No, you can’t drop off a FedEx package at USPS. Post Offices and blue collection boxes only accept mail that carries USPS postage, and since July 14, 2024 that has included FedEx Ground Economy packages, the one FedEx service USPS used to take. A FedEx package left at a Post Office isn’t forwarded to FedEx and can end up held as unpaid mail, so take it to a FedEx location instead.
This guide explains what changed in 2024, what happens if a FedEx package is dropped at USPS by mistake, and where FedEx packages should go. If your package actually has a USPS or UPS label, the drop-off rules are different, and they’re covered at the end.
Why Can’t You Drop Off FedEx at USPS?
FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service are separate carriers with separate networks, and each one only accepts packages paid for in its own system. A FedEx label is paid to FedEx, so USPS has no postage to process it with and no agreement to hand it over to FedEx. A Post Office clerk will turn a FedEx package away at the counter.
The same rule runs the other way: FedEx locations don’t take USPS mail. Our guide to whether FedEx takes USPS packages covers that side of the question.
The confusion comes from FedEx’s old SmartPost service, later renamed FedEx Ground Economy. For years FedEx carried those packages most of the way and handed them to USPS for final delivery, so the labels showed both carriers and some sellers got used to dropping them at the Post Office. That arrangement is over.
What Changed With FedEx Ground Economy in 2024?
FedEx told shippers that USPS would no longer accept any FedEx Ground Economy shipments starting July 14, 2024. The notice, passed on to marketplace sellers that summer, warned that a FedEx package dropped at a USPS location would not be forwarded and could be seized.
FedEx Ground Economy still exists, but it now runs on FedEx’s own network. FedEx describes it as a residential service for packages up to 70 lbs. and 130 inches in length plus girth, with delivery usually in two to seven business days and delivery seven days a week. The packages start and finish with FedEx, so there’s no longer a USPS leg for the Post Office to accept.
| Question | Before July 14, 2024 | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Who delivers FedEx Ground Economy? | Often USPS, for the final mile | FedEx, from pickup to delivery |
| Can USPS accept a FedEx Ground Economy package? | Some sellers dropped them at Post Offices | No, and it won’t be forwarded |
| Where do you drop it off? | FedEx or, in practice, USPS | A FedEx location or drop box only |
| Where do you track it? | FedEx, sometimes USPS too | FedEx only |
What Happens If You Drop a FedEx Package at USPS?
If a FedEx package goes into a blue collection box or a Post Office lobby drop, USPS can’t deliver it, because it carries no USPS postage. Under the 2024 notice it isn’t passed to FedEx, and sellers have reported tracking that shows the package stuck at USPS with no FedEx acceptance scan. In practice you should treat the package as lost until you get it back.
Here’s what to do if it already happened:
- Contact USPS right away. Call the USPS customer service number or ask at the Post Office where you dropped it, and explain that a FedEx package was left by mistake.
- Tell FedEx. Report that the package never reached FedEx, so the label isn’t treated as a FedEx loss.
- Reship if you need to. If the package can’t be recovered quickly, send a replacement with a new label at a FedEx location, and let your buyer or recipient know about the delay.
Mix-ups like this often start with the label itself. If you shipped with the wrong label or address, our guide on changing the address on a USPS shipping label explains what you can and can’t fix once a USPS label exists. And if a package that really was USPS goes missing, here’s what happens if USPS loses your package and how the search works.
Where Can You Drop Off a FedEx Package?
Take FedEx packages to a FedEx location. FedEx says it has more than 56,000 locations in the U.S., which include FedEx Office stores, FedEx Ship Centers, FedEx drop boxes and FedEx OnSite counters inside retail partners such as Walgreens and Dollar General.
- FedEx Office and FedEx Ship Centers take every FedEx service, including packages that need a label printed.
- Retail partner counters take prepaid, labeled packages and most returns.
- FedEx drop boxes take small prepaid packages that fit the slot.
- Pickup is available if you’d rather not travel. If plans change, here’s how to cancel a FedEx pickup.
Use the location finder on fedex.com to see which services and cutoff times a particular spot offers. Our guide to FedEx locations, drop-off and hours explains the differences between store types, and the FedEx shipping hub covers FedEx services more broadly.
Once FedEx scans the package, track it on fedex.com with the FedEx tracking number. USPS tracking can’t see FedEx packages, and the reverse is also true. The FedEx tracking and delivery guide explains FedEx scan events.
Can You Drop Off FedEx Returns at USPS?
Only if your return label tells you to, and even then a FedEx location is the safer choice. FedEx’s Ground Economy page still describes returns that customers can leave at a Post Office, but the July 2024 notice says USPS stopped accepting FedEx Ground Economy shipments. Because the two sources conflict, follow the drop-off instructions printed on your return label or the merchant’s return email.
If the label doesn’t mention USPS, or you aren’t sure, take the return to a FedEx location so it gets a FedEx acceptance scan you can track. For background on the old SmartPost return labels, see our guide to SmartPost returns.
What If You’d Rather Use a Post Office?
Then the package needs a USPS label. If you’re the one paying for postage and the Post Office is more convenient than a FedEx store, ship with USPS from the start. Ground Advantage carries packages up to 70 lbs. in two to five days, and Priority Mail is the faster option. Our guide to how long Priority Mail takes covers its delivery times.
If you’re open to UPS or USPS instead of FedEx, ParcelPath offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS, with no subscription, per-label fee or minimum. You can drop the package at any Post Office, use the free USPS Label Broker QR code to print the label at the counter, or show a UPS Mobile Barcode at The UPS Store, so no printer is needed. You can also compare live USPS and UPS rates for your package before you buy. For every drop-off option by carrier, see our guide on where to drop off packages.
USPS labels include tracking, and many services include some insurance. Our guide to how USPS insurance works explains coverage and claims, and USPS delivery confirmation explains the proof of delivery you get. If you’re still weighing carriers, our roundup of shipping services and solutions compares the main options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drop off a FedEx package at a USPS Post Office?
No. USPS only accepts packages with USPS postage, and FedEx said USPS would stop accepting even FedEx Ground Economy packages on July 14, 2024. A FedEx package left at a Post Office or in a blue collection box isn’t forwarded to FedEx. Take it to a FedEx Office, FedEx Ship Center, FedEx drop box or a retail partner counter instead.
What happens if I accidentally drop a FedEx package at USPS?
USPS can’t deliver it because it has no USPS postage, and it isn’t handed over to FedEx. Contact USPS customer service or the Post Office where you left it as soon as possible, tell FedEx the package never reached them, and be ready to reship with a new label if it can’t be recovered quickly.
Does USPS still deliver FedEx Ground Economy packages?
No. FedEx Ground Economy, the service formerly called SmartPost, now runs on FedEx’s own network from pickup to delivery. FedEx lists it for packages up to 70 lbs. and 130 inches in length plus girth, with delivery usually in two to seven business days, so the package has no USPS leg and no reason to enter a Post Office.
Can I track a FedEx package on the USPS website?
No. USPS Tracking only shows packages in the USPS network, so a FedEx tracking number returns no results there. Track FedEx packages on fedex.com. If a package was dropped at USPS by mistake, USPS tracking may show it, but that only helps you locate it, not deliver it.
Sources
- FedEx: FedEx Ground Economy shipping
- FedEx notice to marketplace sellers on FedEx Ground Economy drop-offs at USPS (eBay Community, “Important update when shipping FedEx Ground Economy,” July 2024)
- USPS: USPS Ground Advantage
- USPS: Label Broker
Part of our FedEx Locations guide. Related: FedEx Shipping, Cancel FedEx Pickup.
