Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the US Postal Service expects more holiday gifts, letters and cards will be sent through the mail this year than ever before.
As families and friends hold virtual celebrations instead of opening gifts in person, the Postal Service encourages customers to send their holiday gifts and cards early.
USPS says the busiest time of the season peaks two weeks before Christmas, when much of the last-minute shopping starts. Customer traffic is expected to increase beginning today (Dec. 7, 2020) with next week (Dec. 14-21) predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week.
In these socially distant times, USPS says people can visit usps.com or use the Click-N-Ship feature for help shipping holiday gifts, ordering free Priority Mail boxes, printing shipping labels, purchasing postage and even requesting free next-day Package Pickup.
USPS tips for a successful holiday mailing and shipping season:
- Use free Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. They are available at Post Office locations or online at usps.com/freeboxes.
- Make it easy with Click-N-Ship. You can create shipping labels and pay for postage online at usps.com/ship.
- Schedule a free Package Pickup when the carrier delivers your mail. It’s free regardless of the number of packages. Pickups can be scheduled at usps.com/pickup.
- Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces or are more than a half-inch thick and using stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a local Post Office.
The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25, 2020, to Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office and domestic addresses***:
- Dec. 9 — APO/FPO/DPO (ZIP Code 093 only) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
- Dec. 11 — APO/FPO/DPO (all other ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail services
- Dec. 15 — USPS Retail Ground service
- Dec. 18 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express service
- Dec. 18 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
- Dec. 18 — First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
- Dec. 19 — Priority Mail service
- Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express*** service
Alaska
- Dec. 18 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. First-Class Mail
- Dec. 19 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail
- Dec. 21 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail Express
Hawaii
- Dec. 15 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
- Dec. 21 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail Express
***Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25, 2020. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time, and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, 2020, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two business days.
Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found on the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews.
Sunday delivery was expanded Nov. 29 to locations with high package volumes. USPS already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities. Mail carriers will also deliver packages for an additional fee on Christmas Day in select locations.
The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
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