USPS releases suggested mailing dates for Christmas packages | News, Sports, Jobs
The Maui News
The U.S. Postal Service has released its suggested delivery dates to give mail and packages sent from Hawaii the best chance to arrive to arrive on time for Christmas.
Suggested mailing dates from Hawaii to the Mainland are Dec. 16 by first-class and priority mail and Dec. 20 by priority express mail, USPS said in a news release Monday.
Suggested mailing dates for interisland deliveries are Dec. 19 by first-class and priority mail and Dec. 20 by priority express mail.
Dates apply to mail received by each post office’s cutoff time.
The suggested mailing dates are not deadlines, implying that packages or letters will not arrive at their destinations if mailed after the listing dates, USPS said. In fact, if normal holiday conditions prevail, chances are good that letters and packages sent shortly after the suggested dates will still make it to their destinations before Christmas. Ultimately, unpredictable factors such as mailing volumes and weather determine whether deliveries can be made early or on time.
USPS will not charge customers holiday shipping surcharges this year. USPS said that in past years, it followed industry standards and temporarily adjusted its prices for the holidays, with the surcharge between 25 and 75 cents for most packages.
Self-service ship and mail centers are available across the state, allowing customers to purchase stamps, print and pay for postage for packages and conduct other common transactions without the need to stand in line to see a mail clerk. On Maui, this includes the Kihei, Lahaina and Wailuku post offices.
All priority mail and priority express envelopes and boxes now include day-specific delivery, improved tracking and free insurance, with envelopes and boxes available for free at local post offices. USPS recommends using flat-rate boxes — customers can send a medium flat-rate box with up to 70 pounds to domestic locations for $17.10 and a large flat-rate box, which holds 50 percent more and has the same weight limit, for $22.80. Up to 70 pounds can be shipped in the military large flat-rate box to most APO and FPO locations for $21.20.
Customers can also pay for postage and print out mailing labels online at USPS.com and notify the postal service at usps.com/pickup that the packages are ready to be picked up. Carriers will be alerted and will pick up the packages from customers’ homes or offices, usually the next business day. There is no extra charge for this service. Customers can also drop off their prepaid packages at a post office without waiting in line.
The peak of the holiday shipping rush begins two weeks before Christmas. USPS expects customer traffic to accelerate beginning the week of Dec. 11, with the week of Dec. 18 set to be the busiest of the season.
USPS delivers express mail on Christmas Day in most major U.S. metropolitan areas. Customers should ask their local postal clerk if this option is available for their holiday packages.
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