USPS warns customers to ship holiday packages early
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - If you plan on sending packages this holiday season, don’t wait until the last minute.
The United States Postal Service is urging customers to send mail as soon as possible to avoid delays and guarantee they arrive by Christmas.
“If you’re ready and you have your gift or present ready to go, ship it now, USPS strategic communications specialist Naddia Dhalai said. “It’s safe. We’ll take it, so it’s safer just to get it in early.”
The United States Postal Service broke records during the 2020 holiday season and is anticipating between 850 million and 950 million packages will be delivered between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
“To make sure we don’t have the delays that happened last year, we’re ready this year,” Dhalai said. “We’re planning ahead.”
Holiday season planning began last February.
“We’ve installed new machines across the country, opened new facilities and hired a lot more people, so this is an ongoing progress we plan in the beginning of the year,” Dhalai said.
To ensure packages are delivered, The Postal Service recommends using a durable box and making sure the zip code is correct.
Customers who want to avoid leaving their homes can use the Click-N-Ship feature.
“You can go online, weigh your package, get your postage, put it on the box, and your carrier will pick it up,” Dhalai said. “So if you don’t want to go into the post office, that’s a free option for you. Just print your postage online, package it up, and your carrier will come get it for you.”
The following are the recommended dates for shipping packages within the United States to guarantee delivery by Christmas:
- Dec. 15: USPS Retail Ground Service
- Dec. 17: First-Class Mail Service
- Dec. 18: Priority Mail Service
- Dec. 23: Priority Mail Express Service
“We do have our shipping deadlines where that’s the last day we can get it to ensure it gets there by Christmas, but we also encourage customers to get their packages in early,” Dhalai said.
