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Cheap Online Shipping, Free Shipping Supplies

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FedEx, UPS, and the U.S. Postal Service all offer extra services free of charge.

Depending on your needs, these freebies may help you determine which provider to use.

Online Shipping.

All three courier services let customers go online to order shipping supplies, print shipping documents and labels, and schedule pickups. The Postal Service offers lower rates to customers who opt for online shipping instead of visiting the Post Office, promising discounts of 15 percent or more through its Click-N-Ship program. For example, we found that shipping a 10-pound package from New York to San Francisco via Express Mail would cost $76.95 at the Post Office but only $53.69 through USPS.com. Click-N-Ship applies to Priority Mail and Express Mail but not to Media Mail or Parcel Post. Priority Mail Regional Rate boxes are available only online, with free pickup.

Delivery Tracking.

All FedEx and UPS services automatically come with tracking numbers. With the Postal Service, the particular shipping method you choose determines whether tracking services come free or with a price tag. Priority Mail labels printed at home include Delivery Confirmation, a trademarked service that doesn't track the step-by-step progress of a package but shows when it's delivered. At the Post Office this service costs as little as 75 cents depending on the shipping method you use. The Postal Service offers comprehensive tracking only for Express Mail and includes it in the price.

Free Shipping Supplies.

What makes cheap shipping even cheaper? Free shipping supplies. As mentioned above, consumers can order complimentary shipping supplies from all three couriers online and have them delivered for free. Generally this applies to overnight and two- or three-day services, rather than ground delivery. Most UPS and FedEx drop boxes provide envelopes and shipping labels. The Post Office dispenses free Express Mail and Priority Mail supplies, including flat-rate boxes.

Free Saturday Delivery.

The Postal Service is the only provider that does not charge extra for Saturday delivery regardless of the type of postage or package, although recommendations to cut back to five-day delivery surface periodically. FedEx offers free Saturday delivery for packages shipped via the Home Delivery service; First Overnight, Priority Overnight, and 2Day deliveries require an additional $15 fee. UPS also charges an extra $15 for any Saturday delivery.

Guaranteed Delivery.

UPS and FedEx guarantee on-time delivery for all shipments within the U.S. and will refund shipping costs if the package arrives even one minute late. The customer must request the refund within 15 days and, of course, certain limitations and exceptions apply (everything from an incorrect address to a force majeure, so be sure to read the fine print). The companies also suspend or amend these guarantees at the height of the holiday rush. The Postal Service offers delivery commitments and a money-back guarantee only for Express Mail.

Liability for Lost or Damaged Packages.

UPS and FedEx automatically assume a maximum liability of $100 for packages with no declared value. The Postal Service does the same for Express Mail only. For packages with declared values exceeding $100, consumers must pay an additional fee. UPS and FedEx charge 80 cents per $100 (or portion thereof) declared beyond the initial $100, with a minimum fee of $2.40. Rates are similar with the Postal Service, which caps the maximum declared value at $5,000 compared with the maximum $50,000 at UPS and FedEx. All three assume far less liability for items such as jewelry and art, however, by limiting the allowable maximum declared value.

by Louis DeNicola (Google+ Profile)

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