No, FedEx does not deliver UPS packages. FedEx and UPS are competing carriers with separate trucks, hubs, drivers and tracking systems, so a package shipped with a UPS label stays in the UPS network from pickup to your door, and FedEx cannot pick it up, drop it off or track it.
The question usually comes up when a tracking page, an order email or a package in hand doesn’t match the carrier you expected. This guide explains why the two networks never swap packages, the handoffs that do happen (to USPS, not between FedEx and UPS), and how to work out which carrier actually has your package.
Why doesn’t FedEx deliver UPS packages?
Each carrier only moves packages that carry its own label and barcode. A UPS label routes the box through UPS sorting facilities and onto a UPS driver’s route; FedEx scanners can’t read it into their system, and FedEx has no agreement to carry UPS freight. The same applies in reverse: UPS does not deliver FedEx packages.
That separation covers every step a shipper or recipient touches:
| Step | UPS package | FedEx package |
|---|---|---|
| Drop-off | The UPS Store, UPS Access Point locations, UPS drop boxes | FedEx Office, FedEx OnSite retail partners, FedEx drop boxes |
| Pickup | UPS driver | FedEx driver |
| Tracking number | Usually starts with “1Z” (18 characters) | Usually all digits, commonly 12 or 15 |
| Tracking site | ups.com | fedex.com |
| Hold for pickup | UPS Access Point or The UPS Store | FedEx location |
| Claims | Filed with UPS | Filed with FedEx |
Because the two networks don’t share locations, you also can’t drop a UPS-labeled box at a FedEx Office counter. Our guide to UPS locations and Access Points shows where UPS packages can be dropped off or held instead.
Why do people think FedEx and UPS deliver each other’s packages?
Most of the confusion comes from handoffs to the US Postal Service. Both carriers have run economy services that can give the package to USPS for the last mile:
- UPS Ground Saver (formerly UPS SurePost) is an economy residential service, and some Ground Saver packages are handed to USPS for final delivery, so a USPS carrier brings a box with a UPS label.
- FedEx Ground Economy (formerly FedEx SmartPost) has also used USPS for final delivery to some addresses, which is why a mail carrier can deliver a FedEx package. See how the FedEx SmartPost time-in-transit map works for that service.
In both cases the partner is USPS. There is no arrangement in which FedEx finishes a UPS delivery or UPS finishes a FedEx delivery. Other mix-ups come from retailers who ship from several warehouses with different carriers, so one order arrives by UPS and another by FedEx, or from marketplace sellers who switch carriers after the confirmation email goes out.
How do you tell whether FedEx or UPS has your package?
Start with the tracking number. A number that begins with “1Z” is a UPS number, and it will only return results on ups.com. A long, all-numeric number is more often FedEx (or USPS), and the order confirmation or the label itself names the carrier.
- Check the label: the carrier’s logo and barcode are printed on it.
- Paste the number into ups.com tracking; if it returns nothing, try fedex.com or usps.com.
- If tracking shows a USPS handoff, follow the USPS tracking number shown in the scan history for the final delivery.
- If a “FedEx” order shows UPS scans, contact the seller; they chose the carrier and can confirm it.
If a package was misdelivered, the claim goes to the carrier on the label. FedEx-specific problems are covered in our guides to a FedEx package delivered to the wrong address and avoiding FedEx shipping delays.
Which carrier should you use if you’re shipping, not receiving?
Since you can’t mix networks, choose the carrier before you print the label. UPS and FedEx both offer ground, express and international services; UPS ships to more than 220 countries and territories, as covered in does UPS ship internationally. For a price-and-speed view of the two, our comparison is FedEx or UPS cheaper goes service by service, and the guide to other carriers and services covers regional and specialty options.
If you’re open to UPS or USPS instead, ParcelPath is a free shipping platform with up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, with no subscription or per-label fee. You can compare live UPS and USPS rates for your package side by side, and UPS labels can be shown as a UPS Mobile Barcode at The UPS Store instead of printed. Our overview of the best shipping services and solutions and the main UPS shipping guide cover the UPS side in more depth, and the UPS holiday schedule lists the days UPS doesn’t deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does FedEx deliver UPS packages?
No. FedEx and UPS are separate, competing carriers, and each only picks up, moves and delivers packages that carry its own label. A UPS package stays in the UPS network from pickup to delivery, unless it is a UPS Ground Saver package handed to USPS for the last mile. FedEx is never part of a UPS delivery.
Can I drop off a UPS package at FedEx?
No. FedEx Office and FedEx drop boxes only accept FedEx shipments, so a box with a UPS label has to go to The UPS Store, a UPS Access Point location, a UPS drop box or a scheduled UPS pickup. The same rule applies the other way: UPS locations don’t accept FedEx-labeled packages.
Can I track a UPS package on the FedEx website?
No. Tracking numbers only work on the carrier that issued them. UPS tracking numbers usually start with “1Z” and return results on ups.com, while FedEx numbers are typically all digits and tracked on fedex.com. If a UPS package was handed to USPS for final delivery, tracking will show the USPS number to follow.
Why was my UPS package delivered by a mail carrier?
It was probably shipped with UPS Ground Saver, the economy residential service formerly called SurePost. Some Ground Saver packages are transferred to USPS at a local facility for final delivery. The box keeps its UPS label and tracking number, and USPS completes the last stop. FedEx is not involved.
Sources
- UPS Tracking
- UPS Ground Saver
- FedEx Ground Economy service description, fedex.com
Part of our FedEx Insurance guide. Related: FedEx Shipping Delays, Why Is FedEx So Slow, FedEx Delivered to Wrong Address.
