UPS Expands Early-Delivery Service: United Parcel Service...

UPS Expands Early-Delivery Service: United Parcel Service Inc. said it will expand its early-next-day service to 8 a.m. guaranteed delivery in 12 major metropolitan areas starting July 3. The move comes just nine months after UPS introduced 8:30 a.m. service to major markets. The base price will remain $40 a letter.

The 8 a.m. service will be available in Los Angeles; San Diego; San Francisco-Oakland; New York-Newark, N.J.; Boston; Philadelphia; Washington; Chicago; Dallas; Atlanta; Miami, and Orlando, Fla. UPS also said it will double the availability of its guaranteed 8:30 a.m. delivery to 9,600 ZIP codes and, starting this summer, will offer the 8:30 a.m. service to customers shipping from major business centers in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

The announcements are the latest in a series of ambitious but costly moves by UPS to one-up Federal Express’ overnight delivery service in the United States, Europe and Asia.