It’s Not Too Late to Mail Those Holiday Packages

TOPEKA, Kan. – Haven’t mailed those holiday gifts yet? There’s still time, but you better get busy. Postal customers are encouraged to use Priority Mail through Saturday Dec. 20, and Express Mail overnight service through Dec. 23. Only Santa and the Postal Service (Express Mail) will deliver on Christmas Day.

Don’t let cold weather stand in the way. Put down the car keys and do yourself and the environment a favor – ship from home this holiday season. Not only will you save some precious gas and time, you’ll also enjoy discounts of up to 11 percent off regular Post Office prices.

“We want holiday shoppers to know that when it’s time to send those gifts, they can do it all online in the comfort of their home,” said Topeka Postmaster B. Steven Pinkerton.

Using Click-N-Ship at usps.com, customers can print postage-paid mailing labels for Express Mail, Priority Mail and International Mail, apply them to packages, and request a free package pickup the next day by their letter carrier. Delivery Confirmation, a 65-cent value, is free when mailing online.

The Postal Service offers three sizes of free eco-friendly flat-rate boxes that take the weight and distance out of mailing. Using a Large Priority Mail Flat Rate box (12" x 12" x 5 ½"), customers can ship up to 70 pounds, to any U.S. location for $12.95 ($12.50 with online discount). And there’s a $2 discount when shipping the large flat rate box to an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address. All flat-rate boxes can also be used for international shipping. The flat-rate boxes are available at any Post Office, by phone at 1-800-527-1950, and online at usps.com/shop.

Gifts sent by Express Mail receive a money-back guarantee, are automatically insured for $100, and include signed proof of delivery and tracking information. Free environmentally-friendly Express Mail packages and envelopes are available online at usps.com and at your local Post Office.

Express Mail rates are determined by weight and distance, and start at $12.60 for up to a half-pound. Put as much as fits inside an Express Mail Flat Rate envelope, regardless of weight, for only $16.50. And the Postal Service never adds a fuel surcharge.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.