Grand Rapids MI — The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and shipping does not have to be a hassle.  With free shipping supplies, flat rate options and easy online tools at usps.com, the Postal Service offers its customers a simpler way to ship without having to leave their home or office.

PRIORITY MAIL SHIPPING IS A GREAT HOLIDAY VALUE.

• Free Insurance – Most packages now qualify for free insurance up to $50 — for the same Priority Mail rates.
• Improved Tracking – Now it’s easy to see where your package is at from pickup, confirmed final delivery and many points in between.
• Expected Delivery – Based on where your domestic Priority Mail package is shipping from and headed to, you’ll know whether to expect 1-, 2-, or 3-day specified delivery.
• You can get free package pick up when the carrier delivers your mail.

REMEMBER THESE ‘MAIL BY’ DATES:
December 14 – Standard Post (Domestic)
December 17 – Military (APO/FO Priority Express)
December 20 – First Class Mail
December 21 – Priority Mail
December 23 – Priority Mail Express

SHIPPING TIPS

• Print addresses clearly and include all address elements (ex: 123 E. Main St. Apt 2B). Never guess a ZIP Code.  No ZIP is better than a wrong ZIP code.
• Remove batteries from toys. Wrap and place them separately next to the toys in the mailing box.
• Place a card inside the package that contains the delivery and return address to ensure the safe return of an item that could not be delivered should the mailing label become damaged or fall off.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

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.

Follow the Postal Service on twitter.com/USPS and at facebook.com/USPS.