‘Clock is ticking’ to ship your holiday gifts, post office says. When’s the best time?

Tanasia Kenney
Matt Rourke/AP

Consumers have limited time to get their gifts and greeting cards in the mail if they’re to arrive in time for Christmas, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

The agency released its holiday shipping and mailing deadlines Monday, Dec. 12, ahead of what’s expected to be the “busiest week” of the year for post offices across the U.S.

It’s also the last week to ship by mail for estimated delivery by Dec. 25, and USPS said it’s already seeing a steady increase in foot traffic. Their advice? The earlier you ship, the better.

“The clock is ticking, we always encourage folks to ship early,” Postal Service spokesperson Kristina Uppal told CBS News earlier this year.

To ensure your holiday gift arrives by Christmas, it needs to be shipped by Saturday, Dec. 17, for ground and First-Class service, according to the USPS website. The same deadline applies to greeting cards and other mail.

This full list of recommended shipping deadlines is as follows:

  • Dec. 16 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express Military service

  • Dec. 17 — USPS Retail Ground service

  • Dec. 17 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)

  • Dec. 17 — First-Class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)

  • Dec. 19 — Priority Mail service

  • Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express service

Mail to or from Alaska must be sent by Sunday, Dec. 18 at the latest for First-Class and Priority Mail service, the agency said. For Priority Mail Express, the cutoff date is Dec. 21.

Hawaii residents have until Dec. 17 to send mail to the mainland via First-Class and Priority Mail. The deadline for Priority Mail Express to and from Hawaii is Dec. 21.

USPS said it’s wholly prepared for the challenges of the holiday peak — which runs from Black Friday to New Year’s Day — and has measures in place to make sure it stays ahead of the holiday surge.

“Preparations include converting 100,000 workers to full time since the beginning of 2021, with more than 41,000 part-time workers converted to full time since January 2022,” the Postal Service said, adding that it hired an extra 20,000 seasonal workers.

Sunday delivery has also been expanded in some cities, and carriers in select locations will deliver Priority Mail Express parcels on Christmas Day — if you’re willing to pay a little extra.

For more information on holiday shipping schedules, visit the USPS website here.

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