PITTSBURGH — The Western PA District of the United States Postal Service has announced it will be conducting collections of select area blue boxes on Sunday, December 15 and Sunday, December 22, throughout the city of Pittsburgh, as heavier weekend mail volumes are expected to be generated by holiday mailers and shoppers. Normal Saturday collection runs will be conducted as well.

The Postal Service is asking customers to deposit their mail in collection boxes in front of businesses, on main streets and in front of Post Offices - early in the day Saturday and Sunday - to assist collections drivers in transporting the mail to processing centers earlier.

The Postal Service offers these additional mailing tips for sending cards and packages: Type or print addresses neatly, always include apartment or suite numbers. Place an extra return address inside your package and use strong packing tape – no twine or string. And, never guess a ZIP Code when you can easily look them up at usps.com or by calling 800-ASK-USPS.

The Postal Service recommends mailing by the following dates for the holidays:

*Priority Mail Express service commitments are based on drop-off times.
See retail associate or www.usps.com for details.

Priority Flat-Rate Mail boxes are available free of charge at the Post Office, online at www.usps.com/shippingsupplies, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. Priority Mail includes $50 of free insurance and free online tracking.

Priority Express Mail carries a money-back guarantee and includes an automatic $100 of free insurance. Free Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes are available as well.

For added customer convenience, Self-Service Kiosks (SSK) are available at the following Western PA District locations and most provide 24-hour access to many postal products and services:

Using a credit or debit card, these self-service kiosks enable customers to conduct business at their convenience. SSKs enable customers to:

• Purchase self-adhesive “Print-On-Demand” stamps.
• Weigh, calculate and purchase postage in amounts for items weighing up to 70lbs.
• Send items via Priority Express Mail, Priority Mail and First Class Mail, as well as by Parcel Post services.
• Look up ZIP Codes and obtain Postal Service mailing information.
• Obtain Priority Express Mail, Certified Mail, and Return Receipts
• Purchase USPS Tracking™ service.
• Obtain a purchase receipt.
• Pay Post Office Box rents.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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