Frequently Asked Questions: Potential five-day delivery schedule For Household Customers

I receive live animals or perishables, such as fruit (oranges or grapefruits). When five-day delivery is implemented, what days of the week will they be delivered?

When five-day delivery is implemented, delivery of live animals or perishables will take place Monday through Friday.

The Postal Service will continue its current practice of attempting to contact recipients of live animals and perishables to determine whether the recipient wishes to take delivery of the items at the Post Office that day or the next business day that the Post Office is open.

How and when will I learn about whether the Postal Service plans to implement a five-day delivery schedule?

Implementation of a five-day delivery schedule by the Postal Service after fiscal year 2010 (which ends Sept. 30, 2010) is contingent upon Congress not enacting legislation to prevent such a change in service. In addition, the Postal Service must request that the Postal Regulatory Commission review its plans and issue a non-binding advisory opinion. If the Postal Service implements five-day delivery, it would take effect in fiscal year 2011 (Oct. 1, 2010, to Sept. 30, 2011). The Postal Service has developed an operational plan that will provide important details about how five-day delivery would be implemented, and this information will be available at usps.com. Customers will receive multiple advance notices and information about changes in mailing services if and when the Postal Service eliminates Saturday delivery to street addresses. Customers also will be informed of what they will need to know to ensure seamless implementation. The Postal Service will begin providing notices and information at least six months before implementation. Notices and information will be sent to customers in the mail, and will be posted at usps.com, on collection boxes and in Post Offices. The information also will be reported in news media.

What steps should we take now to prepare for five-day delivery?

You should follow the status of five-day delivery operations at usps.com. The status will be updated as events occur. In addition, start your planning process now by evaluating what mail you need delivered on Saturday. For example, if you decide that you need to continue to receive Saturday delivery of your mail, you may rent a P.O. Box if you do not have one now. The Postal Service recommends that you plan to rent a box in advance of the implementation date so there is no interruption of mail delivery on Saturdays.

I pay my bills and mail them on Saturday. How would this change under five-day delivery?

Your mail will not be picked up and processed until Monday. Based on the loss of one day of processing, you should determine whether your mail will arrive at its destination within any deadlines you may need to meet. You may wish to change your payment and mailing schedules to Friday or Monday. You may also wish to ask your credit card issuer, financial institution, utility and other businesses to change your payment schedules.

What other options would I have for Saturday mail delivery?

Mail will continue to be delivered on Saturdays to P.O. Boxes. Express Mail will also continue to be delivered seven days a week, 365 days a year, including all Saturdays.

How would five-day delivery affect the receipt and delivery of my vote-by-mail election ballot?

The Postal Service is working with state and local election authorities so that your ballot and vote will be counted if it is mailed within the time frames prescribed by state and local law. The Postal Service and election officials are working together so that the absence of Saturday mail collection and delivery does not affect your basic voting rights.

How would five-day delivery affect the receipt of my holiday cards and packages?

Home and business address deliveries and collections will continue Monday through Friday. Post Offices will remain open on Saturdays. Express Mail will continue to be delivered seven days a week, 365 days a year. Also, the Postal Service currently strives to ensure parcels are delivered by Christmas and will continue to do so. USPS may deliver packages to street addresses on the two to three Saturdays before Christmas, if volume warrants, to ensure delivery before Christmas.

What if I place an order on Friday for medication needed on Saturday? Would there be any options for delivery?

For urgent overnight deliveries, the Postal Service will continue to deliver Express Mail seven days a week, 365 days a year.

What would happen during a week that has a holiday, such as a Monday holiday?

Mail will not be scheduled for collection or delivered to street addresses on a holiday or over a three-day holiday weekend. Customers should expect that mail will not be picked up or delivered until the next regular business day.

How will my regular deliveries from services such as Netflix be affected by the loss of Saturday delivery?

Customers should anticipate that items will not be picked up or delivered on Saturdays and, accordingly, should take into account the change in the delivery schedule of such services.

Will the Postal Service ensure that packages in its system are delivered before Christmas in December?

The Postal Service currently strives to ensure parcels are delivered by Christmas and will continue to do so. USPS may deliver packages to street addresses on the two to three Saturdays before Christmas, if volume warrants, to ensure delivery before Christmas.

I now receive my payroll check on Saturday in the mail. When would I expect to receive it if Saturday delivery is eliminated?

If your employer mails your payroll check on the same day as is done now and it currently arrives on Saturday, you should receive it on Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday.