Does FedEx SmartPost Deliver on Sundays? Ground Economy

Yes, in most of the U.S. FedEx SmartPost, now called FedEx Ground Economy, lists its delivery days as Monday through Sunday, and FedEx’s service sheet cites Sunday residential coverage for nearly 95% of the U.S. population. Sunday delivery isn’t guaranteed for any single package, though, because Ground Economy has a variable 2 to 7 business day transit time.

Older answers often say SmartPost never delivers on Sundays. That was true when the U.S. Postal Service handled the final delivery, but FedEx now describes Ground Economy as using the entire FedEx Ground delivery network. Our guide to FedEx tracking and delivery explains how to follow a package from pickup to the door.

Does FedEx SmartPost Deliver on Sundays?

FedEx’s Ground Economy page lists service days as Monday through Sunday, and its service sheet adds that Sunday residential coverage reaches nearly 95% of the U.S. population. If you live in that coverage area, a Ground Economy package can arrive on a Sunday when that’s where its transit time lands.

Three things decide whether yours does. The package has to be in your local FedEx Ground network by the weekend, your address has to be in Sunday coverage, and Sunday has to fall within the package’s transit window. A package that reaches the local terminal on Monday won’t wait for a Sunday, and one in a rural area outside coverage arrives on the next delivery day instead.

What Is FedEx Ground Economy, Formerly SmartPost?

FedEx states that “FedEx SmartPost has been renamed FedEx Ground Economy.” It’s FedEx’s low-cost service for low-weight, non-urgent packages going to U.S. homes, and it’s a contract service that businesses set up through a FedEx account representative. Labels and some store checkouts still show the SmartPost name.

The trade-off for the lower price is speed. Ground Economy is slower than FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery, and our FedEx Ground Economy rates guide explains how it’s priced. For a full breakdown of delivery days by distance, see our guide to SmartPost shipping times and the transit map.

Why Didn’t SmartPost Packages Arrive on Sundays Before?

The original SmartPost service was a two-carrier service. FedEx carried the package to a postal facility near the recipient, and USPS made the final delivery. USPS doesn’t deliver most packages on Sundays, so SmartPost packages arrived Monday through Saturday, and tracking often showed the package as handed to another carrier.

That handoff explains a lot of old tracking screens. If your tracking still shows a transfer, our glossary entry on what it means when a package is transferred to another carrier for delivery explains the status. FedEx’s current Ground Economy material describes delivery through the FedEx Ground network to all U.S. residential addresses, which is what makes Sunday delivery possible.

How Do Sunday Deliveries Count Toward Ground Economy Transit Time?

FedEx counts Ground Economy transit on a five-business-day week, so weekends don’t add transit days. Day zero is the package’s first scan at a FedEx hub, not the day you printed the label. A package delivered on a Saturday or Sunday is treated for transit purposes as if it arrived on the following business day.

In practice, Sunday delivery is a bonus rather than a commitment. A package with five business days of transit that’s ready for delivery over the weekend can arrive a day or two earlier than the count suggests. A package still in transit on Sunday simply keeps moving, and the clock picks up again on Monday.

How Does Ground Economy Compare With Other FedEx Services on Sundays?

Ground Economy isn’t FedEx’s only weekend option. Here’s how Sunday delivery works across the main FedEx services:

FedEx Home Delivery also reaches about 98% of the U.S. population on Saturdays. Our guide to whether FedEx delivers on Sunday covers every service in more detail, and our FedEx holiday schedule lists the days FedEx doesn’t deliver, including holidays that fall near a weekend.

How Can You Tell If Your Ground Economy Package Will Arrive on Sunday?

Your tracking page is the best guide. Ground Economy has full package-status tracking with an estimated delivery date on fedex.com, and the estimate updates as the package moves through the network. If the estimate shows a Sunday, your address is in coverage and the package is on track for it.

• Check the estimated delivery date after the first hub scan, since earlier estimates are less precise.
• Expect an evening window. FedEx Ground residential deliveries run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and our guide to what time FedEx delivers explains typical delivery times.
• Look for a handoff. A status showing transfer to USPS means a postal carrier will make the final delivery, and USPS doesn’t deliver most packages on Sunday.
• Keep your records. Our guide on how to find shipping history on FedEx shows how long tracking stays available.

Sellers can’t pick Sunday delivery for a Ground Economy package. If the address on a label is wrong, fix it before the package ships, and our guide to editing a FedEx shipping label after printing explains the options.

Do Ground Economy Returns Move on Sundays?

No. FedEx lists Ground Economy return delivery as Monday through Saturday, typically in 2 to 7 business days. Return packages must weigh 70 lbs. or less, aren’t time-sensitive, and use the prepaid return label the merchant provides. Customers can drop them off at more than 56,000 FedEx locations or with USPS.

Because returns can enter through the Postal Service, the first scan may come from USPS rather than FedEx. Our guide to how SmartPost returns work walks through the full process for merchants and customers.

For low-weight packages to homes, if you’re open to UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath is free and offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS. You can compare UPS Ground and USPS Ground Advantage for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sunday delivery guaranteed with FedEx Ground Economy?

No. FedEx lists Ground Economy delivery days as Monday through Sunday, with Sunday residential coverage for nearly 95% of the U.S. population, but the service has no fixed delivery day. Transit is typically 2 to 7 business days, and a Sunday delivery happens only when your address is covered and the package reaches your local terminal in time.

Does FedEx SmartPost still use USPS for delivery?

For outbound packages, FedEx now describes Ground Economy, the former SmartPost, as using the entire FedEx Ground delivery network to reach all U.S. residential addresses. The old SmartPost model used USPS for the final delivery, which is why it never delivered on Sundays. USPS can still be involved in returns, since return packages can be dropped off with USPS.

Does a Sunday delivery count as a transit day for Ground Economy?

No. FedEx counts Ground Economy transit on a five-business-day week, starting from the first hub scan. A package delivered on a Saturday or Sunday is treated as if it arrived on the next business day, so weekend delivery can bring a package early without changing its official transit count.

What time does FedEx Ground Economy deliver on Sundays?

FedEx doesn’t publish a separate Sunday window for Ground Economy. Ground Economy uses the FedEx Ground network, where residential deliveries run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and FedEx Home Delivery weekend deliveries are typically made by 8 p.m. Check the estimated delivery date on your tracking page, which updates as the package moves.

Sources

• FedEx: FedEx Ground Economy, service days, transit time, size limits, returns and SmartPost rename (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/ground/economy.html)
• FedEx: FedEx Ground Economy service sheet, Sunday residential coverage for nearly 95% of the U.S. population (fedex.com, PDF dated March 2021)
• FedEx: Ground Economy transit days calculation (fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/TNT_Updated.pdf)
• FedEx: Saturday and Sunday delivery (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/saturday-and-sunday-delivery.html)
• FedEx: FedEx Ground, residential delivery window (fedex.com/en-us/shipping/ground.html)
• USPS: Priority Mail Express, the USPS service with Sunday delivery in many major markets

Part of our What Time Does FedEx Deliver guide. Related: FedEx Shipping hub, FedEx Holiday Schedule.