SmartPost has not been discontinued, it has been renamed. FedEx now sells the same low-cost residential tier as FedEx Ground Economy, describing it as a cost-efficient option for parcels that are low-weight, low-value and nonurgent, with delivery that typically takes 2 to 7 business days.
Type the box and the two ZIPs, and the economy tier shows up beside the faster options with its own transit window.
FedEx retired the SmartPost brand and kept the product. Its current service page carries the line Formerly FedEx SmartPost right at the top, so a search for the old name is not a dead end, it is just an old label on a live tier. Everything quoted here comes from fedex.com, checked 2026-07-28.
Eight boxes, one lane, one morning. The right-hand column shows what UPS Ground quoted for the identical parcel in the same request, which is the honest way to see what the economy tier is really buying you and what it is costing you in days.
| Box and weight | Ground Economy | Window returned | UPS Ground same request |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 x 6 x 3 in, 8 oz | $10.06 | 6-7 business days | $10.31 at 2-3 days |
| 12 x 9 x 4 in, 2 lb | $12.42 | 6-7 business days | $11.07 at 2-3 days |
| 12 x 10 x 6 in, 4 lb | $13.18 | 6-7 business days | $13.38 at 2-3 days |
| 14 x 12 x 8 in, 8 lb | $15.64 | 6-7 business days | $20.02 at 2-3 days |
| 12 x 12 x 12 in, 15 lb | $19.63 | 6-7 business days | $23.54 at 2-3 days |
| 16 x 14 x 10 in, 16 lb | $20.98 | 6-7 business days | $23.70 at 2-3 days |
| 20 x 16 x 12 in, 25 lb | $28.77 | 6-7 business days | $29.52 at 2-3 days |
| 24 x 18 x 14 in, 50 lb | $55.23 | 6-7 business days | $45.01 at 2-3 days |
The pattern is sharp. Between 8 and 25 lb the economy tier undercut UPS Ground by as much as $4.38, narrowing to 75 cents at 25 lb, while giving back three or four days. Under 4 lb the two land within a dollar of each other and the order swaps around. At 50 lb it inverts hard and the faster service is also the cheaper one by $10.22, which is exactly the sort of thing a starting-at price will never tell you.
Legacy references stick around in order confirmations, marketplace dashboards and help articles for years. If a seller told you SmartPost and the tracking number starts moving on a FedEx page, nothing is wrong. The product was renamed, not replaced.
FedEx calls 1 to 10 lb the ideal weight for this tier, and our quotes agree with that framing more than the marketing usually does. Above 25 lb the economy discount thins out; past 50 lb on this lane it disappeared entirely.
Skip it for anything with a deadline, anything fragile enough that extra handling worries you, and anything over 70 lb or 130 inches of length plus girth, which is where the published ceiling sits. A returns flow with no promised date is where it earns its keep.
It exists under a different name. The FedEx service page for this tier carries the line Formerly FedEx SmartPost, checked 2026-07-28, and sells it as FedEx Ground Economy. Anything you were told about SmartPost pricing or speed should be re-checked against the current product.
FedEx publishes 2 to 7 business days, typically. On our 2026-07-28 quotes from Newark NJ 07102 to Atlanta GA 30303 the window returned with every economy row was 6-7 business days, while UPS Ground on the same request came back at 2-3.
FedEx states packages up to 70 lbs and 130 inches in length plus girth, and names 1 to 10 lbs as the ideal weight for the tier. Both figures are from fedex.com, checked 2026-07-28.
No. At 8 lb on our test lane it quoted $15.64 against $20.02 for UPS Ground, but at 50 lb it quoted $55.23 against $45.01, so the slow tier cost more than the fast one. Quote the actual box before assuming the economy row wins.