If you don't want to spend extra on priority mail options to get your holiday packages to their destination on time, then Thursday is the deadline for you.
The United States Postal Service has December 15th flagged as a 'Mark Your Calendar' date for retail ground deliveries. This will be the most affordable option to get your package to the right place before the Christmas holiday.
The other deadline you need to try and avoid is December 19th because that is the day you can expect long lines at your local USPS to mail greeting cards and packages.
And, for procrastinators, your cutoff deadline for Priority Mail is December 21st.
The Postal Service has projected a 12 percent increase in packages this holiday season which equates to 750 million packages.
Tips to avoid a shipping glitch:
- Print addresses clearly: include all address elements, such as apartment numbers and directional information
- Place a card inside the package that contains the delivery and return address
- Never guess a ZIP code. No ZIP is better than a WRONG ZIP. Look up a ZIP code at usps.com under Quick Tools
- Do not reuse mailing boxes
