Background:

The Postal Service expects to deliver a total of approximately 15 billion cards, letters and packages during the 2017 holiday season. In addition, it’s projecting approximately 850 million packages will be delivered – an increase over 10 percent from last year.

Busiest Mailing and Delivery Week
Nearly 200 million packages are expected to be delivered during the busiest week, Dec. 18-24. Nearly 3 billion pieces of mail, including greeting cards and packages, are expected to be processed and delivered during the busiest week. Roughly 26 million packages will be delivered each day.
Dec. 18 is expected to be the busiest day for usps.com with more than 7 million customers predicted to visit on that day alone | 4.6 million people regularly visit usps.com daily.  More than 3 million customers are expected to use Click-N-Ship this year to ship from the convenience of their home or office.

Informed Delivery — customers can sign up for free at informeddelivery.com to see what packages are in route and to receive daily emails showing what mail will be delivered. 
TIPS TO AVOID A SHIPPING GLITCH

• Select a durable box to protect the contents. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes are free at local Post Offices
• Do NOT reuse mailing boxes – they weaken in the shipping process
• Properly address packages. Include both “to” and “from” information and only on one side
• Print addresses clearly and include all address elements, such as apartment numbers and directional information (ex: 123 S Main St. Apt. 2B)
• Never guess a ZIP Code. Look up a ZIP Code at usps.com under Quick Tools. NO ZIP is better than a WRONG ZIP
• Pay attention to batteries. In general, batteries should be securely packaged in the manufacturer’s original packaging. Items shipped with batteries installed that tick, vibrate or make noises during transportation can be delayed due to security concerns. Lithium batteries are hazardous materials and are restricted by type, quantity and battery strength. Information about shipping batteries, including lithium batteries, is in Publication 52, sec. 349.22.
• Leave space for extra cushioning inside and 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 a card inside the package with delivery and return addresses. This helps postal employees deliver the item should the mailing label become damaged or fall off

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

For the complete list of mailing and shipping deadlines, go to http://usps.com/holidaynews.

###

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

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.