FedEx SmartPost (now called FedEx Ground Economy) is a FedEx shipping service that uses FedEx’s ground network for the primary transportation leg and transfers packages to USPS for final delivery to residential addresses. Like UPS SurePost, SmartPost trades delivery speed for a lower per-package rate — making it suitable for lightweight, non-time-sensitive residential shipments where cost efficiency is the priority.
SmartPost / FedEx Ground Economy
FedEx rebranded SmartPost as FedEx Ground Economy in 2021, though the service model remains the same: FedEx hauls packages from origin, sorts them in its ground network, injects them into the USPS stream near the destination, and USPS completes last-mile delivery. The service supports packages up to 70 lbs with no dimensional weight pricing — a notable pricing advantage for lightweight, bulky items.
When to Use SmartPost / Ground Economy
Optimal use cases include: low-value B2C shipments where delivery in 5–7 days is acceptable, PO Box deliveries (USPS can deliver to PO Boxes; FedEx Ground cannot), and packages under 10 lbs where the rate savings versus FedEx Ground are most significant. For time-sensitive orders, peak season shipments, or packages where tracking granularity is important, standard FedEx Ground provides better service predictability.