This year, the Postal Service™ is reminding employees and customers that the holidays are our time to deliver. We have prepared all year for this season, and are ready to deliver across the country. Before Thanksgiving, we sent a holiday mailing to 105 million households that contained everything customers need to know for the holidays.
Holiday Stamps
The Postal Service offers a wide variety of contemporary and religious stamps for the holidays. Customers may purchase these stamps at Post Offices™ or online at usps.com/shop. Get the stamps while they last, including:
n Kwanzaa.
n Global Poinsettia.
n Sparkling Holidays.
n Diwali.
n Holiday Windows.
n Florentine Madonna and Child.
n Hanukkah.
n Nativity.
n Birds in Winter.
n Eid Greetings.
Post Office® lobbies can be very busy during the holiday season, but customers can skip the line and go directly to a fully-automated, touch-screen Self-Service Kiosk. A convenient alternative to the full-service counter, customers may do the following at Self-Service Kiosks:
n Choose the faster or most affordable shipping option;
n Weigh letters, flats, and parcels up to 70 pounds;
n Purchase variable rate postage in any denomination for Priority Mail Express®, Priority Mail®, First-Class Mail®, and USPS Retail Ground® services;
n Purchase USPS Delivery Confirmation®, Signature Confirmation™, Insurance, Certified Mail®, and Return Receipt After Mailing™ services;
n Print Priority Mail Express forms;
n Perform ZIP Code™ look-up;
n Purchase stamps;
n Renew PO Boxes;
n Pay with a debit, credit, or EBT card; and
n Print a receipt with the USPS Tracking® number.
The Sparkling Holidays stamps (shown here) are now available at Self-Service Kiosks.
2018 Holiday Mail-By Dates
Domestic Services
The Postal Service recommends customers in the U.S. observe the following mailing and shipping deadlines to ensure that deliveries are made in time for Christmas.* For the complete list of mailing and shipping deadlines, go to usps.com/holidaynews.
* Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before December 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 December 22 through December 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two (2) business days.
International Services
We advise customers mailing internationally during the holidays to review the International Services chart for specific deadlines based on the locations they are mailing to and the service they are using. When mailing and shipping internationally, customers must also follow the necessary customs guidelines. For more information, visit the International Shipping page at usps.com/international/preparing-international-shipments.htm.
Military Mail
To send packages to loved ones serving in the military abroad, the Postal Service offers a discounted price of $17.40 on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate® box. The price includes a $1.50 per box discount for mail sent to Air/Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office, and Diplomatic Post Office (APO/FPO/DPO) destinations worldwide.
Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at local Post Offices or customers can order them online at usps.com/freeboxes. Customers may print postage, labels, and customs forms online anytime using Click-N-Ship® at usps.com/ship.
To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by December 25, 2018, the Postal Service recommends that you send cards and packages to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates listed in the following table:
Military Care Kit
The Postal Service has created a free Military Care Kit based on the items most frequently requested by military families. The kit contains:
1. Two Priority Mail APO/FPO/DPO Flat Rate boxes,
2. Two Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate boxes,
3. Priority Mail tape,
4. Priority Mail address labels, and
5. Appropriate customs forms.
To order the kit, call 800-610-8734. You can find guidelines for packing, addressing, and shipping items to U.S. troops at usps.com/ship/apo-fpo-dpo.htm. To order flat rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo, go to usps.com/freeboxes.
Addressing the Package
Use the following directions to properly address your military mail package:
n Write out the service member’s full name.
n Include the unit and APO/FPO/DPO address with the 9-digit ZIP Code™ (if one is assigned).
For example:
Army/Air Post Office (APO)
COL MELANIE ADAMS
PSC 3 BOX 4120
APO AE 09021
Fleet Post Office (FPO)
SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH
UNIT 100100 BOX 4120
FPO AP 96691
Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)
JOHN DOE
UNIT 8400 BOX 0000
DPO AE 09498-0048
n Do not write the country name where the service member is stationed in the address.
n Include a return address.
n Inside the box, include the service member’s name and address as well as the sender’s name and address on an index card in case the shipping label gets damaged in transit.
Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days
With an increase in early and online gift shopping, the Postal Service no longer designates a “busiest day” for holiday shipping. Instead, the busiest time is now 2 weeks before Christmas. Starting the week of December 10, 2018, customer traffic will continue to increase — the Postal Service predicts that the week of December 17–23 will be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week for the holidays.
