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. Here are some important details to prepare for your holiday mailings.
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 Winter Berries.
n Holiday Wreaths.
n Kwanzaa.
n Global Poinsettia.
n Diwali.
n Holiday Windows.
n Florentine Madonna and Child.
n Hanukkah.
n Nativity.
n Eid Greetings.
Self-Service Kiosks
Post Office™ lobbies can be very busy during the holiday season. So, skip the line and go directly to a fully-automated, self-service kiosk with touch-screen. Typically placed in Post Office lobbies to provide customers with a convenient alternative to the full-service counter, Post Office kiosks offer customers a wide range of services:
n Choose a 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 Look up a ZIP Code™.
n Purchase stamps.
n Renew your PO Box™.
n Pay with a debit, credit, or EBT card.
n Print a receipt with the USPS Tracking® number.
2019 Holiday Mail-By Dates
Domestic Services
The Postal Service recommends customers in the U.S. visit a Post Office location no later than the dates in the table shown here for expected delivery by December 25 to Air/Army Post Offices/Fleet Post Offices/Diplomatic Post Offices (APOs/FPOs/DPOs) and domestic addresses*. For the complete list of mailing and shipping deadlines, go to about.usps.com/holidaynews.
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 $18.45 on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate® box. The price includes a $1.50 per box discount for mail sent to 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, 2019, 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 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 DOE
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
Our busiest time is now 2 weeks before Christmas. Starting the week of December 9, customer traffic is expected to increase. The Postal Service predicts that the week of December 16–22 will be the busiest mailing, shipping, and delivery week for the holidays.
Skip the Trip and Ship Online
The Postal Service anticipates December 16 will be the busiest day online with more than 8.5 million customers predicted to visit usps.com for help shipping that special holiday gift. And usps.com is always open.
The Click-N-Ship feature (usps.com) 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**.
New Stamped Package Rule
There have been some changes made to how you can ship packages this year. For safety reasons, as of October 1, the Postal Service no longer accepts stamped packages that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weigh more than 10 ounces into blue collection boxes, building mail chutes, or Post Office mail slots. For clarity, stamped packages are those using individual stamps as postage. This restriction also applies to all other mailpieces, apart from packages, using individual stamps as postage that are more than one-half inch thick and/or weigh more than 10 ounces.
Instead, you must go to a retail counter or use the self-service kiosk to purchase a postage label. If you opt to use the kiosk to buy a postage label, you can drop your package in the package slots, not the mail slots, at a Post Office. If a prohibited package or mailpiece is found in a collection box, mail chute, or lobby mail slot, it will be returned to sender with a Customer Return Label attached explaining the restrictions and reason for return.
Click-N-Ship customers are unaffected by this change.
n We will offer an expanded package delivery window — delivery in the morning, afternoon, early evening, and on Sundays where volume warrants.
n We have expanded our capacity by adding new equipment:
n 20 automated package bundle sorters with more than 400 additional separations.
n 16 universal sorters.
n 5 package feed systems.
n 6 robust bulk unloading systems.
n 18 automatic tray unsleevers.
n 6 sack shakeout systems.
n 9 bed load/unload systems.
n 40 overhead scanning systems.
Retail Gifts
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 Post Offices, customers can buy greeting cards, gift cards, and postage, and mail their gifts all in one place.
Find the perfect gift online at store.usps.com/store/results/gifts/_/N-nnxamr?_requestid=15338 and at retail locations to make gift giving easy this season. Use our online locator at tools.usps.com/find-location.htm to find your local Post Office.
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 Packages that have stamps as postage and are more than one-half inch thick and/or weighing more than 10 ounces must be taken to a retail counter for drop off. Alternatively, customers can use a self-service kiosk for a postage label and drop off the package in a Post Office package slot, not a mail slot.
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 With free Package Pickup, your package can be handed to your mail carrier on his or her regular delivery route or you can schedule a pickup. For details on availability, visit usps.com/pickup.
n Take your packages to the retail counter at any Post Office.
