WASHINGTON — Many consumers are in a sprint to the finish getting their holiday gifts and greetings in the mail. This week is anticipated to be the busiest week of the holiday mailing and shipping season for the Postal Service. The agency expects to process and deliver nearly 2.5 billion pieces of mail, including packages, this week alone.

Overall, the Postal Service anticipates delivering 800 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

The Postal Service has expanded its Sunday delivery operations in select high package volume locations. The agency already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities and expects to deliver more than 8 million packages each Sunday in December. Mail carriers will also deliver Priority Mail Express® packages for an additional fee on Christmas Day in select locations.

Wrap It Up and Put a Bow on It From Home
It’s predicted that today will be the busiest day for online postal consumers, with more than 8.5 million visitors expected to visit usps.com for help shipping that special holiday gift. It’s estimated nearly 400,000 consumers will use the Click-N-Ship® feature and other online services today to print shipping labels, purchase postage, order free Priority Mail® boxes, and even request free next-day Package Pickup. Plus, usps.com is always open.

2019 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
The Postal Service recommends using the following mailing and shipping deadlines*:

• Dec. 18    – APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 20    – First-Class Mail (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 20    – First-Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 20   – Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21    – Priority Mail
• Dec. 20    – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 22    – Alaska to mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 22    – Hawaii to mainland Priority Mail Express
• Dec. 23    – Priority Mail Express

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two (2) business days.

New This Year
Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch thick using stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a window clerk at a Post Office. Click-N-Ship customers are unaffected by this change.  

Additional Tips
The Postal Service also offers shipping tips in 10 video “how to” guides. Each video is less than three minutes long and shows how to address packages, ship packages and pack a box so items arrive safely.

Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found at the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom: usps.com/holidaynews.

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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