When shipping a package, one of the first questions your recipient might ask is, "When will it get here?"
USPS offers a variety of service commitments for their shipping services, but it's important to note that many of these timeframes are only estimates 😉 For most services, USPS doesn't guarantee a delivery date, nor offer a refund for late arrival.
On the other hand, UPS provides more accurate delivery timeframes and even offers time-definite services which feature delivery during certain times of the day.
We've broken down everything you need to know for each USPS and UPS service on Pirate Ship below:
USPS
First Class Package
Estimated delivery within 2-5 business days
Subject to delays
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Priority Mail (Weight-based, Cubic, Flat Rate, Regional Rate)
Estimated delivery within 1-3 business days
Subject to delays
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Priority Mail Express
Guaranteed overnight delivery in urban areas
Guaranteed 2-day delivery in rural areas
Money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Parcel Select Ground
Estimated delivery within 2-8 days
Subject to delays
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Media Mail
Estimated delivery within 2-8 business days
Subject to delays
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Simple Export Rate
Estimated delivery within 1-4 weeks, depending on the country
Subject to delays
Estimated delivery time does not include customs processing
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
First Class Package International
Estimated delivery within 1-3 weeks, depending on the country
Subject to delays
Estimated delivery time does not include customs processing
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Priority Mail International
Estimated delivery within 6-10 business days, depending on the country
Subject to delays
Estimated delivery time does not include customs processing
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
Priority Mail Express International
Estimated delivery within 3-5 business days, depending on the country
Subject to delays
Estimated delivery time does not include customs processing
No money-back guarantee from USPS for late delivery
UPS
UPS Ground®
Delivery timeframe of 1-5 business days, depending on where you're shipping
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS 3 Day Select®
Delivery timeframe of 3 business days
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS 2nd Day Air®
Delivery timeframe of 2 business days, including two time-definite delivery options with 2nd Day Air AM®
Two time-definite delivery options with 2nd Day Air AM based on where you’re shipping from and to: 10:30 A.M. or 12:00 P.M. of the second business day to most destinations in the United States
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Next Day Air®
Delivery timeframe of the morning of the next business day, with some destinations qualifying for early morning or end-of-day delivery
Next Day Air Early® offers overnight delivery as early as 8:00 A.M. to most major cities in the United States, or by 9:30 A.M. to most other domestic destinations
Next Day Air Saver® offers delivery by end-of-day on the next business day
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Standard®
Delivery timeframe of 3-7 business days for packages going to Mexico and Canada
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Worldwide Expedited®
Delivery timeframe of 1-5 business days, depending on the country you’re shipping to
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Worldwide Saver®
Delivery in 1-3 business days
1 business day to Canada, 2 business days to Mexico, and 3 business days to most major international cities
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Worldwide Express®
Delivery in 1-3 business days
1 day delivery to Canada & Mexico and 2-3 business days for the rest of the world, depending on the country you're shipping to
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
Delivery in 1-3 business days (delivery takes place earlier in the day than Worldwide Express)
1 day delivery to Canada and 2-3 business days for the rest of the world, depending on the country you're shipping to
No money-back guarantee from UPS for late delivery
We can only see what you can see
Keep in mind that us pirates only have access to the same USPS and UPS tracking information as you, so we may not be able to provide the expected delivery date for your shipment 😅
To get the most accurate estimates from USPS, you can check out the USPS Service Commitments tool. For UPS shipments, you can get the most accurate real-time estimates by entering your tracking number into the UPS tracking portal.
Note: Due to COVID-19, all USPS shipping services (excluding domestic Priority Mail Express) are subject to extended service delays until further notice. Domestic USPS shipping services may take between 4-5 days (or longer) for delivery. International service commitments vary depending on the country, but you can review specific service disruptions here.