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 Informed Delivery® (informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action) is the free daily digital preview of what is coming to your mailbox. You can see what mail is coming to your mailbox, manage your packages by providing delivery instructions or reschedule delivery online, and see some exterior images of magazines and catalogs — all from your mobile app, dashboard, tablet, or computer.
n Customers can also request the package be held at a Post Office by choosing the Hold for Pickup option in the Informed Delivery app, or online.
n Customers who know they won’t be home when a package is delivered can use USPS Package Intercept® (usps.com/manage/package-intercept.htm). Before delivery, most domestic package shipments can be redirected back to the sender, to a new address (a neighbor, perhaps), 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, if applicable. Wrap and place them next to the toys in the mailing box. Customers should include new batteries in the unopened, original manufacturer’s 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.
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 on Facebook (facebook.com/usps), Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/usps/).
Subscribing to the USPS YouTube Channel (youtube.com/user/uspstv/custom) will help consumers see new tools the Postal Service is offering to help make mailing and shipping easier, “how to” videos (youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1NEtJgO49CVxEQebq6rvJkRE5UXeI2pM), and more.
2019 Holiday Information
Holiday Advertising Campaign
Our 2019 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 began airing in November and can be viewed on the Postal Service YouTube channel, USPS TV (youtube.com/user/uspstv/custom). A direct mailpiece with information customers need to know for the holidays will be mailed to more than 100 million homes by Thanksgiving.
Holiday Operating Hours
Post Offices nationwide will be closed on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, and New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2020. All Post Offices will be open and regular mail delivery will resume on December 26 and January 2.
Some Post Offices may have extended hours leading up to the holidays, and limited hours on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31. Customers should always check with their local Post Offices for hours of operation.
As a reminder, mail is not picked up from blue collection boxes on Sundays.
Holiday Hiring
The Postal Service will be hiring seasonal employees across the country to meet operational needs and the needs of our customers. Hiring decisions are made at a local level. Instead of just hiring seasonally, the Postal Service is focusing its resources on 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, cash and cash equivalents, such as checks or gift cards that can be used like credit cards (with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express logos) must never be accepted in 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 nearly 6,000 carriers last year. The Postal Service places a high priority on employee and customer safety, including dog bite prevention.
National Postmark
All First-Class Mail postage stamps will be postmarked with this image from December 1 through January 4.
This year, the USPS Operation Santa program is 107 years old. The program was established by the Postal Service to help families and children in need at the holidays. This year brings some exciting changes, a new website, an expansion of last year’s digital program, and Santa’s OFFICIAL address:
SANTA CLAUS
123 ELF RD
NORTH POLE
88888
The program kicks off November 18 and this year, the digital program has expanded to 15 cities across the country, up from seven in 2018.
Austin, TX
|
Denver, CO
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
Baltimore, MD
|
Grand Rapids, MI
|
Phoenix, AZ
|
Boston, MA
|
Los Angeles, CA
|
Sacramento, CA
|
Chicago, IL
|
New York, NY
|
San Juan, PR
|
Cleveland, OH
|
Orlando, FL
|
Washington, DC
|
In addition to the program upgrades, there is also a new web address for letter adoption: USPSOperation Santa.com.
USPS Operation Santa — Letters to Santa — Legacy Program
Since 1912, Postal Service employees, charities, and individual and corporate volunteers have helped children in need experience the magic of the holidays by adopting their letters to Santa. This year, customers in New York City and Chicago who want to adopt letters in person can find the participating locations at about.usps.com/holidaynews.
Greetings from the North Pole Post Office – Santa Mail
A letter from Santa can be part of the magic of the season, and customers can help children receive authentic responses from the North Pole. After a child writes to Santa, customers can draft a response to the child on the back and sign it, “From, Santa.” Then, follow the steps in the “Get the North Pole Postmark” section. The child will get his or her original letter back along with Santa’s message from the North Pole!
Show a little extra holiday spirit this year by getting your holiday cards, letters, or gifts postmarked by the North Pole. Here’s how to do it:
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 a Priority Mail box.
5. Put postage on the larger envelope or box.
6. We recommend mailing your cards by December 14 for First-Class Mail; otherwise, use Priority Mail Express and send cards to:
NORTH POLE POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE, AK 99530-9998
— Public Relations,
Corporate Communications, 11-21-19
