USPS Holiday Shipping Times Approaching, With Stamped Parcel Prices Rising | New

ENID, Oklahoma. – As the Christmas holidays approach, the United States Postal Service emphasizes the importance of sending gifts and cards as soon as possible.

Busiest time of year starts two weeks before Christmas, with customer traffic expected to increase steadily from the week of Dec. 6, according to the USPS, which forecasts the peak holiday season year-round.

The following week, December 13-18, is expected to be the busiest direct mail, shopping and delivery week. USPS is expected to deliver between 850 million and 950 million packages during peak 2021 season – the period between Thanksgiving and New Years.

In the record breaking holiday season of 2020, 13 billion letters, cards and packages were processed and delivered “in some of the most difficult circumstances of the past century,” according to the Postal Service.

The Postal Service also recently increased the price of a Forever stamp from 55 cents to 58 cents in August and temporarily increased the prices of domestic commercial and retail parcels from 25 cents to $ 5.

More than 12 billion letters, cards and packages are expected to be processed and delivered this season.

For this reason, USPS has released its 2021 holiday shipping times for those who want to make sure their packages arrive on time.

USPS recommends the following postage and shipping times for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to National Addresses and Air Post Office / Army / Fleet Post Office / Air Mail Office addresses. diplomatic post:

• December 9: APO / FPO / DPO priority mail (all postal codes) and first class mail

• December 15: USPS Retail Ground service

• December 16: APO / FPO / DPO (except zip code 093) Military service USPS Priority Mail Express

• December 17: first class mail service (including greeting cards)

• December 17: First class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)

• December 18: priority mail service

• December 23: Priority Mail Express service, although USPS has said this is not a guarantee unless otherwise noted.

For Alaska to / from the continental United States:

• December 18: first class mail

• December 18: priority mail

• December 21: express priority mail

For Hawaii to / from the mainland:

• December 17: priority mail and first class mail

• December 21: express priority mail

The postal service also processes mail for foreign recipients of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of State. The DoD measures mail volumes in pounds, not pieces, and the USPS plans to process more than 12.6 million pounds of mail for APO / FPO / DPO destinations this holiday season.

Beginning Sunday, November 28, USPS will expand Sunday delivery to locations with high parcel volumes. USPS already delivers packages on Sundays to most major cities and plans to deliver more than 9.7 million packages each Sunday throughout the holiday season.

In addition to the USPS, FedEx and the United parcel service also published the statutory holiday deadlines:

FedEx

• December 9: economy on the ground

• 15 Dec. : delivery by land and home

• December 21: Express Saver

• December 22: two days and two days in the morning

• 23 dec. : night services

• December 24: the same day

UPS

• December 21: selection of 3 days

• December 22: second day air services

• December 23: air services the next day