Skip the Trip and Ship Online
The Postal Service anticipates that December 17 will be the busiest day online with nearly 400,000 customers forecasted to visit usps.com for help shipping holiday gifts. The Postal Service estimates that nearly 5 million consumers will visit usps.com between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Customers can avoid holiday hassles and skip a trip to the Post Office altogether with convenient online shipping. Click-N-Ship and other online services allow customers to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage, and even request free next-day Package Pickup. And usps.com is always open.
Whether customers forget to add someone to their holiday lists or need to find a gift for that special someone, the Postal Service has them covered. In select locations this holiday season, customers can buy greeting cards, gift cards, and postage, then mail their gifts all in one place — the local Post Office. Find the perfect gift online at store.usps.com/store/home or use our online locator (tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction!input.action) to find a retail location.
Custom Solutions for Sending Holiday Packages
The Postal Service is uniquely qualified to deliver the holidays by offering a variety of custom solutions designed to make sending holiday packages easy:
n Get free Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes in Post Offices or online at usps.com/freeboxes.
n Skip the line and use self-service kiosks located in larger Post Offices to weigh, pay postage, and deposit your packages.
n Use Click-N-Ship online at usps.com/ship to create shipping labels with USPS Tracking®, pay postage, or use flat rate shipping products to avoid weighing packages.
n Schedule a free Package Pickup at usps.com/pickup or hand your package to your mail carrier on his or her regular delivery route.
n Take your packages to the retail counter at any Post Office.
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Custom Solutions to Help With Receiving Holiday Packages
The Postal Service also offers a variety of custom solutions designed to make receiving holiday packages more convenient:
n USPS Informed Delivery® is the free daily digital preview of what’s coming to your mailbox. Manage your packages, see what mail is coming to your mailbox, and browse exterior images of magazines and catalogs — all from your mobile app, dashboard, tablet, or computer.
n With Informed Delivery, consumers can also provide delivery instructions online and authorize carriers to leave packages in a specific location. Visit informeddelivery.usps.com for more information.
n Choose the Hold for Pickup option to request that your package is held at the Post Office.
n Choose USPS Package Intercept® if you won’t be at home when the carrier will deliver your package. Before delivery, you can redirect most domestic package shipments to the sender, to a new address (like a neighbor), or to the Post Office to be held for pickup.
Help Customers Avoid a Shipping Glitch
There are a number of things that customers can do to ensure their holiday mail gets delivered safely and correctly:
n Print addresses clearly and include all address elements, such as apartment numbers and directional information (ex., 123 S. Main St., Apt. 2B).
n Remove batteries from toys. Wrap and place them next to the toys in the mailing box. If you pack new batteries with the toys, leave them in their original packaging.
n Place a card inside the package that contains the delivery and return address. This ensures the package can be delivered or returned if the mailing label gets damaged or falls off.
n Never guess a ZIP Code. NO ZIP is better than a WRONG ZIP. Look up a ZIP Code at usps.com under Quick Tools.
n Include both “to” and “from” information on packages and only on one side.
n Do NOT reuse mailing boxes — they weaken in the shipping process.
n Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents. Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes are free at the local Post Office.
n Leave space for extra cushioning inside. 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.
What’s Different This Year
The Postal Service is looking at another record-breaking holiday season:
n We will offer an expanded delivery window — delivery in the morning, afternoon, early evening, and on Sundays.
n We expanded our capacity by adding new equipment:
n 8,000 new vehicles,
n Expanded use of parcel lockers, and
n Additional parcel sorting equipment capacity nationwide, including upgrades to 89 different automated processing systems.
Postal Posts Blog
This year, the Postal Service is “holiday-ifying” the Postal Posts® Blog (uspsblog.com) by offering 14 weeks’ worth of tips, tricks, and advice to make the holidays easier and trouble-free.
Social Media Posts
Consumers can also find more information via our social media pages at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel to see new tools the Postal Service offers to make shipping and mailing easier, “how to” videos, and more.
2018 Holiday Information
Holiday Advertising Campaign
Our 2018 holiday campaign will feature direct mail, TV, radio, print, digital, and social media promotions highlighting the organization’s proud tradition of delivering cheer and value to consumers and businesses.
