The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers approximately 700 million packages every day.
If you’re an e-commerce merchant, marketer, or person using postal services, you’ll want to know exact USPS delivery times for various USPS services. With the USPS, it’s important to understand how different metrics affect your mail delivery times, as the service you choose will affect the speed of delivery. With this knowledge, you can accurately predict USPS mail delivery time and give your customers an accurate estimate of when they should receive their order.
To help you better understand USPS mail and package delivery times, we’ll introduce you to the different USPS delivery options. We’ll also explain when the USPS starts and stops delivering and what you can do if mail delivery is delayed.
How late does the USPS deliver mail?
The USPS may have different delivery times for each route, but the USPS generally delivers packages and letters before 5 p.m. m. Officially set hours for “standard” mail delivery range from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. m. and 5 p.m. m. however, some services are faster: priority mail express deliveries reach recipients by 10:30am. m., domestic express mail at noon, and international mail at 3 p.m. m.
does usps also deliver at night?
Although the official cut-off time for the USPS to deliver mail is 5:00 p.m. m., in reality, deliveries can happen well into the night. this is especially true during peak seasons like the holiday rush.
In the event of delays due to traffic, car accidents, or inclement weather, the USPS will also make every effort to deliver your mail the same day. it is not uncommon for the post office to deliver after 8:00 p.m. m. and even later.
So don’t be surprised if the USPS delivery guy on your route shows up on your porch late at night with a flashlight.
what time of day does the usps stop delivering packages?
if you want to know when the mail will arrive or when the usps will deliver it, you need to know what class of mail was used. a summary is below.
– first class mail delivery: 1-3 business days
– priority mail delivery: 1- 3 business days
– express delivery by priority mail: 1-2 calendar days
– usps retail ground delivery: 2-8 business days
– media mail delivery: 2-8 business days
– delivery of bound forms: 2-8 business days
– delivery of select parcel packages: 2-9 business days
– pick-up light package delivery: 2-9 business days
– usps marketing mail delivery: 3-10 business days
how does usps handle overnight shipping?
USPS Overnight is another name for the USPS Priority Mail Express service and is available for domestic and international shipments. This shipping option is popular for businesses as it guarantees that the USPS will deliver the product on time. You are entitled to a full refund if the overnight shipping is delivered late.
usps offers three express priority mail options, depending on your delivery location:
– priority mail express 1 day: early or timely delivery in most areas with guaranteed delivery before noon the next business day. if you need faster delivery, you can pay a $5 fee for expedited delivery before 10:30am. m. the next business day.
– 2-day express priority mail: early or timely delivery to zip codes not covered by 1-day express, with guaranteed delivery by 12 p.m. m. or 3 p. m. the next business day. there is a $5 charge for expedited delivery before 10:30am. m. the second business day if you need faster delivery.
– international express priority mail: guaranteed delivery in 3-5 business days (to 90 countries).
does usps deliver on saturdays?
Saturdays are still USPS business days.
usps shipping services such as first class mail, first class package, usps retail, and priority mail express offer saturday delivery. however, priority mail express is the only service that guarantees delivery on Saturday. all other services depend on estimated delivery time and warehouse used for last mile delivery.
However, there is always the possibility that you will receive your package on Saturday with one of the postal services mentioned.
how late does the usps deliver packages on saturday?
usps mail carriers are just as busy on saturdays as they are on weekdays. Your goal is to deliver packages, finish your routes, and complete your daily workload. If you have a package delivered on a Saturday, it will most likely arrive by 2 p.m. but can be delivered until 6:30 p.m. during peak season or in case of interruptions such as bad weather. If you’re sending a package with a guaranteed service like Express Priority Mail, it should arrive by 10:30 AM. m.
Does USPS deliver on Sundays?
priority mail express (also referred to as usps night) and amazon packages are the only services delivered on sundays. Therefore, if you are not shipping USPS Priority Mail Priority Mail, you will not receive delivery on Sunday.
do not confuse express priority mail with priority mail. USPS does not deliver priority mail on Sundays. priority mail is slower but also much cheaper, so it’s designed for customers who don’t need a package as quickly.
what time does usps stop delivering on sunday?
