Does UPS Deliver on Weekend? The Complete 2024 Guide
With the rise of ecommerce and increased customer expectations for fast shipping, many are wondering – does UPS deliver on weekends?
Getting packages over the weekend can be extremely convenient for both residential and business customers. However, UPS does not offer standard delivery on Sundays, and has limitations around Saturday delivery.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about UPS weekend delivery services, including:
- Overview of UPS Saturday delivery options
- Locations and services eligible for Saturday delivery
- Cost and fees associated with UPS Saturday delivery
- Process for setting up weekend delivery
- UPS Sunday delivery options
- Alternatives for weekend and same-day delivery
- Tips for avoiding delays with UPS weekend shipping
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand exactly how UPS handles weekend deliveries so you can set accurate expectations with your own shipments.
An Introduction to UPS Weekend Delivery Services
UPS offers some of the most reliable and cost-effective shipping services in the industry. The company ships to over 220 countries and territories worldwide through a combination of ground and air transportation.
But many customers want to know – can I get UPS deliveries on weekends?
While UPS does not provide regular Sunday delivery, it does offer Saturday delivery in select areas through certain services. There are a few important things to understand about UPS weekend delivery:
- Saturday delivery is available primarily in major US metro areas and surrounding suburbs. Availability depends on the origin and destination zip codes.
- Eligible UPS services for Saturday delivery include UPS Next Day Air, UPS 2nd Day Air, UPS Ground, and UPS 3 Day Select.
- Residential customers can get Saturday delivery at no extra charge through UPS Ground. For commercial addresses, there is a $4 fee per package.
- Sunday delivery is only possible through UPS Express Critical, an urgent 24/7 courier service. This is very expensive and intended for extremely urgent packages that must arrive on Sunday.
- As an affordable alternative, UPS SurePost uses the USPS to provide Sunday ground delivery in select areas where USPS offers it.
Understanding these key points will help set accurate expectations when you have a package shipped via UPS over the weekend.
Overview of UPS Saturday Delivery Services
UPS offers Saturday delivery primarily through its air and ground consumer shipping services. Depending on factors like your location and chosen service, you may be able to receive UPS deliveries 6 days a week instead of just Monday through Friday.
Here’s an overview of how UPS Saturday delivery works in 2024:
Locations Served for Saturday Delivery
UPS provides Saturday delivery to more than 100 metropolitan and surrounding suburban areas across the United States. This includes major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, and Jacksonville.
Availability depends on the specific origin and destination zip codes. Both the shipper and recipient need to be located in an eligible zone.
In addition to the contiguous United States, UPS Saturday delivery is available in select areas of Alaska and Hawaii.
Outside of the US, Saturday delivery is possible in certain parts of Canada, Mexico, the UK, Germany, France, and other countries where UPS operates.
Eligible UPS Services for Saturday Delivery
Not all UPS service levels are able to provide Saturday delivery. The main options eligible for weekend shipping are:
- UPS Next Day Air – Guaranteed delivery by noon to most addresses, by 10:30 AM for many major cities.
- UPS 2nd Day Air – Arrives by end of day on the second business day after shipping.
- UPS Ground – UPS’s standard ground service promises delivery in 1-5 business days.
- UPS 3 Day Select – As the name implies, delivery is guaranteed in three business days.
Certain other services like UPS Worldwide Express Plus and UPS Worldwide Express Freight also offer Saturday delivery capabilities to select countries.
The most affordable way to get a UPS Saturday delivery is by using UPS Ground which provides it at no extra charge to most residential addresses.
Delivery Times for UPS Saturday Service
UPS makes deliveries on Saturdays throughout regular business hours, generally between 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM. Delivery times are not guaranteed for weekend shipments unless you pay for an upgraded service like UPS Next Day Air Early which promises delivery by 9:00 AM.
For a shipment to arrive on Saturday, you will generally need to drop off your package for pickup no later than Friday evening before the UPS pickup time for your location. UPS will not pick up or process packages for ground delivery on Sundays.
Cost of UPS Saturday Delivery
One of the big benefits of UPS Saturday delivery is that there is no surcharge for most residential packages, providing you use an eligible service like UPS Ground.
