Expect Holiday Delivery Delays
We can't stress this enough this year. Holiday mailing and shipping are going to take much longer than in past years so plan for delays. The U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, and UPS released (and revised) their recommended ship-by dates for gifts to be delivered in time for Christmas. The December 25th holiday, which lands on a Saturday this year, will require you to use your coordination skills to ensure gifts arrive on time. Here is our annual report and the list of crucial dates to ensure your items arrive on time.
Cards and Annual Appeals
The US Postal Service began slowing mail delivery mid-2021 as part of a broad cost-cutting strategy. So extra planning on your part will be necessary, particularly if your organization is ending the year with a fund drive by mail. Here are the top 3 things you need to be aware of before sending your year-end mailings.
1. CHOOSE FIRST-CLASS POSTAGE
Not all classes of mail are treated equally. This is particularly important if your message is time-sensitive in nature. Marketing Mail (aka - Standard, Bulk, or NonProfit) is the last class in line to be handled. During high volume times of the year, this mail class can also be shipped to less busy mail processors, or put in a corner and left for later. See the chart below for more details on USPS Classes.
2. PLAN TO PRESORT YOUR HOLIDAY MAIL
We know that a hand-addressed and stamped letter gives your mail that personal touch. But if you are sending more than 200 letters you will save time and money by letting us print the addresses and presort the mail. This is a little like getting a head start in the mailing game. Instead of your letters running through the scanners with everything picked up at the retail locations, your mail will bypass that step and enter the mail stream ready to go.
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Typically we would tell you to get creative, but for this time of year sticking with standard sizes and materials will help you and your mail carrier out. Odd-sized letters and packages are handled differently than the rest. Envelopes that are hard to read or handle are also at a higher risk of delay. You can still be creative just play within the rules. Need any ideas for your holiday mail? Give us a shout! Once you've chosen your mailing method, determine what date you would like your letter to arrive and count backward. At AlphaGraphics Kansas City, we recommend that Christmas Cards enter the mail stream no later than December 15th, 2021 to ensure delivery before December 25th. We've listed other key dates at the end of this blog for other winter holidays.
| Class of Mail |
Mail or Package |
Cost |
Forwarding & Returns |
Extra Services |
Delivery Timelines |
| Priority Mail Express |
Both |
$$$$ |
Yes |
Yes |
1 - 2 days |
| Priority Mail |
Both |
$$$ |
Yes |
Yes |
2 - 3 days |
| First-Class Mail |
Mail |
$$ |
Yes |
Yes |
1 - 5 days |
| Marketing Mail / Standard or NonProfit |
Mail |
$ |
No |
Only for parcels |
3 - 14+ days |
| First-Class Package |
Package |
$$ |
Yes |
Yes |
1 - 3 days |
| Package Services / USPS Retail Ground |
Package |
$ |
No |
Yes |
3 - 8 days |
Pouches, Packages, and Parcels
Supply chain snags are slowing deliveries to manufacturers, retail stores, and home doorsteps. We are finding our production schedules expanding right now too. Delays in the delivery of the materials we use, combined with longer lead times from our partners and vendors mean your order may take longer to produce. So, even if you have already started thinking about holiday gifts you may still want to order earlier than usual. To ensure that your packages arrive on time here are your deadlines for the United States.
USPS HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES IN THE US
| Service |
Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Retail Ground™ |
Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 |
| First Class Mail® |
Friday, December 17th, 2021 |
| Priority Mail® |
Saturday, December 18th, 2021 |
| Priority Mail Express® |
Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 |
FEDEX HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES IN THE US
| Service |
Shipping Cutoff Date |
| FedEx SmartPost® |
Thursday, December 9th, 2021 (with exceptions) |
| FedEx Ground® |
Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 |
| Home Delivery® |
Wednesday, December 15th, 2021 |
| Express Saver® |
Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 |
| 2Day® Services |
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 |
| Overnight® Services |
Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 |
UPS HOLIDAY SHIPPING DEADLINES IN THE US
| Service |
Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Ground® |
December 15th, 2021 & Check UPS.com/CTC |
| 3 Day Select® |
Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 |
| 2nd Day Air® Services |
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021 |
| Next-Day Air® Services |
Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 |
REMEMBER! These are estimated dates and don't account for additional delays created by weather, illness, staffing, or other unforeseen issues. Due to the high volumes, most shippers who have guarantees of delivery are not honoring those guarantees. So even if you plan for a next-day delivery there is no promise that it will happen.
Other Holidays to Note
Thanksgiving - November 25th, 2021, Mail cards by November 19th Hanukkah - November 29th, 2021, Mail cards by November 22nd Kwanzaa - December 26th, 2021, Mail cards by December 20th New Year's Eve - December 31st, 2021, Mail cards by December 27th