What Is Saturday Delivery?
Saturday delivery is a premium service offered by UPS and FedEx that extends the delivery window to include Saturday for air and express shipments. Standard parcel services typically deliver Monday through Friday (with some exceptions), so Saturday delivery comes with an additional surcharge.
2026 Saturday Delivery Surcharges
| Carrier | Service | Saturday Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| UPS | Next Day Air (all tiers) | $16.00 |
| UPS | 2nd Day Air | $16.00 |
| FedEx | Priority Overnight & variants | $16.00 |
| FedEx | 2Day | $16.00 |
Saturday Delivery vs. Saturday Ground
An important distinction: Saturday Ground delivery is different from the Saturday express surcharge.
UPS Saturday Ground
UPS Ground now delivers to residential addresses Monday through Saturday in many markets at no extra charge. This means packages shipped via Ground may be delivered on Saturday without the $16 surcharge — but there’s no guarantee of Saturday-specific delivery.
FedEx Home Delivery
FedEx Home Delivery has historically offered Tuesday through Saturday delivery as standard (no extra charge). However, FedEx has been transitioning to a Sunday-through-Saturday delivery model in many markets.
Express Saturday
The $16 surcharge applies specifically to express/air services where you need a guaranteed Saturday delivery commitment.
When Saturday Delivery Makes Sense
Saturday delivery is worth the premium in specific scenarios:
- Medical/healthcare: Time-sensitive prescriptions and lab samples
- Legal documents: Court-filing deadlines
- Perishable goods: Reducing transit time for food, flowers, and biologics
- Retail replenishment: Weekend restocking for retail stores
- Event-related: Materials needed for Saturday events
Sunday and Extended Delivery
Both carriers have been expanding into Sunday delivery in select markets:
| Service | Sunday Delivery | Markets |
|---|---|---|
| UPS SurePost | Available via USPS | Most U.S. addresses |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Expanding | Major metros |
| FedEx Ground Economy | Available via USPS | Most U.S. addresses |
Sunday delivery through USPS-partnered services (SurePost, Ground Economy) does not carry an additional surcharge — it’s part of the standard service when USPS handles last-mile delivery on Sundays.
How to Schedule Saturday Delivery
UPS
- Select an eligible service (Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air)
- Mark the shipment as “Saturday Delivery” in the shipping system
- The Saturday surcharge is automatically applied
FedEx
- Select Priority Overnight or 2Day
- Choose “Saturday Delivery” as a special service
- The surcharge is added to the shipment cost
Important: You must specifically request Saturday delivery. Simply shipping on Thursday via Next Day Air will default to Monday delivery, not Saturday.
Cost Analysis: Is Saturday Worth It?
| Scenario | Without Saturday | With Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| NDA base rate (10 lbs, Zone 5) | $55.00 | $55.00 |
| Saturday surcharge | — | $16.00 |
| Fuel surcharge (17%) | $9.35 | $12.07* |
| Total | $64.35 | $83.07 |
*Fuel is calculated on the combined base + Saturday surcharge in some cases.
The Saturday surcharge represents a 29% premium on top of an already-expensive express shipment. For cost-sensitive shipments, consider whether Friday Ground delivery with transit-time planning can achieve the same result.
Saturday Pickup
In addition to Saturday delivery, carriers offer Saturday pickup in some markets:
| Carrier | Saturday Pickup | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| UPS | Available in select areas | $16.00 per pickup |
| FedEx | Available at staffed locations | Varies |
Saturday pickup combined with Saturday delivery enables a full weekend shipping cycle for urgent shipments.
The Bottom Line
Saturday delivery is a powerful tool for time-sensitive shipments, but at $16.00 per package, it should be used strategically. The expansion of Saturday Ground delivery (at no extra charge) and Sunday delivery through USPS-partnered services means many shippers can achieve weekend delivery without the surcharge — it just requires planning around transit times.
Want to track your Saturday and weekend delivery surcharges? Upload one invoice to ShipMint’s Instant Analysis for a complete breakdown — free.