FedEx One Rate vs Standard Rate: Shipping Options Explained

Every supply chain decision has downstream effects on the efficiency of your ecommerce operation. That’s why choosing a shipping option isn’t as simple as it seems: it can help or hurt your internal processes — and bottom line. 

About half of U.S. ecommerce businesses use FedEx as a shipping provider. The carrier has been expanding its solutions, including Sunday deliveries and advanced tracking capabilities, to serve the growing demands of online shopping.

FedEx currently offers standard and One Rate shipping options. The difference is that, with One Rate, prices are flat, not varying due to merchandise weight, for instance. By offering a fixed cost, this method benefits online businesses searching for predictability.

In this post, we’ll dive into detail to compare FedEx One Rate vs standard rate and show you how Shipium can help automate this decision.

What is FedEx One Rate?

FedEx One Rate is a flat-rate shipping option that allows you to send packages below 50 lbs. anywhere in the U.S. for a fixed price, which is determined by:

• The size of the FedEx flat-rate boxes you choose 
• The speed you want your parcel to arrive at its destination 

Unlike standard rates, this option provides cost predictability, eliminating guesswork involved in freight weightings or different zone pricing. As long as your items fit into the FedEx-provided packaging, you’re good to go. 

With FedEx One Rate, you get:

• Flat pricing across shipping zones
• FedEx packaging at no extra cost
• Coverage for domestic shipments via expedited services like FedEx Priority Overnight
• Tracking and on-time delivery guarantees

Top 5 benefits of FedEx One Rate shipping

FedEx One Rate shipping is ideal for sending items quickly and cost-effectively while maintaining parcel spend optimization. Let’s look at its biggest benefits for enterprise ecommerce businesses:

• Cost predictability: No surprise fees. You only have to decide your packaging sizes and expected delivery time to know how much you’ll spend on a specific shipment and calculate your overall costs.

• Fully loaded rates: FedEx One Rate pricing already includes any applicable fuel, residential, and delivery area surcharges, so again, no additional charges.

• Money-back guarantee: The FedEx shipping process returns all charges for a shipment in case of a service failure, such as damaged goods or late delivery. One Rate shipments are also backed by the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee policy.

• Free packaging options: FedEx provides the necessary packaging for free, including envelopes, boxes, and tubes. This perk reduces costs and simplifies cartonization decisions in the packing process. Note that FedEx does not provide filling materials for fragile products, though.

• Simplicity in shipping: FedEx One Rate’s fixed prices and straightforward structure make shipping hassle-free. There’s no need to calculate shipping zones, weights, or distances — just choose the right packaging and send parcels confidently.

How does the One Rate compare to the standard FedEx rates?

To better understand how FedEx One Rate vs standard rate stack up, let’s compare their key characteristics:

When to choose FedEx standard rate vs One Rate

When choosing between FedEx shipping options, go for the standard retail rate for:

• Shipping Internationally: The standard option provides flexibility for your ecommerce company to ship merchandise abroad since the One Rate alternative covers domestic shipments only.

• Using large or irregularly shaped items: With this option, you can ship products that exceed the size limits of FedEx One Rate packaging. 

• Handling varied shipping needs: It’s suitable for businesses with fluctuating shipping requirements, from lightweight to heavy or oversized packages.

• Providing local or short-distance deliveries: It’s cost-effective for regional or last mile delivery where flat-rate pricing may not be the most economical.

• Meeting specific delivery promises: If a customer needs a package delivered by a specific hour (e.g., 10:30 AM or end of day), FedEx’s standard services can accommodate those needs, unlike One Rate, which operates with fixed timelines tied to its flat-rate services (e.g., 2Day or Overnight). Standard rate options can also accommodate critical shipments that require additional precision or care.

Select FedEx One Rate shipments for:

• Managing consistent shipping needs: Ideal for businesses with predictable shipping patterns, such as an ecommerce store that ships a steady volume of similar-sized packages daily, like clothing or small electronics. This consistency ensures simple pricing and reduces complexity by leveraging flat-rate shipping for uniform orders.

• Shipping small, dense packages: FedEx One Rate can reduce the cost of sending heavy but small packages. Your product only has to fit neatly into one of FedEx’s standardized 12 free packaging options.

• Making long-distance domestic shipments: FedEx One Rate eliminates price variability for cross-country deliveries, providing overall lower shipping costs for long delivery distances.

• Offering flat-rate shipping to customers: Ecommerce businesses can offer flat-rate or a free delivery program, increasing cart conversion rates without adding operational expenses.

Regardless of the shipping method, Shipium gets you covered

Choosing the right rate options by FedEx or any other carrier is easier with Shipium. Our shipping platform helps you establish delivery decisions with real-time rate comparisons and simplified integration with your current logistics systems. 

For businesses choosing between shipping options, our Carrier Selection feature automates this process by comparing fully loaded rates among a large carrier network — including FedEx — allowing you to always select the best and most cost-effective alternatives.

Our FedEx partnership brings the carrier’s latest technology and services through the only end-to-end platform for enterprise shippers.

Book a demo today and explore how Shipium simplifies the decision between FedEx standard rate vs One Rate — streamlining your fulfillment process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use FedEx One Rate for international shipping?

No, FedEx One Rate is only available for domestic shipping within the United States. 

For international shipping, look for FedEx International Priority, Economy, or Connect Plus rates. You can also benefit from Global One Rate, which is a different flat-rate shipping option for qualifying FedEx Express international packages or freight up to 150 lbs.

Can I combine FedEx One Rate with other services?

Yes. FedEx One Rate is available with services like FedEx Express Saver, FedEx 2Day, and FedEx Priority Overnight. But it cannot be combined with other FedEx Ground or Freight services.

Is Shipium a certified partner of FedEx?

Absolutely. Shipium is certified as a FedEx Compatible® solutions provider. Our platform uses the latest FedEx APIs across new and established services.

Learn more about Shipium’s FedEx Compatible® certification.