# US carriers compared for home sellers

> USPS, UPS, FedEx and label services side by side: drop-off, pickup, tracking, weight limits, coverage and which marketplaces sell their labels.

## 1. USPS

USPS carries most packages home sellers ship. Ground Advantage covers anything up to 70 lb with tracking and $100 of insurance included, and Priority Mail adds Flat Rate boxes for heavy, dense items. Free Package Pickup means your mail carrier can collect prepaid labels from your door.

- Drop-off: post-office, postbox
- Collection: yes
- Tracking: some
- Heaviest parcel: 70 lb
- Cover: Up to $100 on Ground Advantage and Priority Mail
- Labels sold through: eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, Mercari, Depop, Whatnot, TikTok Shop
- Checked October 7, 2026: https://www.usps.com

Best for:

- Clothing, cards and small items under a few pounds on Ground Advantage
- Prepaid labels from Poshmark, Mercari, eBay, Etsy and Whatnot
- Heavy, dense items that fit a Priority Mail Flat Rate box

Watch out:

- Plain First-Class letters have no tracking, so keep them for low-value cards.
- Holiday surcharges usually apply in Q4, so check the current rates before you set shipping prices.

Services:

- eBay Standard Envelope: $0.82 to $1.40, tracked. Tracked letter for eBay cards and flat items selling under $20, up to 3 oz. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS First-Class letter (stamped envelope): $0.82 to $1.60. A single raw card in a plain envelope with a stamp: cheap, but no tracking. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS Ground Advantage, 1 to 2 lb: $7.61 to $13.42, tracked. Shoes, jeans and boxed items up to 2 lb, tracked with $100 insurance. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS Ground Advantage, up to 3 lb: $8.64 to $16.30, tracked. Heavier clothing bundles and boxed items up to 3 lb, tracked. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS Ground Advantage, under 1 lb: $6.93 to $8.95, tracked. Clothing, cards in a mailer and other small items under 1 lb. Tracked, with $100 insurance included. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box: $21.17 to $25.80, tracked. Flat Rate box for dense items like books or ceramics, priced the same to any state. (checked October 7, 2026)
- USPS Priority Mail Small Flat Rate Box: $12.10 to $14.65, tracked. Ships small, dense items like coins or boxed rings at one price to any state. (checked October 7, 2026)

## 2. Pirate Ship

Pirate Ship is a free label tool, not a carrier: you buy USPS and UPS labels at discounted commercial rates with no monthly fee, print them and hand the package to USPS or UPS. It imports orders from eBay, Etsy and other stores, and it offers USPS Cubic pricing for small, heavy boxes.

- Drop-off: post-office, postbox, parcelshop
- Collection: yes
- Tracking: all
- Heaviest parcel: check on their site
- Cover: check on their site
- Labels sold through: eBay, Etsy
- Checked October 7, 2026: https://www.pirateship.com

Best for:

- Orders you ship yourself rather than on a platform label
- Small, heavy boxes that price lower on cubic rates
- Comparing USPS and UPS prices side by side

Watch out:

- Platforms with a fixed prepaid label, like Poshmark, expect you to use theirs.
- Claims go through the carrier or the insurance you add, so check the cover before shipping anything valuable.

Services:

- USPS Cubic via Pirate Ship: $6.00 to $15.00, tracked. Small, heavy boxes up to 20 lb priced by size, not weight. (checked October 7, 2026)

## 4. UPS

UPS Ground carries packages up to 150 lb, and every shipment has tracking and $100 of declared value. Drop off at The UPS Store or a UPS Access Point, or schedule a pickup. eBay labels and Pirate Ship both sell discounted UPS Ground rates.

- Drop-off: parcelshop, locker
- Collection: yes
- Tracking: all
- Heaviest parcel: 154 lb
- Cover: check on their site
- Labels sold through: eBay
- Checked October 6, 2026: https://www.ups.com/gb/en

Best for:

- Boxes over 5 lb, such as electronics, boots and home goods
- eBay and Pirate Ship users comparing UPS Ground with USPS

Watch out:

- Retail rates at the counter cost far more than label tool rates, so buy the label online first.
- On-demand pickup has a fee, while dropping off at an Access Point is free.

Services:

- UPS Ground, up to 5 lb: $12.00 to $25.00, tracked. Tracked UPS Ground for boxed items up to 5 lb, for when it costs less than USPS. (checked October 7, 2026)

## 5. FedEx

FedEx Ground and Home Delivery suit heavier and bulky boxes, up to 150 lb a package, with tracking on every shipment. You can drop off at a FedEx Office or a retail partner such as Walgreens or Dollar General, or pay for a pickup from home.

- Drop-off: post-office, parcelshop
- Collection: yes
- Tracking: all
- Heaviest parcel: 150 lb
- Cover: Up to $100 declared value included
- Labels sold through: eBay, Etsy, Mercari
- Checked October 7, 2026: https://www.fedex.com/en-us/home.html

Best for:

- Boxes over 5 lb, where FedEx Ground often beats USPS
- Bulky items like small furniture, gear and home goods

Watch out:

- On-demand pickup from home costs extra, so drop off at a FedEx location when you can.
- Dimensional weight applies, so measure the box and price on the larger of actual and dim weight.

Services:

- FedEx Home Delivery, up to 5 lb: $12.00 to $25.00, tracked. Boxed items up to 5 lb to a home address, tracked, with drop-off at FedEx locations. (checked October 7, 2026)