When you’re sending or expecting an urgent parcel, weekend delivery can be a deciding factor. Many people want to know if UPS delivers on Sundays—and the answer depends on where you are and which service is being used. In the UK, UPS does not offer a standard Sunday delivery service. While Sunday deliveries are available in some countries like the US, they are not part of the regular service schedule for domestic or international UPS deliveries within the UK.
Weekend delivery availability in the UK
In the UK, UPS delivers Monday to Friday as standard. Saturday delivery is available, but only when specifically selected and paid for as an additional service. This makes Saturday the only weekend delivery day currently offered. If your parcel is sent using standard UPS services without that added option, it won’t be delivered at the weekend.
UPS does not operate a public Sunday delivery service in the UK for residential addresses. Parcels due for Monday delivery that arrive early at the local depot will usually be held until the next working day.
Are there any exceptions for Sunday delivery
For most personal and small business users, Sunday delivery through UPS isn’t available. However, there are some commercial contracts, urgent logistics arrangements, or supply chain services where deliveries can happen outside the standard schedule—including Sundays—but these are negotiated in advance and usually linked to healthcare, aerospace, or time-sensitive industrial goods. They are not available to the general public or through standard online booking.
How to get weekend delivery through UPS
If you’re hoping for a weekend delivery, your best bet is to choose Saturday delivery at the time of booking. This option is not automatically applied—you need to select it and pay the relevant fee. Saturday delivery is only available for certain services, including UPS Express and UPS Worldwide Express, and depends on the destination postcode. Not all areas are eligible, so checking availability before booking is essential.
What happens to parcels over the weekend
If a UPS parcel is in transit on a Friday and the service selected doesn’t include Saturday delivery, it will not move again until Monday. This means there is no progress or movement through the network during Sunday, as this is treated as a non-operational day. The parcel may sit at a depot or hub until it’s picked up again in the next working cycle.
How UPS compares to other couriers
UPS isn’t the only major courier that limits weekend delivery options in the UK. Royal Mail, DPD, and Evri also treat Sunday as a non-delivery day for most standard services. Amazon is one of the few that offers Sunday delivery as part of its Prime service, but that is a unique setup using its own in-house logistics. If you need guaranteed weekend delivery, it’s worth comparing couriers to see who offers timed services and which postcodes are covered.
Why UPS Doesn’t Offer Sunday Delivery in the UK
UPS is structured around a traditional business delivery model in the UK, focusing on weekday logistics. Unlike Amazon or some national couriers experimenting with seven-day delivery models, UPS has retained a Monday-to-Friday core schedule, with Saturday as an optional upgrade. Sunday delivery isn’t part of the standard operation because it requires increased staffing, extended warehouse operations, and greater transport coordination—costs that aren't justified for general demand in the UK market.
Can You Collect a Parcel on a Sunday Instead?
Some people assume they might be able to collect their parcel from a UPS Access Point or depot on a Sunday. However, most UPS customer counters and Access Points—especially in retail locations—are closed or operate reduced hours on Sundays. If your tracking shows the parcel is at a local depot, you’ll usually need to wait until Monday to collect it. Access Points located in 24-hour shops or petrol stations may be open, but you won’t be able to collect anything unless it’s already been processed and marked as ready for pickup.
Business Deliveries and Sunday Exceptions
UPS does have specialist logistics services that operate outside standard hours, including Sundays, but these are not available to the average consumer. Businesses operating under contract—particularly in healthcare, emergency logistics, or time-critical manufacturing—may have access to Sunday or even same-day solutions. These are managed outside of the usual booking process and can’t be arranged casually through the website or app.
What Happens if a Parcel Is Delayed Over the Weekend
If a parcel was meant to arrive on a Friday but missed its slot, and Saturday delivery wasn’t booked, it won’t move again until Monday. This can be frustrating for customers who assume all couriers operate seven days a week, especially when tracking shows the item is “in depot” or “awaiting delivery.” It’s worth explaining that UPS, like most traditional couriers, uses Sunday as a holding day. The system is still working in the background—organising routes, scanning shipments—but no doorstep delivery takes place.
Saturday vs Sunday Delivery Misunderstandings
Because Saturday delivery is available through UPS, some customers naturally assume Sunday might be too. This leads to a lot of confusion—especially when shopping online, as some retailers don’t make the delivery day clear during checkout. It’s important to note that even express services like UPS Next Day Air or UPS Express Saver only include Sunday delivery in certain international markets like the US, and not within the UK.
Tracking Status on a Sunday
You might still see tracking updates appear on a Sunday, even though no delivery is happening. This can include arrival scans at a depot, label creation by a seller, or routing information being processed. While it can feel like your parcel is on the move, it doesn’t mean it’s out for delivery or about to arrive. In most cases, the physical movement won’t resume until Monday morning.
Summary
UPS in the UK doesn’t currently deliver on Sundays for standard or express services. Although limited weekend services exist for commercial contracts and critical logistics, they are not available to the general public. Saturday delivery is the only widely available weekend option, and it must be specifically chosen at the time of booking. If you’re ordering online and timing matters, it’s important to check whether the retailer supports Saturday delivery—or consider alternative couriers that specialise in seven-day service.