The first of several TV spots will begin airing in November and can be viewed on our USPS YouTube channel. The Postal Service will send a mailpiece to 105 million homes by Thanksgiving which includes information customers need to know for the holidays.
Holiday Operating Hours
Post Offices nationwide will be closed on Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, and New Year’s Day, Tuesday, January 1, 2019. All Post Offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume after the holidays on December 26 and January 2.
Some Post Offices may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, and limited hours on Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31. Customers must check with their local Post Offices for hours of operation on those days.
Blue collection boxes with final collection times before 12 p.m. (noon) will not be affected by early closing on December 24. If a box has a final collection time after 12 p.m., its mail may be picked up earlier. For mail pickup on December 24, please put your mail into blue collection boxes by noon regardless of the final collection times posted on the box. As a reminder, blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays.
Customers who need later mail pickups on December 24 should visit their local Post Office. Additional Postal Service holiday information can be found at about.usps.com/holidaynews.
Holiday Hiring
Hiring seasonal employees is a decision based on local need. Instead of seasonal hiring, the Postal Service focuses its resources on hiring long-term employees and has been actively hiring year round.
Employee Tipping
All Postal Service employees, including mail carriers, must comply with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch. Under these federal regulations, carriers may accept a gift worth $20 or less (this includes store, restaurant, or mall gift cards). However, carriers must never accept cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be used like credit cards (with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express logos) for any amount.
Carriers and Dogs
The Postal Service asks customers to place their dogs in a separate room before opening the front door to accept packages from carriers. Dogs are protective in nature and may jump through screen doors or squeeze through door openings. Dogs attacked more than 6,700 carriers last year. We want everyone to go home safely each day.
National Postmark
All First-Class Mail postage stamps will be postmarked with this image from December 1, 2018, through January 4, 2019.
USPS Operation Santa™
Letters to Santa — Legacy Program
2018 marks the 106th year of the Operation Santa™ program. Since 1912, Postal Service employees, charities, individuals, and corporate volunteers have helped children in need experience the magic of the holidays by adopting their letters to Santa. The largest program is located at the James A. Farley Post Office in Manhattan, NY. Beginning December 3, customers who want to “adopt” letters in person can find participating locations at about.usps.com/holidaynews.
Operation Santa — Digital Program
In 2017, the Operation Santa program went digital and moved online to delivercheer.com in a pilot program in New York City. Customers who wanted to adopt letters could go online, adopt the letter, and bring a gift or letter to the James A. Farley Post Office in Manhattan to mail them. This year, the Postal Service is expanding the Operation Santa program to six additional cities in a volume test. Beginning December 3, customers in the following cities can adopt letters to Santa online at delivercheer.com and mail gifts ONLY at the Post Offices listed below:
Austin
Austin GMF
8225 Cross Park Drive
Austin, TX 78710-9998
Indianapolis
Indianapolis Main Office
125 West South Street
Indianapolis, IN 46206-9998
New York City
James A. Farley Post Office
421 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10001-9998
Phoenix
Phoenix Main Post Office
4949 East Van Buren Street
Phoenix, AZ 85026-9998
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Main Post Office
1001 California Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15290-9998
San Diego
Carmel Mountain Postal Store
11251 Rancho Carmel Drive
San Diego, CA 92199-9998
Washington, DC
Dorothy Height Post Office
2 Massachusetts Avenue
Washington, DC 20002-9998
Letters From Santa — Santa Mail
Build on the magic of the season by making sure your child’s letter to Santa receives a response. After your child writes a letter to Santa, draft a response to your child on the back of the letter and sign it “From Santa.” Then, follow the steps in the “Get the North Pole Postmark” section. Your child will get his or her original letter back from the North Pole!
Get the North Pole Postmark
Show a little extra holiday spirit this year by getting your holiday cards, letters, or gifts postmarked by the North Pole — here’s how:
1. Personalize your greeting cards as usual.
2. Address the envelopes.
3. Put a holiday stamp on each envelope.
4. Put all of the envelopes in a larger envelope or preferably a Priority Mail box.
5. Put postage on the larger envelope or box.
6. We recommend mailing your cards by December 14 to:
NORTH POLE POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE, AK 99530-9998
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, 11-22-18
Sample Responses for Use When Preparing Written Responses from Santa
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