Why use smartpost

Some shippers like to run internal studies tracking the transit time for various services to different locations. SmartPost does offer Saturday pick-up. Both services offer Saturday delivery. Additional services : FedEx Home Delivery allows additional services, such as FedEx Delivery Signature Options, Return Solutions, FedEx Delivery Manager, a money-back guarantee, collection on delivery, declared value, signature proof of delivery collection, and evening or appointment delivery times.

These features are not available for SmartPost. The customer can also request delivery to a FedEx location instead of the residence. Size matters : Both services max out at 70 pounds per package. However, the dimensional weight is different. The transit time for that category is 5 to 7 days from purchase.

The survey showed that shoppers are looking for the best shipping costs. FedEx SmartPost works on a consolidation model, which involves collecting packages at various consolidation sites around the U.

Eastern U. In these cases, it is always better to ship directly through USPS. Must use your own boxes. Even though you have the advantage of final delivery through USPS, it will not permit you to utilize the free boxes that it provides. Unified tracking sometimes causes confusion for customers. My business receives a slightly higher number of customer service inquiries from our SurePost shipments for this reason.

As these services become more widespread, these inquiries should likely drop to normal levels. Limited shopping cart support. However, the services are not integrated in the vast majority of shopping cart software by default. If you are an experienced programmer, or are willing to hire programmer, direct API integration into your cart can be added manually.

Conclusion UPS SurePost and FedEx SmartPost can provide significant shipping savings over traditional ground services by eliminating hefty delivery area, residential, and Saturday delivery surcharges. How much does your package weigh? Are the dimensions too large? Here is a quick comparison to consider for each carrier. This service can accept a package weight of up to 70 pounds and a size of inches in length plus girth.

The total dimensions of the package cannot exceed inches and must be less than 1 pound if you select SurePost; it can be 1 pound or heavier and up to inches in size if you select SurePost Bound Printed Matter or SurePost Media in the UPS service box. SurePost and SmartPost provide good alternatives to help retailers operate with greater efficiency. Package delivery may be slower when compared to traditional options, but if you communicate that clearly to customers, it might not be an issue.

Striking the right balance between efficiency, cost savings, and customer needs and expectations is the key to minimizing costs and maximizing savings. As a result, a unique synergy is achieved — one that has the potential to impact your bottom line and contribute to the future success of your company. Tracking is available with all packages delivered via SurePost or SmartPost. When USPS gets involved:.

Whether USPS gets involved:. The way shipping fees are charged:.