How Long Does Shipping Take? Business Days by Service

Transit estimates by service and destination zone, which of them carry a guarantee, and what a business day does and does not include.

Transit estimates are counted in business days from the day the carrier accepts the parcel, not the day the label is printed, and business days exclude weekends and federal holidays. Zone matters as much as service: the same service is faster to a neighbouring state than across the country. These 8 guides give the range by service and say whether it is a guarantee or an estimate.

I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels at the same delivery speeds the carriers publish. Services from carriers we do not sell appear here as reference only.

If a parcel is already moving and you want to know whether a scan is stalled, the tracking-status guides answer that question instead.

Fastest to slowest
Typical delivery window by service, fastest first
Bar length is the upper end of each service's published window. Longer bar, more days in transit.
USPS Priority Mail Express 1 to 2 calendar days
USPS Priority Mail 1 to 3 business days
USPS Flat Rate 1 to 3 business days
UPS Ground 1 to 5 business days
FedEx Ground 1 to 5 business days
USPS Ground Advantage 2 to 5 business days
USPS First-Class Package 2 to 5 business days
USPS Media Mail 2 to 8 business days
USPS Priority Mail
USPS Priority Mail carries a published 1, 2, or 3 business day standard you can look up for your exact ZIP pair.
Delivery time
USPS Ground Advantage
USPS Ground Advantage typically delivers in 2-5 business days, 2-3 on Zones 1-3 and 4-5 coast to coast.
Delivery time
USPS Priority Mail Express
USPS Priority Mail Express delivers in 1-2 calendar days and is the only USPS service with a money-back guarantee.
Delivery time
USPS Media Mail
USPS Media Mail typically takes 2-8 business days, is not guaranteed, and is restricted to eligible media only.
Delivery time
USPS First-Class Package
USPS First-Class Package became Ground Advantage in 2023; sub-1-lb parcels still ship in 2-5 business days.
Delivery time
UPS Ground
UPS Ground typically delivers in 1-5 business days across the contiguous US, day-definite by ZIP pair.
Delivery time
FedEx Ground
FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery typically deliver in 1-5 business days by distance, with no money-back guarantee.
Delivery time
USPS Flat Rate
USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate ships at Priority Mail speed, typically 1-3 business days, and is not guaranteed.
Delivery time

Where to Go Next#

Cheapest way to ship an item
Packing and service picks, item by item.
Rates by service
Zone and weight breaks for each USPS and UPS service.
Carrier comparisons
Where the cheaper carrier flips between two options.
Cost by package weight
What a package costs at each weight tier.
Guides by selling platform
Which service each marketplace expects.

Same Speed, Lower Price#

Print the same USPS and UPS services at below-retail rates. Free to start, pay per label.

Create a label
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