For many centuries postal services have been playing a major role in modern civilization by linking people and organizations through different distances. The UPU and USPS play significant roles in the global postal market. 

This article will cover the core functions for these organizations, how they vary and how they influence global and local mail and financial services.

Universal Postal Union (UPU)

In 1874, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), was founded as a specialized agency affiliated with the UN. It aims at promoting cooperation and facilitating cross border delivery of mails among its member states by all means. The UPU is vital in setting standards for postal activities that guarantee effective global mail flow.

Key Points about UPU:
1. Membership: With over 192 members, UPU is one of the most universally inclusive international organizations in the world.
2. Regulations: UPU regulates global standards for international mail such as addressing formats, postage requirements, and customs.
3. Global Postal Network: UPU makes it possible to send the mail to different countries through post without taking into account the border and political situation.
4. Financial Services: UPU promotes its member states to delve into financial services offered through their postal systems, such as postal banking and remittance.

United States Postal Service (USPS)

The USPS or commonly referred to as the United States Postal Service is the national postal service provider of the United States. It is important in connecting people and businesses within the country, as well as providing different kinds of postal, payments, and financial services.

Key Points about USPS:
1. Domestic Focus: However, USPS focuses on providing domestic mail and package delivery services within the US. This has a vast system of post office and mail centres in the country.
2. Independent Agency: The US government has a self-supporting agency known as United States Postal Service (USPS).
3. Services Offered: USPS provides diverse services including letters, packages, retail services, money orders, and so on. Moreover, it has great importance in disaster relief and emergency communication.
4. Postal Banking: Since there is a vast array of options available that can provide financial access to poor areas in America, USPS has considered offering postal banking services.

Image alt text: Universal Postal Union vs United States Postal Services

Author credit: By Famartin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120978001

Comparison: Universal Postal Union vs. United States Postal Service

Now, let's dive deeper into the comparison between the Universal Postal Union and the United States Postal Service:

• Global vs. National Focus:
  • UPU: UPU has a global focus, fostering international cooperation among its member countries. It ensures that international mail flows smoothly and consistently across borders.
  • USPS: USPS primarily serves the domestic needs of the United States, concentrating on mail and package delivery within the country.
• Membership:
  • UPU: UPU boasts a vast and diverse membership of 192 countries, reflecting its global reach and influence.
  • USPS: USPS is a national postal service provider, serving the United States exclusively.
• Regulatory Role:
  • UPU: UPU sets international postal standards and regulations, aiming to create a harmonized global postal system. It plays a crucial role in addressing formats, postage rates, and customs procedures for international mail.
  • USPS: USPS operates within the regulatory framework established by the U.S. government, focusing on domestic postal operations and services.
• Financial Services:
  • UPU: UPU urges its member nations to look into financial services such as postal banking to increase financial resources’ accessibility among the underserved regions.
  • USPS: It is important to note that USPS concentrates on mail and packages delivery but proposes postal banking to solve the problems of financial exclusion in the US.
• Independence:
  • UPU: UPU performs its role as a UN specialized agency aiming at fostering worldwide postal co-operation.
  • USPS: USPS functions as an independent agency of the federal government of the U.S., funding its activities via revenues it generates through its mail operations.
• Impact:
  • UPU: UPU has global impact since it ensures proper flow of international mail system, affecting people and organization worldwide.
  • USPS: Firstly, USPS is an integral part of domestic communication and commerce in the United States as it connects various communities and businesses across the country.

Conclusion

To sum up, UPU and USPS are entirely independent entities having dissimilar purposes/roles towards the global arena of postal services. UPU operates globally promoting global cooperation and norm building on international mail, while USPS serves domestic postal market in the US. 

In spite of these disparities, these organizations play a vital role towards effective running of the postal services within their territories. Postal services are vital in sending mails across the world and linking together parts of America.