However, there is a $4 fee per package for Saturday commercial deliveries. So if you are shipping to or from a business address, expect to pay extra for weekend delivery.
The way around this fee is to enroll in a UPS account with scheduled Saturday pickups. When the Saturday pickup is already built into your account, commercial packages get Saturday delivery at no extra cost.
For faster services like UPS Next Day Air, the regular fees apply but there is no additional Saturday premium. The only UPS service that charges extra for Saturday is UPS 3 Day Select, which adds a $4 surcharge per piece.
How to Check if a Zip Code Gets UPS Saturday Delivery?
Because UPS Saturday delivery is limited primarily to major metro areas and surrounding communities, the availability depends on your specific origin and destination zip codes.
There are a couple ways to check if your addresses are eligible for UPS weekend delivery:
- Use the UPS website – Enter your shipment details in the tracking page and it will show you available delivery dates, including Saturdays if supported.
- Call UPS customer service – A rep can look up your zip codes and confirm if Saturday delivery is possible between them.
- Reference eligibility maps – UPS provides general maps showing ZIP codes enabled for Saturday delivery. But always confirm directly since these are not exact.
If you are shipping to or from an area that doesn’t have Saturday service, you unfortunately won’t be able to get UPS packages on weekends. But there are some other workarounds detailed later in this article.
How to Schedule a UPS Saturday Delivery?
If you want to get a shipment delivered on a Saturday with UPS, you will need to take a couple steps during the process of creating your label and pickup request:
1. Choose an Eligible UPS Service
As mentioned above, select a service like UPS Next Day Air, UPS Ground, or UPS 3 Day Select that provides Saturday delivery capabilities in your region. Services like UPS Standard and UPS SurePost do not support weekend shipping.
2. Verify the Address is in a Supported Area
Before purchasing your label, always verify that the “ship to” and “ship from” zip codes are eligible for UPS Saturday delivery. If not, you risk paying for faster service that won’t actually ship on weekends.
3. Select “Weekend Delivery”
When specifying your package details and purchasing a UPS label online, you will have the option on the “Delivery Options” page to select “Weekend Delivery”. This will schedule your shipment for delivery on Saturday rather than the next normal business day.
4. Ship Out on Friday
Finally, make sure your package is dropped off at an authorized UPS location no later than Friday evening so it can be processed in time to go out for weekend delivery.
As long as you take these steps, your package should arrive on schedule this Saturday! Just make sure to get everything submitted by Friday.
How to Get a Package Delivered on Sunday by UPS
Since UPS does not offer mainstream Sunday delivery, what options exist for getting packages on Sundays? There are a couple alternative methods:
UPS Express Critical
The only way to get a Sunday delivery directly from UPS is to use UPS Express Critical, the courier’s urgent 24/7 pickup and delivery service. This is primarily intended for emergency medical shipments or extremely time-sensitive documents.
Since a courier needs to personally transport and deliver your package on a Sunday, it is very expensive:
- Minimum charge is $150 plus $0.77 per mile
- Sunday delivery has an additional $140 surcharge
- $100 surcharge for pickup on Saturday
- Fuel surcharges and other fees may also apply
As you can see, the cost will amount to several hundred dollars at a minimum for a basic UPS Sunday delivery through Express Critical. But it’s the only option for guaranteed delivery on Sundays.
UPS SurePost with USPS
A more affordable alternative is UPS SurePost, a hybrid service where UPS handles the long distance transportation while the USPS does the final mile delivery.
USPS in some areas does provide residential Sunday package delivery. So using UPS SurePost allows you to leverage that offering at reasonable rates starting around $4.20 or more depending on weight and distance.
Downsides are that UPS SurePost is slower, with 5-8 business day delivery times. Packages must also meet USPS requirements for Sunday delivery based on destination, weight, and other factors.
So while UPS SurePost can provide Sunday deliveries through USPS, it lacks the speed, reliability, and guarantees of UPS Express Critical. The delivery time also depends on the efficiency of your local post office.
