No. FedEx does not take USPS packages: FedEx Office stores, FedEx Ship Centers, FedEx drop boxes and FedEx retail partners only accept shipments with a FedEx label, and they cannot accept, scan or forward anything labeled for the U.S. Postal Service. A USPS package has to go into the USPS network, through a Post Office, a blue collection box, a USPS Approved Postal Provider or a free USPS Package Pickup.
The confusion is understandable. FedEx and USPS have worked together behind the scenes for years, and the two networks used to hand some packages to each other. Neither arrangement ever let customers drop a USPS package at FedEx, and both have since changed.
Does FedEx Take USPS Packages at FedEx Office or a Drop Box?
No location in the FedEx network accepts USPS mail or packages. A USPS label carries a USPS barcode that only USPS scanners and systems recognize, and the postage on it was paid to USPS, so a FedEx employee has no way to enter it into FedEx tracking or bill for it. Staff will hand the package back and point you to a Post Office.
Putting a USPS package into a FedEx drop box is worse than being turned away at the counter. The package can sit unscanned, get sorted as an exception and be returned or delayed, and your USPS tracking will not move while it is in FedEx hands. The same rule applies in reverse: our guide on whether you can drop off FedEx at USPS explains why a Post Office will refuse a FedEx label.
| Location | Accepts USPS packages? | Accepts FedEx packages? |
|---|---|---|
| Post Office retail counter | Yes | No |
| Blue USPS collection box | Yes, within size and postage rules | No |
| USPS Package Pickup (free, from your address) | Yes | No |
| FedEx Office or FedEx Ship Center | No | Yes |
| FedEx drop box | No | Yes, within size limits |
| FedEx retail partners (for example Walgreens, Dollar General) | No | Yes, at participating stores |
Why Do People Think FedEx Takes USPS Packages?
Two real partnerships created the idea. The first was air transportation: for about two decades FedEx flew USPS mail between cities under a contract with the Postal Service. That contract ended on September 29, 2024, and UPS became the Postal Service’s primary air cargo provider on September 30, 2024, as UPS announced on April 1, 2024. Even while FedEx was flying USPS mail, the deal covered only bulk mail moving between postal facilities, never packages that customers handed to FedEx.
The second was FedEx SmartPost. For years FedEx picked up lightweight e-commerce parcels from shippers and handed them to USPS for the final delivery to the home, which is why some packages showed both a FedEx and a USPS tracking number. FedEx moved that final-mile delivery into its own network and renamed the service FedEx Ground Economy, so the handoff that made people think the networks were interchangeable has largely gone away. Our guide to FedEx SmartPost and Ground Economy delivery days covers how that service works now.
Can You Track a USPS Package Through FedEx?
No. A USPS tracking number only returns results on USPS Tracking, and FedEx’s tracking tool will report it as not found. Each carrier issues its own number formats, so the first step with any mystery number is to identify which carrier printed the label.
For FedEx shipments, our FedEx tracking and delivery guide explains the FedEx number formats and status messages. If the label turns out to be a UPS one, the UPS tracking and delivery guide walks through the same steps for UPS numbers.
Where Should You Drop Off a USPS Package Instead?
USPS gives you four ways to get a package into its network, and none of them involve FedEx. Our full list of places to drop off packages compares them by carrier.
- Post Office counter: works for every USPS service, including packages paid with stamps and items that need a receipt or a customs form.
- Blue collection box or lobby drop: fine for packages with a prepaid shipping label that fit the slot. USPS security rules require heavier packages that carry only stamps to be handed to a clerk at the counter instead.
- Free Package Pickup: schedule it online and your carrier collects the package at your door on a regular delivery day.
- USPS Label Broker: if you bought the label online without a printer, show the QR code at a participating Post Office and the clerk prints the label for you.
If you ship often, ParcelPath creates USPS and UPS labels for free, with up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS and no subscription or per-label fee. You can compare live USPS and UPS rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator, then drop the USPS package at the Post Office (or use the free pickup) and the UPS package at a UPS location.
What Should You Do If You Already Left a USPS Package at FedEx?
Go back to the FedEx location as soon as you can and ask for it. Staff at a FedEx Office counter often set misdirected items aside, and the package has the best chance of reaching USPS quickly if you retrieve it yourself and take it to a Post Office.
If you used a FedEx drop box, call FedEx customer service with the drop box location and the time you left it. Expect a delay while the package works its way out of the wrong network, and contact the recipient if the shipment is time-sensitive. When a delay stretches on, the steps in our guide to avoiding FedEx shipping delays and the common causes in why FedEx is sometimes slow help you work out what happened.
Does FedEx Deliver Packages for USPS?
Not to customers. FedEx drivers do not deliver USPS-labeled packages, and USPS letter carriers do not deliver FedEx Express or FedEx Ground shipments. A package stays with the carrier whose label is on it from acceptance to delivery, which is also why each carrier handles its own claims: if a FedEx shipment is lost, damaged or misdelivered, you work with FedEx, as our guides on FedEx insurance and claims and on what to do when FedEx delivers to the wrong address explain.
The same separation applies between FedEx and UPS. Our article on whether FedEx delivers UPS packages covers that pairing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drop off a USPS package at FedEx Office?
No. FedEx Office locations only accept shipments with FedEx labels, and they have no way to scan, bill or forward a USPS package. Take a USPS package to a Post Office, put a labeled package that fits into a blue collection box, or schedule a free USPS Package Pickup from your home or office instead.
Does FedEx still fly mail for USPS?
Not as the main provider. FedEx’s air transportation contract with USPS ended on September 29, 2024, and UPS became the Postal Service’s primary air cargo provider on September 30, 2024. That contract only ever moved bulk mail between postal facilities and never let customers hand USPS packages to FedEx.
Will a FedEx drop box send my USPS package to the Post Office?
You shouldn’t count on it. A USPS package in a FedEx drop box enters the wrong network, can’t be scanned into USPS tracking, and may be returned or held as an exception. If you have already used a FedEx drop box, call FedEx with the box location and time to try to recover the package quickly.
Why did some packages show both FedEx and USPS tracking?
That came from FedEx SmartPost, a service where FedEx carried lightweight parcels most of the way and handed them to USPS for final delivery. FedEx moved that last-mile delivery into its own network and renamed the service FedEx Ground Economy, so a package you ship today stays with one carrier from start to finish.
Sources
- USPS: Schedule a free Package Pickup
- USPS: Label Broker
- USPS FAQ: USPS Tracking basics
- UPS press release, April 1, 2024: UPS to become the U.S. Postal Service’s primary air cargo provider (about.ups.com)
- FedEx: FedEx Ground Economy service overview (fedex.com)
Part of our FedEx Insurance guide. Related: FedEx Shipping Delays, Why Is FedEx So Slow, FedEx Delivered to Wrong Address.
