Have you ever been confused about which shipping service to use in the marketplace? If so, you’re not alone. Naturally, your buyers want their items quickly — and, if possible, shipped free or at the lowest cost available — so the shipping service you choose can directly impact your seller feedback, overall customer satisfaction and your bottom line.
What’s more, the marketplaces tend to have different ways of classifying their shipping options — meaning what’s called expedited at Amazon may not be exactly what eBay considers expedited. Some marketplaces, like Amazon, specify a delivery time, not service, so if you’ve promised 2‑day shipping, its up to you to choose the shipping service to make it happen. To further muddy the waters, “expedited” may not even refer to a marketplace’s fastest shipping service. With next‑morning and same‑day shipping available, that “expedited” option could in fact take longer and cost you extra days — and possibly customers.
Here’s what you need to know about the differences in these levels of service, and how you can best communicate shipping expectations to customers.
The following table provides a quick look at the offerings of USPS, FedEx and UPS; always check directly with the shipper for any changes in services, names or costs.
Carrier | Shipping service name | eBay Service Definition | Amazon Service Definition |
---|---|---|---|
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Express | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
UPS | UPS Next Day Air Saver | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
UPS | UPS Next Day Air | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Priority Overnight® | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Standard Overnight® | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Priority Overnight One Rate® | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Standard Overnight One Rate® | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
Varies | One‑day shipping | One‑day shipping | One‑Day U.S. |
UPS | UPS 2nd Day Air | Expedited shipping | Two‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx 2Day® | Expedited shipping | Two‑Day U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx 2Day One Rate® | Expedited shipping | Two‑Day U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Padded Envelope | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS Priority Mail Regional Rate Boxes(A&B) | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Express Saver® | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Express Saver One Rate® | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
Varies | Expedited shipping | Expedited shipping | Expedited U.S. |
USPS | USPS First Class Mail | Standard shipping | Expedited U.S. |
UPS | UPS 3 Day Select | Standard shipping | Expedited U.S. |
UPS | UPS Ground | Standard shipping | Expedited U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Ground | Standard shipping | Expedited U.S. |
FedEx | FedEx Home Delivery | Standard shipping | Expedited U.S. |
Varies | Standard shipping | Standard shipping | Standard U.S. |
USPS | USPS Parcel Select | Economy shipping | Standard U.S. |
USPS | USPS Media Mail | Economy shipping | Standard U.S. |
Varies | Economy shipping | Economy shipping | Standard U.S. |