I was recently going to send a package to a family member and had it all boxed up and ready to go. I went to the post office and realized I had used a FedEx box. I wondered if it would be okay to just slap on a P.O. label and send it anyway. So I made a couple of calls, and this is what I found out.
It is technically possible to use a FedEx box to ship through USPS, as long as the shipping label used is a USPS shipping label and you remove all the old labels and barcodes. However, it is not legally allowed and could result in problems for your shipment.
As you can see, it is a bad idea to try and use the wrong kind of box. In case you didn’t know, you can actually order free shipping envelopes and boxes from the USPS website. Here is a link to the store.
Here are some more details on what I found out about using a FedEx box for USPS shipping.
What Happens If You Accidentally Put a FedEx Package in a USPS Drop Box?
It is difficult to know exactly what will happen if you accidentally put a FedEx package in a USPS dropbox.
- In the best-case scenario, the postal worker who picks up the package will transfer it to the correct box, and it will be shipped as usual. Due to things like human error, however, this is not always the case.
- A postal worker could also send the package to the shipment facility, where it will hopefully be identified as a competitor’s package and taken to the correct facility.
- In the worst-case scenario, the package will be misplaced or lost.
- It is likely that your package will still arrive at its destination, although significantly delayed. But, it cannot be guaranteed when you accidentally put a FedEx package in the USPS dropbox.
What About Sending a Package Through FedEx in a USPS Box?
It is also possible, although not technically permissible, to send a package through FedEx in a USPS box. Because of this, it may appear that a FedEx delivery driver is delivering a United States Postal Service package, but this is not the case. Most likely, the box is from USPS, but the shipping label is through FedEx.
Related In Transit vs. Out for Delivery | What Do They Mean?
Then Why Did I See FedEx Delivering USPS Packages?
With FedEx SmartPost, FedEx delivery drivers drop off packages at the local post office to be delivered by the United States Postal Service during the final leg of the journey. Because of this, it may appear that FedEx is delivering its packages to USPS. However, SmartPost is a partnership between USPS and FedEx to allow for more flexible delivery and lower delivery prices.
Is SmartPost Technically Owned by FedEx or USPS?
SmartPost is a service provided through FedEx to cut down on shipping costs for lightweight packages.
SmartPost targets the “last mile” of package delivery, which can drive up the cost of shipping a significant amount. The “last mile” of postal delivery is not actually a mile but instead can be up to 100 miles. With SmartPost, this final leg of delivery is passed off to the United States Postal Service.
This provides many advantages for customers, the first of which is lower shipping costs. It also allows more flexibility with delivery since FedEx cannot deliver to P.O. boxes. It will enable customers to use one tracking number throughout the entire delivery process and follow their package until it ends up at their address.
Final Thoughts
All of the different mailing services have their own boxes for a reason. It’s because they want you to use their service, so they can make life difficult if you don’t. The real solution is to just use generic boxes with the label of whatever service you choose to use.
I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for reading!
For more, check out Can I Use a USPS Box for FedEx, or Is It Illegal?
Jim James is a published author and expert on the outdoors and survivalism. Through avid research and hands-on experience, he has gained expertise on a wide variety of topics. His time spent at college taught him to become really good at figuring out answers to common problems. Often through extensive trial and error, Jim has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of a vast array of topics related to firearms, hunting, fishing, medical topics, cooking, games/gaming, and other subjects too numerous to name.
Jim has been teaching people a wide variety of survivalism topics for over five years and has a lifetime of experience fishing, camping, general survivalism, and anything in nature. In fact, while growing up, he often spent more time on the water than on land! He has degrees in History, Anthropology, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He extensively studied Southern History, nutrition, geopolitics, the Cold War, and nuclear policy strategies and safety as well as numerous other topics related to the content on survivalfreedom.com.