TOLEDO, OH—As the U.S. Postal Service prepares for its busiest mailing day of the year, shoppers are scrambling to send their holiday gifts and cards in time for Christmas.
“For last-minute shoppers, the Postal Service offers quick, easy and convenient shipping choices,” says Toledo Postmaster Jewelle Hoye.
The Postal Service expects to deliver 16.6 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The busiest mailing day is expected to be Monday, Dec. 14, when 839 million cards and letters will be processed, nearly double the average daily volume. The busiest delivery day will be Wednesday, Dec. 16.
“We know that customers are looking at options for shipping their holiday gifts, and the Postal Service offers a great combination of value and convenience,” says Hoye. “By going online, customers can take care of their shipping needs right from their home computer.”
At usps.com, you can print postage and shipping labels directly from your computer with Click-N-Ship. You will get a discount when you ship online, and you get free Delivery Confirmation when you use Click-N-Ship. Plus, you can schedule free package pickup online as well, so you can take care of all of your shipping from your computer without ever leaving home.
Residents in Toledo can also take care of their postal needs by visiting their area Contract Postal Unit. CPUs offer shipping and most of the services available at your local Post Office with the exception of postal money orders, Registered Mail and passports. Hours and locations can be found by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS or at www.usps.com.
Priority Mail Flat-Rate Boxes are available free at your local Post Office in four different sizes, or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com, or by telephone at 1-800-STAMP-24. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online any time using usps.com/clicknship.
“Our eco friendly Priority Mail Flat-Rate boxes are the best bargain in shipping,” says Hoye. “If it fits, it ships, up to 70 pounds, to any destination in the United States. Flat Rate boxes are always the same rate to any state.” First-Class Mail and Priority Mail sent by Dec. 21 will arrive in time for Christmas.
The Postal Service provides a money-back guarantee for delivery by Christmas Day on Express Mail accepted by Dec. 23 for delivery within designated ZIP Codes. Gifts sent by Express Mail are automatically insured for $100. Free Express Mail packages and envelopes are available online at usps.com and at your local Post Office.
Several local retailers, including banks, drug stores and grocery stores, sell holiday postage stamps at Post Office prices.
Customers can also take advantage of Automated Postal Centers (APC) at select locations. APCs provide easy access to postal products and services. Using credit and debit cards, the APC enables customers to purchase stamps, send items via Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail and Parcel Post, and lookup ZIP Codes.
“Stamps by Mail” is another convenient way to purchase stamps without waiting in line at your local Post Office. Order envelopes can be obtained from city, rural or contract delivery service carriers, in Post Office lobbies, or by telephoning the local delivery unit to request an envelope be delivered to your home or business.
Need to find a Post Office while you’re out holiday shopping? Any mobile user with web access can log onto the Postal Service’s mobile site to locate the nearest Post Office, Track & Confirm a package or look up a ZIP Code.
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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, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.
