Earlier You Ship, The Better Says USPS

The U.S. Postal Service encourages those mailing packages to not wait around, otherwise you'll be risking late delivery for the Christmas holiday season.

Tad Kelley, spokesman for the USPS, urges those delivering packages of any form, whether to military servicemen and women, domestic shipments, or even simple delivery of Christmas cards, to get their packages sent out before it’s too late. Kelley says that while the deadline for the most economical shipments overseas has passed, priority mail is still available.

“What you have available to you now is priority mail,” Kelley says, “priority mail is economical and it still goes for the same domestic rates here in America as it would to an APO or FPO address overseas.”

This year, the USPS is providing a two dollar discount for any package addressed to any APO or FPO overseas.

“They are marked with special markings this year to show that you’re sending this to a military personnel,” Kelley says. “It says ‘America Supports You,’ and we’re going to take two dollars off the price of that box.”

According to Kelley, for domestic package shipping, the parcel post deadline is nearing. It is best to ship packages before the 10th of December and for any package shipped after the 10th priority mail becomes the better option. For all other non-package mail, including Christmas cards and other light mail, it’s best to send it by mid-December in order to have it delivered in time for Christmas.