Published prices exist for overnight parcel service. For same-day they are quoted job by job.
What same-day actually is
A dedicated movement, not a network
Ordinary parcel service works because thousands of packages share the same trucks and sorts. Same-day breaks that: the shipment gets a specific vehicle or a specific seat on a flight, and you pay for that capacity rather than for a share of it. Every quote therefore depends on the exact pair of addresses, the hour, and what else is moving nearby.
The carrier version exists and is priced on request
FedEx publishes two same-day services, one for envelopes and packages up to 150 lbs and one for palletized freight or multiple packages of 151 lbs or more. Coverage is described as door-to-door delivery throughout all 50 states, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays, with prior approval required if any single package exceeds 70 lb or has dimensions over 48 inches. Booking is through a dedicated site with an account or by phone, and no prices appear on that page. All quoted from fedex.com, checked 2026-07-28.
Retail same-day is a different animal
Most people meeting the phrase are seeing a shop's own local delivery, fulfilled from a nearby store by a courier platform. That is a retail service tied to that shop's stock, not a shipping product you can buy for your own parcel, and it is worth separating the two before comparing prices.
The fastest published prices we can point at
Where same-day is quoted case by case, overnight is not. The postal service publishes its express prices in a national price list, and the figures below are the retail amounts for its fastest service by zone, from the price list effective July 12, 2026, retrieved 2026-07-27.
| Zone | 1 lb | 5 lb |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | $35.90 | $37.80 |
| Zone 2 | $36.35 | $41.05 |
| Zone 3 | $38.30 | $50.55 |
| Zone 4 | $43.45 | $65.85 |
| Zone 5 | $51.50 | $85.00 |
| Zone 6 | $55.75 | $93.40 |
| Zone 7 | $59.25 | $98.35 |
| Zone 8 | $62.80 | $101.50 |
Those are counter prices for a service the postal operator describes as 1-3 day delivery by 6 PM. Air parcel services from the ground carriers sit in similar territory. On our Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303 test lane on 2026-07-28, a 12 x 10 x 6 in box at 5 lb quoted $21.96 with UPS 2nd Day Air against $13.52 for the cheapest ground option on the same box, so roughly eight dollars bought several days.
Compare fast services on your box Read the overnight cost guide
Deciding whether you really need today
Measure the deadline, not the anxiety
A great many same-day enquiries turn out to be next-morning problems. If the recipient does not open the box until business hours tomorrow, an overnight service with a published price does the same job for a fraction of a dedicated courier charge, and it comes with tracking a customer can watch.
Local beats national for local jobs
Across a single metro area, a local courier or a gig delivery platform will almost always undercut a national same-day product, because there is no airport in the middle of the route. Those firms quote by distance and vehicle size and rarely publish rates either, so ask two of them rather than assuming.
Weight caps still apply at speed
Speed does not lift the size ceilings. The carrier same-day product is capped at 150 lbs for packages, with prior approval needed above 70 lb or beyond 48 inches, and anything larger becomes a freight movement with its own quote. A rush does not turn cargo back into a parcel.
What we sell instead
SMKlog sells US domestic parcel labels with no account and no subscription, covering the overnight, two-day and ground tiers from the major carriers, with the whole price shown before you pay. Same-day, courier work, international shipping beyond Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia, and warehousing are not products we offer. SMKlog sells parcel labels only and does not arrange pallet or freight shipments.
Same-day questions
Can I buy same-day delivery from SMKlog?
No. Our checkout sells US domestic parcel labels for overnight, two-day and ground services. Same-day runs on dedicated courier networks that quote each job individually, and it is not a product we offer.
What does same-day delivery cost?
Nobody publishes a rate card for it, because each movement is priced on the specific addresses, the hour and the vehicle. The carrier same-day page we checked on 2026-07-28 lists services and coverage but no prices, and directs shippers to an account-based booking site or a phone line.
What is the fastest service you do sell?
Overnight and express air parcel service. The postal operator publishes its fastest service at $35.90 for a 1 lb zone 1 parcel rising to $62.80 in zone 8, from the price list effective July 12, 2026, and the air tiers from the ground carriers price in similar territory.
Is overnight enough instead of same-day?
Usually, if the recipient opens the package during business hours. On our Newark to Atlanta test lane on 2026-07-28 a 5 lb box quoted $21.96 with UPS 2nd Day Air against $13.52 on the cheapest ground option, so buying speed on a small parcel costs far less than a dedicated courier run.