It’s not uncommon to have an assortment of old packages and boxes lying around from the various mailing services. If you happen to only have a postal service box and wonder if it’s possible to send it through FedEx, you are not alone. This is a common question and concern. I mail and receive hundreds of packages a year and can give you a definitive answer.
It is not legal to use a USPS box for FedEx, and it could result in problems for your shipment. Even so, it is technically possible by adding a FedEx shipping label. If you do decide to use a USPS box for FedEx, make sure you cover all of the USPS markings, old barcodes, or old addresses.
Now, let’s look a bit closer at the details so that you can make an informed decision on whether to use that box from the postal service or not.
Can I Use USPS Box for FedEx?
Several things can happen if you use a USPS box to ship through the FedEx shipping service, depending on the situation.
FedEx does not require you to use a FedEx box unless you are using FedEx One Rate. Otherwise, they will accept any sturdy and undamaged packaging for your shipments.
You can reuse a USPS box for FedEx shipping as long as any old barcodes or old addresses are entirely covered and a FedEx shipping label is used on the package. However, FedEx will not ship a package through their service that is intended for shipment through USPS.
It is important to note that shipping a USPS box through any other service besides USPS is illegal because the United States Postal Service is a federally funded program. USPS boxes are provided to customers under the assumption that they will only be used to ship packages through the USPS service. While it is possible to ship a package through FedEx using a USPS box, it is not technically or legally permitted.
Can I Use a USPS Envelope to Ship FedEx?
FedEx will most likely accept a USPS envelope with a FedEx shipping label. However, it is not technically permissible to use a USPS envelope for any other service besides USPS. Postal Service customers can request envelopes for use through USPS for free because they are a federally funded program. Therefore, many consider it unethical to use USPS packaging for other shipping services.
Final Thoughts
While it is possible to ship through FedEx with postal service packaging, it is not recommended. If it is a matter of convenience, I recommend contacting FedEx directly for guidance. It simply isn’t worth the risk in delaying your package or getting into potential legal trouble for missing federally funded packages or envelopes.
I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for reading!
For more, check out In Transit vs. Out for Delivery | What Do They Mean?
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.