Need to ship or mail something to arrive by Christmas? Postal Service offers some advice

The Herald-Mail

Do you have holiday packages to send and want to make sure they arrive by Dec. 25?

The U.S. Postal Service has some advice for customers looking to navigate the busy shopping and shipping season.

And it also has some good news: There will be no peak, or demand, surcharge this holiday season, according to a news release from USPS, "offering increased predictability in pricing for customers." The price to ship is the same as it would be any time of the year.

A new shipping option this year is USPS Ground Advantage, a service that provides a simple, reliable and affordable way to ship packages with day certain delivery of two to five business days based on distance, according to the release.

And customers can also purchase shipping labels, order Priority Mail packaging and schedule free carrier pick up via the Postal Service’s shipping platform Click-N-Ship, according to the release.

What are the 2023 USPS holiday shipping and mailing deadlines for the U.S., military and consulates?

Here's the deadlines for shipping and mailing within the lower 48 states:

  • USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16

  • First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) — Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail — Dec. 18

  • Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20

Here are the deadlines for shipping to Alaska:

  • USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16

  • First-Class Mail — Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail — Dec. 18

  • Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20

Here are the deadlines for shipping to Hawaii:

  • USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16

  • First-Class Mail — Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail — Dec. 16

  • Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20

Here are the deadlines for shipping to military or consulate post offices, including Air/Army (APO), Fleet (FPO), and Diplomatic (DPO)

  • First-Class Mail — Dec. 9

  • Priority Mail — Dec. 9

  • Priority Mail Express Military Service — Dec. 15 (not available for ZIPs 093)

What about the deadlines for international mail?

Shipping deadlines for international mail vary depending on the destination. Check out International Mail and Shipping Services for details. The Postal Service is a secure shipping option that meets international mail shipping needs to over 180 countries.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: USPS holiday shipping and mailing deadlines announced

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