Santa will be getting a lot of help this year from the U.S. Postal Service. To help serve customers better during this busy time the Lincoln Main Office at 700 R Street will be open on Sunday December 6, 13th and 20th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to domestic addresses and Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office addresses*:
- Dec 9 — APO/FPO/DPO (ZIP Code 093 only) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
- Dec 11 — APO/FPO/DPO (all other ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail services
- Dec 15 — USPS Retail Ground service
- Dec 18 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express service
- Dec 18 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
- Dec 18 — First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
- Dec 19 — Priority Mail service
- Dec 23 — Priority Mail Express* service
*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time, and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two business days.
Skip the Trip and Ship Online
Consumers don’t even have to leave home to ship their packages, simply visit usps.com. The Postal Service anticipates Dec. 14 will be the Postal Service’s busiest day online with more than 13 million consumers predicted to visit usps.com for help shipping that special holiday gift. And usps.com is always open.
It’s estimated nearly 500,000 consumers will use the Click-N-Ship feature and other online services on Dec. 14 to order free Priority Mail boxes, print shipping labels, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.
Busiest Time
While holiday shopping is going to be different this year for many reasons, one thing hasn’t changed. The Postal Service still has its busiest time, which starts two weeks before Christmas. Beginning the week of Dec. 7, customer traffic is expected to increase, with the week of Dec. 14-21 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week.
More tips for a successful holiday mailing and shipping season:
- 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.
- Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch thick 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.
Those sending packages to service members overseas:
To ensure timely delivery of holiday wishes by Dec. 25, the Postal Service recommends that cards and packages be sent to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas no later than the mailing dates listed below.
| Military Mail Addressed
To and From |
Priority Mail Express Military Service (PMEMS)1 | First-Class Mail
Letters and Cards |
Priority Mail | Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)2 | Space Available
Mail (SAM)3 |
Retail Ground |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 4 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 6 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093 | N/A | Dec. 9 | Dec. 9 | Dec. 4 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 6 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-099 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 4 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 6 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AA ZIP 340 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 4 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 6 |
| APO/FPO/DPO AP ZIPs 962-966 | Dec. 18 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 11 | Dec. 4 | Nov. 27 | Nov. 6 |
Use the Military Care Kit to Send Presents and Care Packages
The Postal Service has created a free Military Care Kit based on the items most frequently requested by military families. The kit contains:
- Two Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate Boxes
- Four Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Boxes
- Priority Mail tape
- Priority Mail address labels
- Six Custom Forms Envelopes
To order the kit, call 800-610-8734. Guidelines for packing, addressing and shipping items to U.S. troops can be found at store.usps.com/store/product/shipping-supplies/military-care-kit-P_MILITARYKIT. To order flat-rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo, go to usps.com/freeboxes.