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USPS 2019 holiday shipping deadlines

The United States Postal Service has announced their 2019 Holiday Shipping Dates. These are the recommended domestic, international, and military ship-by dates if you would like your package to be delivered before December 25.

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The United States Postal Service has announced their 2019 Holiday Shipping Dates. These are the recommended domestic, international, and military ship-by dates if you would like your package to be delivered before December 25.

Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S.

First-Class Mail® Service: Ship by Dec. 20

Priority Mail® Service: Ship by Dec. 21

Priority Mail Express® Service: Ship by Dec. 23

USPS Retail Ground®: Ship by Dec. 14

Holiday Shipping Dates for Alaska & Hawaii

Sending Packages to Alaska

First-Class Mail® Service: Dec. 18

Priority Mail® Service: Dec. 19

Priority Mail Express® Service: Dec. 21

Sending Packages to Hawaii

First-Class Mail® Service: Dec. 19

Priority Mail® Service: Dec. 19

Priority Mail Express® Service: Dec. 21

Holiday Shipping Dates for International Mail

See USPS.com for recommended holiday shipping dates for Africa, Asia/Pacific Rim, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South America, Mexico, Europe and Middle East.

Holiday Shipping Dates for Military Mail

If you are shipping packages to those in the military, there are different deadlines depending on the APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP™.

Priority Mail Express Military Service must be mailed no later than Dec. 18

First-Class Mail® Service must be sent no later than Dec. 9 or Dec. 11

Priority Mail® Service must be sent by Dec. 9 or Dec. 11

Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) must be sent by Dec. 4

Space Available Mail (SAM) must be sent by Nov. 27

USPS Retail Ground® Service should have been sent by Nov. 6

See the USPS.com website for the deadlines for specific APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP™ locations.
Military Care Kit: USPS offers a free Military Care Kit with boxes, tape, forms and labels for shipping to members of the military. The supplies are free. The sender still needs to pay the shipping cost to mail the packages to the recipient. See the supplies on the USPS website.
The USPS website indicates that these dates are not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. The actual delivery date may vary depending on a number of factors including "place of origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time and other conditions, including customs delays. Some restrictions apply"

There are also restrictions regarding maximum weight and size limits.

Tips For Successful Holiday Mailing and Shipping

USPS has shared some tips for a successful holiday mailing and shipping season on their website:

* Use free Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. They are available at local Post Offices or online at usps.com/freeboxes
* Make it easy with Click-N-Ship. You can create shipping labels and pay for postage online at usps.com/ship
* Schedule a free Package Pickup when the carrier delivers your mail. It’s free regardless of the number of packages. Or, pickups can be scheduled at usps.com/pickup

* New this year, mail and packages weighing more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch think using stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a window clerk at a Post Office. Click-N-Ship customers are unaffected by this change.

In addition, the week of Dec. 16 - 22 is predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week so plan accordingly.

See their website for all the details at USPS.com.

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