Alternative Carriers That Offer Weekend Deliveries
If UPS’ limited weekend delivery options don’t meet your needs for Saturday and Sunday shipping, you may want to explore using other carriers:
FedEx
Like UPS, FedEx offers Saturday pickup and delivery services in select areas through FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, and FedEx Home Delivery. Residential FedEx Home packages receive Saturday delivery at no extra cost.
FedEx also provides Sunday delivery in some regions when you use FedEx Priority Overnight Service or FedEx First Overnight.
DHL
DHL Express offers weekend delivery for urgent shipments on both Saturdays and Sundays. This includes door-to-door courier service. DHL also provides end-of-day Saturday delivery for less urgent packages through services like DHL Ground and DHL Economy Select.
Amazon Shipping
If you sell products through Amazon, their in-house logistics network Amazon Shipping can deliver Prime orders on weekends. Sunday delivery is available in certain markets for Amazon Prime customers. Non-Prime orders are delivered on Saturdays in eligible areas.
Local Couriers or Messengers
For rushed same-day delivery within your region, local courier services and messengers are a great option. They can provide door-to-door delivery on short notice, including weekends. The limitation is geographic reach.
Research courier companies that service your area for the most urgent weekend packages. On-demand messengers through services like Postmates can also deliver locally on weekends.
Tips for Avoiding Delayed Weekend Deliveries with UPS
While UPS does allow for Saturday deliveries to many major metro areas, there are some common pitfalls that can result in your package getting delayed until Monday:
- Forgetting to select “Weekend Delivery” at checkout
- Missing the Friday pickup cutoff time
- Unverified zip codes outside UPS’s weekend area
- Using an incompatible service like UPS Ground
- Attempting Sunday delivery without Express Critical
Here are some tips to avoid delays and ensure smooth weekend deliveries with UPS:
- Always double check your zip codes are eligible for Saturday service
- Carefully review shipping services and pickup/delivery times
- Select “Weekend Delivery” option at checkout
- Drop off at UPS location before Friday cutoff time
- Consider FedEx, DHL, or Amazon if UPS is not ideal for weekend needs
- For Sunday, use Express Critical sparingly or UPS SurePost + USPS
With proper planning and understanding UPS’ specific policies around weekend shipping, you can make sure your customers receive their orders on Saturdays or Sundays. Just be aware of the limitations and costs involved.
The Future of Weekend Deliveries with UPS
As consumer demand grows for faster, more flexible delivery options, large carriers like UPS are expanding weekend services:
- Expanded Saturday coverage – UPS plans to extend eligibility for Saturday Ground delivery to thousands more ZIP codes and communities across the US.
- Seven day operations – Major sorting hubs and facilities could begin processing shipments on Sundays to support wider weekend delivery in the future.
- USPS partnership – UPS SurePost may leverage the United States Postal Service to provide mainstream residential Sunday deliveries at affordable rates.
- Autonomous vehicles – Self-driving vehicles and drones could enable cost-efficient, high volume weekend deliveries even to remote areas.
While the company currently only offers limited Saturday service and high-cost urgent Sunday options, the future is likely to see UPS provide standard weekend delivery more widely as evolving consumer expectations and technologies make it viable.
The Bottom Line: UPS Weekend Delivery FAQs
To wrap up this complete guide on shipping with UPS over the weekends, here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Does UPS deliver on Saturdays?
Yes, UPS offers Saturday delivery in select major metro areas through services like UPS Ground, UPS Air, and UPS 3 Day Select. No additional fees for residential.
What are the UPS Saturday delivery times?
Packages are delivered anywhere between 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM on Saturdays. Not guaranteed without paying for upgraded delivery.
Does UPS deliver on Sundays?
No, the only UPS Sunday delivery option is expensive same-day courier service UPS Express Critical. UPS SurePost can provide Sunday delivery through USPS in some areas.
What is the cost for UPS Saturday delivery?
No added cost for most residential packages (just regular shipping rates apply). $4 surcharge per package for Saturday commercial/business deliveries.
How do I schedule a UPS weekend delivery?
Use an eligible service, verify your zip code is in a supported area, select “Weekend Delivery” at checkout, and drop off at UPS by Friday cutoff.
We hope this guide provides everything you need to know about UPS weekend shipping. While options are still limited, understanding the services, fees, and requirements allows you to meet customer expectations.
