Overnight Package Cost: Current Prices & Fees

Sending a package overnight is the most expensive way to move a box within the United States, and the price climbs fast with weight and distance. Priority Mail Express is the USPS service built for it, and it is the one carrier option with a published retail price list that anyone can read in full.

UPS and FedEx also offer next-day service, and their prices depend on the account, the delivery address type, fuel and delivery surcharges, and the day you ship. This guide prices the USPS option in detail and shows how to compare it with the others. Prices were last checked Oct 14, 2026.

Priority Mail Express is priced in zones 1 to 8, from a nearby delivery to the farthest point in the continental table. Light packages start close together and spread out as weight grows.

Read each range as nearby on the low end and farthest zone on the high end. A package up to half a pound is cheap relative to its weight class, but it still costs several times a standard parcel of the same size. The table also shows that a two-pound package to the farthest zone costs well over the same package sent nearby, so check your ZIP codes rather than rely on a single average.

For documents and small, flat items, a Priority Mail Express flat rate envelope has one price whatever the distance. Three envelope types are available.

The envelopes cost about the same as a one-pound package sent to a nearby zone. That means a flat rate envelope is a good deal for a distant destination, and no deal at all across town. It also helps when the contents are awkward to weigh, since weight does not matter as long as the envelope closes.

Not always. Priority Mail Express is intended for next-day delivery to many destinations, but the commitment depends on the origin, the destination, and the time of drop-off. Remote areas and some ZIP codes may take longer. USPS publishes service commitments by ZIP code on its Postal Explorer site, and the label or counter clerk can confirm the expected delivery day before you pay.

Weekend and holiday shipping needs a closer look. Delivery on a Sunday or holiday carries an extra fee, shown below.

If your package must arrive on a specific day, ask whether that day is covered and whether the surcharge applies, then keep the receipt and tracking number.

Both carriers sell next-day services. Their prices vary with residential delivery fees, fuel surcharges, and account discounts, and those charges change often, so a single number here would mislead you.

The reliable way to compare is to price the same package on each carrier's online rate calculator. Enter the origin and destination ZIP codes, the weight, the box dimensions, and the delivery day. Include the address type, since a home delivery can cost more than a business delivery. Then compare the total, not just the base rate.

• Weight and size. Heavier or bulkier packages move up the table, and large boxes can be priced on dimensional weight.
• Distance. The farthest zones cost noticeably more than the nearest ones for every weight class.
• Delivery day. Sunday and holiday delivery adds a surcharge.
• Packaging. Flat rate envelopes cap the price for small items, but only if everything fits without forcing the seal.
• Add-ons. Insurance and signature options are priced separately.

Ask whether the shipment really needs to arrive tomorrow. A two or three day service often costs far less than overnight and delivers in time for many deadlines. Pack the item as small and light as possible, compare a flat rate envelope with the weight-based price, and ship early in the week so a missed connection does not push delivery into a weekend. For regular senders, business accounts and online label tools usually offer lower prices than the retail counter.