Christmas day is only 75 days away, so it is time to start thinking about sending off holiday letters and packages. Here are some dates to remember so your items arrive on time and at the best rates.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has announced temporary rate increases for the 2024 peak holiday shipping season. The peak surcharges are implemented to cover the extra handling costs associated with the holiday shipping surge. The new rates apply to Retail and Commercial prices for Priority Mail®, and USPS Ground Advantage™ and Priority Mail Express packages starting October 6, 2024, and ending January 18, 2025. No other USPS products or services are affected. See the holiday shipping rate increases here.
The post office did not implement this surcharge in 2023, but now it has returned as part of the broader USPS Delivering for America 10-year plan, which aims to revitalize the organization and achieve its public service mission.
The dates that I am listing should allow for your letters and packages to arrive before December 25th for domestic addresses along with Air/Army Post Offices (APO), Fleet Post Offices (FPO) and Diplomatic Post Offices (DPO).
I always like to start out with dates for the APO/FPO/DPO addresses as those are the first to arrive. These letters and packages take a little longer to be distributed worldwide, and the men and women serving our country always look forward to receiving packages as they are away from family and friends during the holiday season.
The dates below are for APO/FPO/DPO addresses:
- USPS Ground Advantage — Nov. 4
- First-Class Mail — Dec. 9
- Priority Mail — Dec. 9
- Priority Mail Express Military Service — Dec. 16*
* PMEMS not available for APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093
Packages that are going to the continental United States should be in the mail no later than the dates listed below:
- USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 18
- First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) — Dec. 18
- Priority Mail — Dec. 19
- Priority Mail Express — Dec. 21
Dates for sending letters and packages to Alaska and Hawaii are listed below:
- USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16
- First-Class Mail — Dec. 18
- Priority Mail — Dec. 19
- Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20
USPS urges customers to plan ahead and ship early during this holiday season. The earlier you send, the better... Don't delay — mail and ship today! A full listing of dates can be found here.
Do not forget you can get free Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes at your local post office. You can also get Shipping Supplies at the Postal Store and holiday stamps at USPS.com
I would like to wish everyone a healthy, happy holiday season.
Happy Mailing,
Rob Hanks
