USPS ground vs UPS SurePost for lightweight orders

I run a small sticker shop in Austin and kept bouncing between USPS Ground Advantage and UPS SurePost for 1-2 oz envelopes. USPS was winning on price at $3.99 but delivery times were all over the place, sometimes 5 days sometimes 9. Tried SurePost for a month and the tracking stayed more consistent but the final mile handoff to USPS added a weird 24 hour lag every single time. After 40 orders tracked side by side, I switched back to USPS Ground and just added a 2 day buffer in my handling time. Has anyone else found that the tracking consistency is worth paying $4.50 with UPS even if the delivery window is longer?

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calebw501mo ago

My last 3 orders through UPS SurePost got stuck at the regional hub for 48 hours with zero scans, which was worse than any USPS lag I dealt with. The real kicker is that USPS Ground Advantage refunds are way easier to chase online too, takes me like 2 minutes to file a claim. For stickers under 2 ounces, I end up eating the cost when either carrier fumbles, so the extra 50 cents just feels like buying a lottery ticket.

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