SAN DIEGO – With 13.1 billion cards, letters and packages expected to be delivered this holiday season, the U.S. Postal Service has some tips to help get gifts to their destination swiftly and safely.

“The Postal Service is making it easier to ship packages to family and friends this season,” said San Diego Postmaster Ken Snavely. “Proper addressing and proper packaging will help us give every gift the service it deserves.”

The Postal Service offers free, environmentally friendly Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes. These supplies can be ordered at usps.com or picked up at a local Post Office.

“The best shipping value is our Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes,” said Snavely. “No calculating of postage or weighing is needed. If it fits, it ships.”

The Postal Service also offers pre-packaged shipping products, ReadyPost, sold at local Post Offices for customers needing sturdy, secure boxes and envelopes.

“Save money on Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express prices when you mail on line with Click-N-Ship,” added Snavely. “The more you ship, the more you save. And when a package is ready to be shipped, log onto usps.com/pickup to schedule free package pickup from home or office. Skip the trip and do all your shipping online.”

Helpful packaging tips:

• Select a box that is strong enough to protect contents.
• Cushion items with bubble wrap, newspaper, or “foam peanuts” so they do not shift during transit.
• Remove batteries from electronic devices and wrap separately.
• Include both “to” and “from” information on packages — and only on one side.
• Always use a return address, which tells the Postal Service where to return mail that cannot be delivered.
• Do not reuse mailing boxes as they can weaken in the shipping process.
• Stuff glass and fragile, hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage.
• When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.
• Place an extra address label with the delivery and return address inside the package. This ensures the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should the outside label become damaged or fall off.
• Always use tape designed for sealing shipping boxes. Do not use string, cellophane and masking tape to seal packages.

Guidelines for addressing envelopes and packages:

• Print complete address clearly.
• A complete address includes:
  • the recipient’s name
  • Post Office Box or street number
  • street name
  • suffix (Ave., St., etc.)
  • directional (N, S ,E,W)
  • secondary address ( apartment or suite number)
  • city, state and 5-digit ZIP Code
  • For example:  123 S. Main St. Apt. 4, Washington DC 20001
• Use the proper Zip Code. Zip Codes can be found at usps.com or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS.
• Print the delivery and return addresses on the same side of the envelope or package.

Always use a return address, which tells the Postal Service where to return mail that cannot be delivered.

The Postal Service recommends the following mail-by dates to ensure your gift arrives on time:

• Dec. 10 Express Mail International
• Dec. 14 Standard Post
• Dec. 20 First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21 Priority Mail
• Dec. 23 Priority Mail Express

For more information on mailing and shipping services this holiday season, please visit www.usps.com.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fourth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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