Every economy rate in our captures, with the window it returned or the honest blank where it did not.
The economy tier across eight destinations
One box, 12 by 10 by 6 in at 5 lb, leaving Newark, NJ 07102 for eight different cities. Both economy products are in the table, and one of them has a habit worth knowing about. These totals are final, with our portion already inside them.
| Destination | UPS Ground Saver | Window returned | FedEx Ground Economy | Window returned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoboken, NJ 07030 | $10.37 | None | $11.42 | 2-3 business days |
| Philadelphia, PA 19102 | $10.37 | None | $11.42 | 2-3 business days |
| Atlanta, GA 30303 | $13.52 | None | $14.31 | 6-7 business days |
| Chicago, IL 60601 | $14.02 | None | No row returned | Not applicable |
| Dallas, TX 75201 | $15.49 | None | $16.22 | 6-7 business days |
| Denver, CO 80202 | $16.47 | None | $17.52 | 6-7 business days |
| Los Angeles, CA 90011 | $19.14 | None | $20.50 | 7-8 business days |
| Seattle, WA 98101 | $19.14 | None | $20.50 | 8-9 business days |
UPS Ground Saver returned no delivery window on any of the eight lanes. We are not going to invent one. If a buyer needs a date on the calendar, that row is the wrong row to buy, however tempting the price looks next to it.
Where the cheap tier stops being cheap
Economy pricing is built for light parcels, and the assumption falls apart as boxes get heavy. Same lane throughout, Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303, with the standard ground row alongside for comparison.
| Box and weight | UPS Ground Saver | UPS Ground | Cheaper row |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 by 12 by 8 in, 8 lb | $15.71 | $20.02 | Ground Saver |
| 16 by 14 by 10 in, 16 lb | $20.50 | $23.70 | Ground Saver |
| 20 by 16 by 12 in, 32 lb | $52.56 | $32.09 | Ground |
| 24 by 18 by 14 in, 50 lb | $66.50 | $45.01 | Ground |
The tier flips somewhere between 16 and 32 lb on this lane. At 50 lb the economy row cost $21.49 more than standard ground and still returned no window. Anyone who picks the economy option out of habit on heavy cartons is paying extra for less information.
The tier is built around slower handling
Economy services move on the same trucks but with lower priority in the sort, so they absorb the slack on busy days. That is the trade you are making, and it is a good one on a light parcel with a patient buyer.
USPS sells one parcel tier, not two
There is no separate USPS economy product. Ground Advantage is both the cheap tier and the default tier, published at 2 to 5 days, which is why it often lands under the branded economy rows from the other two carriers.
A missing window is a real cost
Buyers who cannot see a date open support tickets. If you sell on a marketplace with delivery estimates baked into the listing, a row with no window attached puts your metrics at the mercy of a network you cannot see into.
Economy shipping questions
What is economy shipping?
It is the cheapest surface tier a carrier sells, marketed as UPS Ground Saver or FedEx Ground Economy. Parcels ride the same network with lower sort priority, so the price drops and the transit estimate widens.
How slow is economy shipping really?
On our 2026-07-28 captures out of Newark, FedEx Ground Economy returned 2-3 business days to nearby Hoboken and Philadelphia, 6-7 to Atlanta, Dallas and Denver, 7-8 to Los Angeles and 8-9 to Seattle, all for the same 12 by 10 by 6 in box at 5 lb.
Why does an economy rate sometimes show no delivery estimate?
Because the carrier did not supply one. UPS Ground Saver returned no delivery window on any of the eight destinations we quoted on 2026-07-28, so we leave that field blank rather than filling it with a guess. Pick a different row if the recipient needs a date.
Is economy always the cheapest option?
No. On the Newark to Atlanta lane, UPS Ground Saver undercut UPS Ground at 8 lb and 16 lb, then cost more at 32 lb and 50 lb, ending $21.49 above the standard ground row on the heaviest box. Above roughly 16 lb the habit stops paying.