Delivery times may vary depending on the service you choose. If you select priority mail express, your shipment must arrive by 10:30 a.m. m. USPS guarantees delivery no later than 6:30 p.m. m. If you don’t receive your package before 6:30 p.m. m., you are entitled to a full refund. however, it is a different story for amazon shipments. here, delivery can happen until 10 p.m.
does usps also deliver overnight on weekends?
For Saturday deliveries, mail carriers typically work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and deliver packages regardless of service choice. Most Saturday deliveries are made by 2 p.m., but you can expect them by 6:30 p.m, and guaranteed deliveries like Priority Mail Express may occur later at night. The same applies to USPS night deliveries on Sundays.
delivery deadline hours at the post office
Most post offices close at 5 or 6 p.m. m. and accept packages until closing time. if you deliver your package before closing time, it will likely be loaded onto the delivery truck that same night.
If you are concerned that your package will not arrive in time to meet this deadline, please arrange a pickup. please contact your local post office for your post office cut off time so you can plan for it.
why isn’t my mail delivered at the same time every day?
The USPS cannot accurately predict when a carrier will deliver your mail as mail volume fluctuates daily. therefore, delivery service times cannot be guaranteed. Additionally, changes to your mail carrier and the route they take to deliver mail may result in adjustments to delivery times.
can i get a delivery time estimate for my usps packages?
usps delivery time tracking tool can provide an estimate of when your package will be delivered. uses your zip code to estimate delivery times.
Simply go to usps-track.us and search for the usps delivery time calculator. You will be prompted to enter the sender zip code, the destination zip code, and the service you are using. they will then give you an estimated delivery time based on this information.
if you use postallytics, you can find all your tracking information on the dashboard.
mail and packages delayed?
When you send mail, the delivery time of your package varies depending on the type of service you use. If you’re concerned about your mail being lost and it’s been more than a week since you sent it, you should investigate further. The list below provides delivery standards for different classes of mail and indicates how long you should wait before contacting USPS Customer Service with a query.
when is mail considered delayed?
The following hours apply for the various USPS services:
– first class mail – 5 or more days from the date of shipment.
– first class package service – 5 or more days from the date of shipment
– priority mail – 5 or more days from the date of shipment
– express priority mail – when the guaranteed delivery time has expired
– usps retail ground – 14 or more days from date of shipment
– usps marketing mail – 14 or more days from the date of shipment
who do I notify if my mail is delayed?
What happens if your mail is lost or delayed? If the USPS considers your mail “delayed”, you can:
: Go to the usps missing mail search page and submit a missing mail search request
– file a claim for missing mail if your mail was insured
– visit your local post office for help
– call 1-800-275-8777 and ask for the number of the appropriate local consumer affairs office
what happens if you don’t meet usps delivery times?
Don’t panic if you miss the USPS delivery window as you can easily reschedule the delivery using the note left by the courier.
when will my letter or mail arrive?
If your shipment has a tracking number, it should be easy to track its progress. First, visit the USPS tracking page and enter the tracking number. the page will show the most current status, so check back periodically for updates on your delivery services.
automated direct mail: track your mail delivery times with postalotics
Traditional direct mail is a thing of the past, as people choose to use automated direct mail campaigns that allow you to design, print, and send mailings without manual intervention. that means no more trips to the post office. With postalotics, a usps partner, you can send usps first class and standard class mail. First class mail delivery takes 6-8 business days and 9-21 business days for standard class, no matter where in the u.s. uu. be found.
postalytics is able to do this because they have multiple print partners across the country who can share the printing and shipping load across nearby vendors. this makes postcode-to-postcode shipping more economical and efficient. When direct mail is printed with Postalotics, each item receives a unique barcode that the USPS will scan. This is linked to a single customer dashboard where you can check the exact status of your shipments so you know precisely when the mail was delivered by the USPS.
Final thoughts
An important consideration that affects USPS delivery times is federal holidays.
USPS stops delivering on these holidays and they are not taken into account when calculating Estimated Transit Times. However, the USPS always tries to stick to its 5 p.m. delivery target in local time, but delays may occur.
If you’re worried about when the USPS will stop delivering and how that will affect your mail, it’s best to choose a service that you know will guarantee a delivery time. We’ve covered this and more on United States Postal Service delivery times in this article.
You can also use a mail service like Postalytics which will save you time on design and printing, so you can get your mail to the USPS faster and use their efficient delivery service. this can help you reduce the delivery time of a direct mail campaign from weeks to days.