Free Package Pickup a Click Away

Holiday Timesaver Popular with Utahns

SALT LAKE CITY — The weather outside may be frightful; but thousands of Utahns have discovered how delightful it can be to request a free pickup of their holiday packages online at usps.com/pickup. Last year more than a half million Priority and Express Mail packages were picked up for free in the state of Utah — 40 million nationwide.

“internet has made our products and services more accessible, giving customers the option of mailing from the comfort of home or business,” said District Manager Ken McArthur.

Need postage for that holiday package? Go online to Click-N-Ship at usps.com, where customers can pay for postage using a credit card, print Priority Mail and Express Mail labels, and schedule a free package pickup. There is no limit to the number of packages that can be sent using the service, but correct postage must be affixed to every package. A letter carrier will pick up the package at no extra charge during the next day’s delivery. “Carrier Pickup” requests can be made any day of the week at any time, but pickups are made Monday through Saturday while letter carriers are on the job.

Priority Mail flat rate boxes take the weight out of mailing. Ship anything that fits, up to 70 pounds, to any destination in the U.S., including military addresses, for just $8.95. Just ensure the items fit without altering the box. Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are free and available at Post Offices.

Free package pickup is only available for packages being sent by Priority Mail or Express Mail, but can be used for domestic or international delivery. Customers must be present when the letter carrier comes for the package for all international mail. A completed customs form, available online, is needed. There are no such requirements for domestic mail delivery. Customers can leave instructions for the pickup when they schedule the request online. Packages must be ready by the time the carrier arrives. Requests need to be made by 1 a.m. MT on the day the pickup has been requested. Packages cannot weigh more than 70 pounds.

Customers also can send a very “green” holiday message across town or around the world when sending Priority Mail and Express Mail packages and envelopes. These shipping supplies exceed the highest federal recycling standards. The same box can be used for domestic or international mail.

To ensure that holiday mail reaches its destination in time for the holidays, the Postal Service recommends that all Priority Mail be sent by Dec. 20 and Express Mail be used after that day. The Postal Service is the only delivery company that will be collecting or delivering packages the weekend before Christmas. Customers must use Express Mail when mailing over that weekend for delivery by Christmas to be guaranteed.

Visit the Holiday Press Room at usps.com

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

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, six days a week. 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.