If you are looking into fast shipping options and what the different couriers can offer you, you may have come across UPS 2 Day Air shipping. This might sound like a fairly self-explanatory option, but it’s worth looking into what it actually means and whether the package will arrive as expected. UPS 2 Day Air shipping, as the name suggests, is a two-day delivery service and it will result in your items arriving at the recipient’s address two working days after the courier receives them. If you are a recipient, it is important not to count any processing days that the business dispatching the items might need to find and package them.
What Is UPS 2 Day Shipping?
UPS 2 Day shipping is one of the more expensive options offered by UPS, and it is a very popular way of transporting items quickly and reliably around the United States. Because it is not overnight delivery, it is more economical than the one day services, but it has the advantage of still being quick, providing a great middle ground. The two day delivery estimate is guaranteed in most of the United States and Puerto Rico, but it is worth checking this on the UPS website or with the customer services team before purchasing your shipping, just in case the area you’re shipping to is outside of the guaranteed zone.
How Does This Kind Of Mail Travel?
It won’t surprise you to learn that this kind of mail is delivered by air; it would need to be in order to reach (almost) any part of the USA within forty-eight hours of being shipped. It isn’t the greenest way to move mail around the country, but it enjoys the benefit of being quick. This shipping is obviously less economical than the ground options, but it is significantly faster. Of course, the package will still travel in a truck at points and sometimes even for the majority of its journey. On the whole, however, the bulk of the journey will be done on a plane to ensure that it arrives as quickly as possible. This is particularly true if the package is traveling a long way across the country. It can be transported there fast, and will then be handed to a local UPS mail carrier to deliver.
Should I Use UPS 2 Day Shipping?
One of the biggest advantages of the UPS 2 Day shipping option is that it should give you a good idea of when the package will arrive. If you know the day of dispatch, you can simply count two working days from there, and you will know exactly which day the item should be delivered. Of course, this will not always happen, but many people find it useful information to have, and it can save the recipient of the package from having to wait in multiple days in a row. You are most likely to benefit from using UPS 2 Day shipping if you need an item to arrive quickly or if you need it to arrive on a specific day so that the recipient is at home to receive it. If you don’t need either of these advantages, it may be better to choose a slower and more economical shipping option.
What Happens If My Item Does Not Arrive As Expected?
If your mail does not arrive as advertised (within two working days from the point at which it was given to the courier), you can submit a request for a refund. This will cover the cost of the shipping, and it can only be submitted by the sender, not the recipient. You should note that in certain circumstances, this request will be refused. If the delivery was late because nobody was available to accept it or because the package contained prohibited items, you will not be entitled to a refund.
In most circumstances, however, you will be able to get your shipping costs back, so it is worth filing for a refund if there has been a delay. You can request one via the UPS website or by calling UPS and saying “Refund” to their automated system. You should then follow the automated prompts it gives. You will be required to provide your tracking number, so it’s a good idea to have this to hand before you make the call. If your refund request is denied, you may be given a reason by the automated system. If you want further help, call the main customer service line. For those who want to fill in a refund request online, be aware that you must be registered with UPS online billing, which requires you to have a payment account with UPS. If you don’t have one of these, you will need to claim a refund over the phone, although you may wish to make an account for the future.
Do Saturdays Count For This Kind Of Delivery?
Yes, UPS 2 Day shipping will deliver on Saturdays, and Saturday counts as one of the two business days. Surprisingly, Sunday also counts, so you should expect a package that was sent out on Friday to arrive on Sunday in most situations. UPS outstrips its competitor FedEx with this offering, because FedEx charges extra for deliveries on a weekend, whereas UPS does not. It is important to communicate to your recipient that their package might be delivered on a Sunday, so that they know to wait for it or risk it being left on a porch.
Does UPS 2 Day Shipping Require A Signature?
Sometimes, a package needing a signature is a blessing, and at other times, it’s a curse. The UPS 2 Day shipping option does not require a signature, so if nobody is at home, the mail carrier should simply leave the package in a safe spot or in the recipient’s mailbox. UPS 2 Day shipping is a great option if you have low cost items to mail, especially as a small business. It ensures that you can send packages out swiftly, making sure your customers are happy, but it stays economical and convenient because it is not overnight shipping and it does not require a signature.
Is UPS 2 Day Shipping Insured?
