Mailing Christmas presents? Make note of these Postal Service deadlines
Dec 19, 2017, 4:49 AM
(Facebook/US Postal Service)
(Facebook/US Postal Service)
PHOENIX — If you are looking to get your packages mailed ahead of the Christmas holiday, you might want to make note of these important shipping deadlines for the U.S. Postal Service.
Tuesday is the first-class deadline for cards, letters and small packages. Wednesday is the Priority Mail deadline.
For packages getting shipped to Alaska, the deadline for both first-class and Priority Mail service is Wednesday. Priority Mail Express items must be sent by Dec. 21.
If the item is going to Hawaii, the deadline has passed for both First Class and Priority Mail. However, the deadline for Priority Mail Express is Dec. 20.
USPS Phoenix Spokesman Peter Hass said people who are looking to get their presents mailed ahead of the deadline may face long lines – especially if they have packages.
“Overall, our mail volume is down,” he said, but added that “packages [have] been a big deal for the Postal Service for the last several years.”
Hass said the increase in packages has been due, in part, to the growing e-commerce industry.
But if the thought of waiting in long lines is not appealing, Hass said customers can use the USPS Click-N-Ship feature.
“You can literally use your credit card to purchase postage, print out a label and slap it on your package and then request a carrier pickup the following day at no charge,” he said.
However, Hass added, the deadlines still apply.
