The 6 PM promise has a start time
Express commitments are measured from acceptance, and each office posts a cutoff. Hand a piece over past that hour and the clock starts tomorrow, at full price.
Postal next-day
USPS overnight shipping cost in one short page
You asked a narrow question, so this page stays narrow. The Postal Service sells exactly one overnight-class product, its price floor is public, and the full zone arithmetic lives on our dedicated Express page rather than being repeated here.
Direct answer up topusps.com figures, datedZone detail one click away
One product carries the promise
Everything the Postal Service calls overnight funnels into Priority Mail Express, so its price floor answers the whole question.
The short answer
USPS overnight is Priority Mail Express, the fastest thing the Postal Service sells. Per usps.com, checked 2026-07-27, it starts at $35.65 at the Post Office, targets delivery in 1-3 days by 6 PM with a money-back guarantee, and reaches next-day speed on many lanes rather than all of them. Weight tops out at 70 lb.
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Starting price at the Post Office | $35.65 |
| Flat rate envelope, commercial | $31.11 |
| Weight ceiling | 70 lb |
| Included shipping protection | $100 of coverage |
| Sunday and holiday delivery | Many major markets, extra fee |
Past the floor, Express prices climb by zone and weight, and the climb is steep. We keep those ladders on one page so they stay current in one place: the Priority Mail Express cost guide holds the envelope prices and the parcel zone tables, all cited to USPS Notice 123.
What our checkout said about postal speed
Express never surfaced in our 2026-07-27 production captures, which tells you something useful: for the parcels we quoted, cheaper services already covered the fast end. The quickest USPS row that day was Priority Mail at $16.47 for a 1 lb box from Los Angeles to New York, carrying a quoted 2-3 business day window. If your deadline tolerates that, the overnight surcharge buys you nothing.
Names are doing a lot of work
Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express are separate products at very different prices. Plenty of people pay for the wrong one in both directions; the word Express is the entire distinction.
Paper should ride the flat envelope
Documents fit the Express flat rate envelope, which pins the cost regardless of distance. Once anything bulky joins the paperwork, zone pricing takes over and the totals move fast.
Quick questions on postal overnight
Does USPS offer overnight shipping?
Yes, through Priority Mail Express, its fastest product. Per usps.com, checked 2026-07-27, it delivers in 1-3 days by 6 PM with a money-back guarantee; many lanes get true next-day, others take the extra day or two depending on origin and destination.
How much does USPS overnight shipping cost?
It starts at $35.65 at the Post Office, and the commercial flat rate envelope runs $31.11, per usps.com checked 2026-07-27. Parcel prices scale by zone and weight from there; our Priority Mail Express cost guide lays the zone tables out in full.
Is Priority Mail the same as USPS overnight?
No. Priority Mail targets 2-3 days and cost $16.47 for a 1 lb westbound box in our 2026-07-27 capture. Express is the overnight-class product, priced roughly twice as high at its floor. The similar names cause expensive mix-ups in both directions.
Can USPS deliver overnight on a Sunday?
In many major markets, yes. Per usps.com, checked 2026-07-27, Priority Mail Express offers Sunday and holiday delivery for an extra fee where the service exists, making it the rare carrier product that moves on non-business days.