Get it there in time, deadlines coming up for holiday mail, shipping
MIAMI -The U.S. Postal Service is reminding people that holiday mail and shipping deadlines are coming up.
The Postal Service does not have a peak, or demand, surcharge this holiday season. Instead, it's going with their year-round pricing with no additional fees for residential area delivery, for Saturday delivery, no fuel surcharges, and no volume minimums.
In order for you to get what you want, or what you are sending, in plenty of time, the Postal Service has some deadlines you should make note of.
Within the Lower 48 (excludes Alaska and Hawaii)
- USPS Ground Advantage - Dec. 16
- First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) - Dec. 16
- Priority Mail - Dec. 18
- Priority Mail Express - Dec. 20
Air/Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), Diplomatic Post Office (DPO)
- USPS Ground Advantage - Nov. 6
- First-Class Mail - Dec. 9
- Priority Mail - Dec. 9
- Priority Mail Express Military Service - Dec. 15
International mail shipping deadlines vary depending on the destination. USPS international shipping covers 180 countries.
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 2-5 business days based on distance.
* PMEMS not available for APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 093
FedEx Christmas deadline
With FedEx, the deadline for mailing Christmas packages also varies depending on the service.
- The last day to ship a package using FedEx Ground Economy services is December 13.
- For FedEx Ground 5-day shipping, it's December 15.
- For 1-day shipping, it's December 21 — the Thursday before the holiday.
FedEx also offers express services that buy last-minute gift-givers more time.
- The last day to ship packages so that they arrive on or before Sunday, December 24 is Friday, December 22, via FedEx SameDay delivery.
All FedEx services, except for FedEx Custom Critical, are closed on Christmas Day.
UPS Christmas deadline
UPS, which is also closed on Christmas, recommends the following deadlines for package deliveries in time for the big holiday.
- Ship gifts by December 19 using UPS's 3-day delivery option, called UPS 3 Day Select, so they'll arrive on December 23.
- Ship by December 21 under UPS Next Day Air services.
- Customers have until December 22 with the shipper's Saturday delivery options.
