Are you looking to take your eCommerce business to the ? Do you want to expand your audience, grow your product line, and increase your revenue?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then there’s a good chance you’re going to need to find ways to save money on shipping. In order to that, you might need to switch from one shipping company to another.
When it comes to shipping out your products, your two options are UPS and FedEx. Which one should you be using? Some people swear by one, while others think the other is the only way to go.
If you’re feeling confused, keep reading.
Explained below is some information that will help you decide where you stand on the FedEx vs UPS debate.
FedEx Pros and Cons
FedEx (short for Federal Express) is a popular and convenient option for many business owners. Here are some of the pros and cons of relying on FedEx to ship your products:
Pros
One of FedEx’s greatest strengths is its highly reliable tracking system.
FedEx makes it easy for you to track the progress of your shipments. FedEx also offers a delivery manager option that lets you hold packages at the FedEx office or reschedule deliveries for a specific time.
FedEx offers Saturday delivery, too. This makes it a great option for impatient consumers (and, let’s face it, who isn’t an impatient consumer these days) who want to get their items as quickly as possible.
When you use FedEx to ship large volumes of packages, you can sometimes negotiate lower shipping rates, too. This is a huge bonus for small businesses that are always looking to save extra money.
Cons
Of course, there are also downsides to working with FedEx.
FedEx typically has higher shipping rates than other shipping options, including UPS. Of course, there are opportunities to negotiate shipping rates down.
Generally speaking, though, you’ll spend a little more on shipping when you work with FedEx. The extra costs can be worth it, though, especially if you’re able to get products to your customers faster.
FedEx also does not offer free package pickup, which can be a drag, especially when you’re working with limited funds. FedEx also has fewer offices than UPS, which can make it a less convenient option depending on where your business is located.
Who Should USe FedEx?
If efficiency is your top priority and you want to be able to offer your customers the fastest shipping possible, FedEx is probably going to be your best option.
If a package can arrive on a Saturday instead of the following Monday, that can be a huge boost to your business and can help to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
If you have the cash to spend for higher shipping rates and live or work close to a FedEx facility, go ahead and give them a try.
UPS Pros and Cons
FedEx isn’t for every business owner. There are plenty of pros (and some cons) that come with using United Parcel Service, or UPS, instead.
Pros
UPS has lots of expedited shipping options, including next-day delivery and same-day delivery in some cases.
UPS pricing is much more affordable than FedEx, too, especially when you’re sending out light shipments. They offer volume discounts, too, and let you negotiate lower rates when you’re shipping large quantities of packages.
UPS’ tracking can’t be beaten, not even by FedEx. UPS offers detailed tracking for both sellers and customers, so everyone knows exactly where their packages are at any given time.
UPS also offers a lot of other helpful services at their stores. For low fees, their workers are able to help you pack up items to make sure they remain in good condition during the delivery process.
In addition to shipping out your packages, you can also notarize documents, make copies, pick up your mail (if you have a PO box), and even utilize a 3D printer (at some UPS stores).
Cons
Of course, there are also reasons why you might want to avoid working with UPS.
For example, while UPS is much more affordable when you’re shipping light packages, heavier shipments can be quite a bit more expensive.
UPS adds a lot of fees and surcharges onto heavier packages, especially when you’re shipping internationally. Before you decide to work with them, be sure to consider the average weight of the packages you ship out.
Like FedEx, UPS also does not offer free package pickup. You’ll have to pay a flat rate before you can have items picked up. UPS’ pickup fee is cheaper than FedEx’s, though.
Perhaps the biggest downside to using UPS is the fact that they do not offer free Saturday delivery.
If you do not want to pay an extra fee to have your package delivered on Saturday, you may find that your shipments are dramatically slowed down. This can be irritating to customers.
Who Should Use UPS?
If you ship out a lot of fragile items and need help packaging them so that they arrive at their destination safely, UPS might be a better option.
UPS is also a good option for those who need to take advantage of other services besides shipping, as well as those who want to save money while shipping out lighter packages.
FedEx vs UPS: Which Do You Choose?
As you can see, there are benefits and drawbacks to both FedEx and UPS. There’s no one shipping method that works best for every business.
Now that you know more about both FedEx and UPS, you can settle your FedEx vs UPS debate once and for all and decide which shipping company is the best to use for your business.
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