How Much Does It Cost to Overnight a Document

When you need a document or a package to get somewhere tomorrow, it can get really expensive.

Sometimes you have to ask yourself if you truly need it to be there the next day, or if you only need it to be postmarked by today. For example, if you mail your tax return, you only have to have it postmarked by the 15th of April. It doesn't need to get to the Internal Revenue Service on the 15th. So if you head to the post office thinking you need to overnight it, you can save yourself the money!

Sometimes you do need the package there the very next day. Perhaps it's a gift or an important document that someone needs.

If that's truly the case, then you'll need to overnight it.

We explain what the different names are for the overnight class of service, a comparison of the prices for a mix of different letters and packages, and hopefully, you'll be able to find the best option for you!

All prices were quoted March 2020.

Table of Contents

USPS vs. UPS vs. FedEx Services
Overnight Letters
Overnight Packages
Shipping Calculators
International
What Does "Guaranteed" Really Mean?

USPS vs. UPS vs. FedEx Services

The USPS just announced a temporary rate increase for a period of 10/3/2021 to 12/26/2021. This means that USPS will be more expensive that the rates we list below.

For overnight delivery, the three services you should consider are the post office (USPS), the United Parcel Service (UPS), and Federal Express (FedEx).

With the USPS, the guaranteed overnight service is called Priority Mail Express or sometimes shortened to Express. Regular Priority Mail is not guaranteed. Priority Mail Express delivers 7 days a week and is guaranteed.

With UPS, the guaranteed overnight service is called UPS Next Day Air. There is a UPS Next Day Air Early if you need the package delivered before 9:30 AM (sometimes as early as 8 AM in a lot of areas). If it doesn't have to be there until 3 PM or 4:30 PM, you can opt for UPS Next Day Air Saver.

With FedEx, the guaranteed overnight service is called FedEx Overnight. There is FedEx First Overnight for delivery the next morning. There's FedEx Priority Overnight for delivery by 10:30 AM or the afternoon in more remote areas. Finally, there's FedEx Standard Overnight for delivery by 3 PM or 4:30 PM for rural areas and 8 PM in residences.

For our purposes, we're assuming that getting it there the next day is the important part so we'll compare the cheapest of the three next day options.

Overnight Letters

If it's a letter, the cheapest option is the USPS because they have a flat rate envelope that starts at $26.35. It ships any distance and any weight (that fits), for the quoted price.

UPS Next Day Air for a half-pound UPS letter starts at $35.29. If you need UPS Next Day Air Early, it costs $67.73! (2nd Day Air drops it to $25)

FedEx Standard overnight in a half-pound FedEx Envelope starts at $32.03 if it gets there by 3 PM. If you need it FedEx First Overnight, delivered by 9:30 AM), it starts at $65.56!

Overnight Packages

For price comparisons on a package, we did a 6″ x 6″ x 6″ package from New York, NY (10001) to San Francisco, CA (94105). For UPS and FedEx, we have a range because of the different types of overnight services they offer. The most expensive is the class where the package is there in the morning. The least expensive is when it'll get there sometimes before your recipient goes to bed. 🙂

USPS Overnight
Shipping Prices:

1 lb. – $44.00
5 lb. – $71.35
10 lb. – $105.20
50 lb. – $321.35

UPS Next Day
Shipping Prices:

1 lb. – $80.53 – $121.09
5 lb. – $102.27 – $140.56
10 lb. – $140.79 – $175.31
50 lb. – $427.11 – $463.26

FedEx Overnight
Shipping Prices:

1 lb. – $86.49 – $127.87
5 lb. – $107.31 – $147.42
10 lb. – $147.69 – $183.49
50 lb. – $140.55 – $451.72

Shipping Calculators

Want to see prices for yourself, here are the calculators for each provider:

USPS shipping calculator
UPS shipping calculator
FedEx shipping calculator

EasyShip Offer:

EasyShip is a shipping company that will help you quickly compare the prices of multiple shipping companies so you can find the cheapest one for your needs. They work with 100,000s of companies and if you run a company that requires high volume shipping, they can help you save even more.

>> Learn more about EasyShip

International

If it needs to be overnight internationally, you're pretty much limited to DHL. This price is quoted from December 2018.

DHL will overnight a half-pound letter from New York to London, England for $107.72 to $63.07, depending on what time of day you need it.

A 10 lb. box measuring 13.2″ x 12.6″ x 2″ will set you back anywhere from $248.86 to $226.71.

What Does "Guaranteed" Really Mean?

Each of the services will do their best to deliver packages the next day but no service will be able to do it with 100% success. The guarantee simply means that if the package is not delivered by the time they promise, you will be refunded the shipping fees.

Sadly, they cannot go back in time and ensure it gets there the next day.

If you don't need it there the very next day, the prices change a bit. This post captures the cheapest shipping options available from each of the carriers for any speed. USPS wins in quite a few cases but reliability can be an issue.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

7 Alternatives to an Emergency Fund

Have you ever heard the statistic that the majority of Americans couldn't cover a surprise $500 emergency expense? I don't…

GetUpside App Promo Code: WALLETHACKS20 for up to 45¢ Cashback per Gallon of Gas

The GetUpside app gives you cashback at gas stations and restaurants, on top of whatever your existing credit card offers. See the latest promotion codes to increase your cashback!

How to Use a Health Savings Account: Understanding How HSA Accounts Work

The Health Savings Account is a tax-advantaged health cost savings plan used with your employer's high deductible health plan. Also known as an HSA, it can help you cover healthcare expenses, save money on taxes, and even save money for retirement. Find out how to use a Health Savings Account to your advantage.

Best Money Gifts for 2021: A Personal Finance Holiday Gift Guide

With the holidays coming up, you're probably thinking about what you might want to give that special someone. Or that…

Jim Wang is a thirty-something father of four who is a frequent contributor to Forbes and Vanguard's Blog. He has also been fortunate to have appeared in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Entrepreneur, and Marketplace Money.

Jim has a B.S. in Computer Science and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in Information Technology - Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. His approach to personal finance is that of an engineer, breaking down complex subjects into bite-sized easily understood concepts that you can use in your daily life.

One of his favorite tools (here's my treasure chest of tools,, everything I use) is Personal Capital, which enables him to manage his finances in just 15-minutes each month. They also offer financial planning, such as a Retirement Planning Tool that can tell you if you're on track to retire when you want. It's free.

He is also diversifying his investment portfolio by adding a little bit of real estate. But not rental homes, because he doesn't want a second job, it's diversified small investments in a few commercial properties and farms in Illinois, Louisiana, and California through AcreTrader.

Recently, he's invested in a few pieces of art on Masterworks too.

Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Reader Interactions

How Much Does It Cost to Overnight a Document

Source: https://wallethacks.com/cheapest-overnight-shipping-options/#:~:text=next%20day%20options.-,Overnight%20Letters,)%2C%20for%20the%20quoted%20price.&text=FedEx%20Standard%20overnight%20in%20a,gets%20there%20by%203%20PM.