You should find that all UPS packages are insured up to $100 automatically, so unless you are mailing a valuable item, you will probably have no need of extra insurance. This is generally a benefit, because it makes it straightforward to ship most items without having to weigh up whether to get insurance or not, or trying to calculate how much the item is worth. However, it is annoying not to have the option of no insurance when you’re mailing very low value items.
How Does UPS 2 Day Shipping Compare With USPS Priority Mail?
If you’re looking solely at the speed of these two services, UPS 2 Day shipping certainly wins, because USPS Priority Mail (in its basic form) advertises one to three days for its service. In some lucky situations, the USPS service might actually beat the UPS one because it can arrive within a day, but often, it will take longer. You might feel it’s worth the gamble, but if you need the item to definitely arrive within two days, you should choose the UPS service. For some people, knowing which day it will arrive is also more valuable than shaving one day off the delivery time. USPS mail could arrive on any of three days, whereas the UPS 2 Day Shipping should always take two days.
Furthermore, the UPS option offers delivery on weekends. USPS will deliver on Saturdays, but only special mail is delivered by this service on Sundays, so you again may save time with the UPS service.
If you are really in a hurry, you may wish to use the USPS Overnight Priority Mail service, which will certainly outstrip the UPS 2 Day shipping option, because items are delivered the next day. However, this is significantly more expensive, so it’s only worth considering if you need a very quick shipping solution.
What Are The Other UPS 2 Day Delivery Options?
If the UPS 2 Day shipping option isn’t quite right, you might want to consider one of the other Air services that UPS provides. These include:
UPS 2nd Day Air Freight: this is for shipments that weigh more than 150 pounds and need a guaranteed delivery time of two days. They must be bound for the mainland United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico.
UPS 2nd Day Air Freight NGS: this is a cheaper version of the above shipping option, but it does not offer the guarantee of being delivered within two days. It is an estimate instead.
UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.: a service that is only appropriate if you are mailing items to a commercial property, this guarantees delivery on the second day by either 10:30 A.M. or 12:00 P.M. It must be sent within the mainland United States.
UPS Next Day Air: this guarantees next-day delivery, and tends to be delivered by around 10:00 A.M., but it does cost more.
UPS Next Day Air Early: as above, this guarantees next-day delivery, but it should be delivered around 8:00 A.M. (or a little later, depending on the location).
Can I Send UPS 2 Day Shipping Abroad?
Unfortunately, the UPS 2 Day shipping option is only intended to be used within the United States, and you cannot use it to send packages abroad. You will need to use one of UPS’s other services, such as UPS Export Express Saver or UPS Worldwide Express if you wish to mail packages internationally. These both offer the two day service, but you should read the terms and conditions carefully to make sure they meet your shipping needs.
What Time Will 2 Day Shipping Be Delivered?
There is no estimate on what time the package will be delivered on the day of delivery. Often, it will arrive in the morning, but UPS does not offer any guarantees, and it may be much later in the day. In some cases, if a driver is delayed, it may be delivered as late as 9:00 P.M., which is when the last UPS deliveries are made. Delays can be caused by a variety of things, including accidents, vehicle failure, extreme weather, and road closures, so it’s important to be aware of this when sending your package.
You cannot claim a refund for UPS 2 Day shipping if they do successfully deliver on the second day, even if it is late in the day. If you need the package to arrive by a specific time, you may wish to utilize the UPS 2nd Day Air A.M. service, but be aware that you can only do this if you are shipping to a commercial property, and not to a residential one. If you need something to arrive at a residence early in the day, it is best to send it a day early, rather than risk it being delivered late. Alternatively, you can send it with an overnight service, but you will pay more for this option than if you use a two day service.
Conclusion
The UPS 2 Day shipping service is very useful if you need to move packages around the country quickly, but you do not want to pay for an overnight service. It provides a great middle ground, and unlike some of the other swift services, it gives you a clear idea of when the package should arrive. This is very useful for the recipient because they don’t need to wait at home or risk getting a package stolen. The other way to achieve this is to take out a Virtual Mailbox from US Global Mail, which provides a physical address that will accept packages from couriers, rather than having them left in the rain. The packages will be stored securely, and the recipient can view them online and collect them at their leisure, rather than needing to wait at home and deal with the frustration of uncertain delivery times and unexpected delays.
