge. FedEx Ground Economy extends Sunday delivery to approximately 80 percent of its coverage areas, also at no added cost.

FedEx Ground (commercial addresses) does not deliver on Sundays.

For residential Sunday delivery, FedEx Home Delivery is currently the strongest option from any major carrier at standard rates.

Weekend Drop-Off Locations and Pickup Options

Weekend shipping isn’t just about delivery—it’s also about where and when you can hand off packages.

USPS weekend drop-off

• Post offices are open on Saturdays, typically 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (hours vary by branch)
• Outdoor collection mailboxes accept small packages throughout the weekend—check USPS.com to confirm the next scheduled collection for a specific box
• No USPS retail drop-off on Sundays
• Saturday pickup can be scheduled free through Shippo (eligibility requirements apply—see above)
• No Sunday pickup available

UPS weekend drop-off

• The UPS Store locations are open 7 days a week (hours vary by location)
• 21,000+ UPS Access Points across the US—including Michaels, CVS, Advance Auto Parts, and local retailers—accept drop-offs, many with extended or weekend hours
• 24/7 UPS drop boxes available at many locations for pre-labeled packages
• Saturday drop-off is available for any UPS service through Shippo (Web App or API) without additional fees
• Saturday pickup from your location is not available through Shippo—schedule directly at ups.com or by calling 1-800-PICK-UPS. A $16 Saturday processing fee applies for air and international packages dropped off on Saturday. This fee does not apply to UPS Ground.

FedEx weekend drop-off

• FedEx Office, FedEx Ship Centers, and Authorized Ship Centers are open on Saturdays (hours vary)
• Retail partners including Walgreens, Dollar General, and many grocery stores accept FedEx drop-offs on weekends
• FedEx drop boxes are available 24/7 at many locations for pre-labeled packages
• Saturday pickup from your location requires scheduling at FedEx.com and carries fees: $16/pkg for Express, $210/shipment for freight

Full Weekend Delivery Comparison Table

What Changed for Weekend Shipping in 2026

Several significant changes have reshaped weekend shipping since 2024—and some widely-cited information is now out of date.

UPS Ground Saver renamed (April 2, 2025)

UPS SurePost was rebranded as UPS Ground Saver on April 2, 2025. If you see older content referring to SurePost or Ground Economy, they all refer to the same service. For more context on UPS Ground shipping, see our guide to UPS Ground shipping for e-commerce.

UPS ended USPS last-mile handoff (January 2025)

Before January 2025, UPS SurePost (now Ground Saver) handed off final-mile delivery to USPS in many residential areas—which is how it achieved meaningful Sunday delivery coverage. UPS ended that partnership in January 2025. Sunday delivery through UPS Ground Saver is no longer reliably available. Merchants who depended on that coverage should migrate Sunday delivery needs to FedEx Home Delivery.

FedEx Home Delivery Saturday is automatic—no label selection required

Some older resources stated that FedEx Saturday delivery required selecting an option when creating the label. That is not correct for FedEx Home Delivery. Saturday delivery to residential addresses is automatic and free. Only FedEx Express services require a Saturday delivery selection (and carry an additional fee).

FedEx Ground weekly pickup pricing (2026)

FedEx moved to a per-stop model for scheduled ground pickup in mid-2025. The current rate for a 5-day scheduled pickup is $35.50 per week.

UPS Access Points expanded

UPS Access Points now number more than 21,000 locations across the US—a significant expansion from previous counts. Many locations maintain weekend hours, making weekend drop-off more accessible for UPS shipments.

FAQ

Does USPS deliver on Saturday?

Yes. USPS delivers on Saturday as a standard part of its schedule, at no extra cost. This applies to First Class Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, Media Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express. USPS does not offer day-certain Saturday delivery—packages are delivered on Saturday when it falls within the natural delivery window.

Does FedEx Home Delivery deliver on Saturday for free?

Yes. FedEx Home Delivery Saturday is automatic and free for residential addresses. No selection is required when creating the label. This covers 98 percent of the US population with delivery by 8 p.m. local time. FedEx Ground (commercial) does not deliver on Saturdays.

How much does UPS Saturday delivery cost?

It depends on the service and destination type. UPS Ground and UPS Ground Saver residential deliveries carry no Saturday surcharge. Commercial address deliveries add $4 per package. Air services—including Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air—add $16 per package for Saturday delivery. International shipments add $16 per shipment.

Is UPS Ground Saver the same as SurePost?

Yes. UPS SurePost was rebranded as UPS Ground Saver on April 2, 2025. One important change alongside the rename: UPS ended its USPS last-mile handoff in January 2025, which means UPS Ground Saver no longer offers the Sunday delivery coverage that UPS SurePost previously provided.

Can I ship a package on Saturday?

Yes, from all three carriers. USPS post offices are open Saturday mornings (typically 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). UPS Stores are open 7 days a week, and 21,000+ UPS Access Points also accept Saturday drop-offs. FedEx Office locations and retail partners like Walgreens and Dollar General accept FedEx drop-offs on Saturdays. If you’re using USPS, you can also schedule a free Saturday pickup through Shippo rather than driving to a drop-off location.