Postal Service ready to deliver cards-packages by the holidays
As the “Official Shipper of the Holidays,” the United States Postal Service this week released the suggested mail-by dates to ensure packages, cards, and letters reach their intended destination before the 2011 celebrations begin.
Dates are provided as a guide for dropping holiday wishes into the mail.
Postmarking for domestic mail — mailed from and delivered within the U.S. — and international mail destined for overseas should occur by:
| Domestic Mail Product | Mail-by Date |
| First-Class Mail | Dec. 20 |
| Priority Mail | Dec. 21 |
| Express Mail | Dec. 22 |
| Parcel Post | Dec. 15 |
| DNDC Drop Ship | Dec. 19 |
| DDU Drop Ship | Dec. 22 |
| International Mail Addressed To | Global Express Guaranteed® (GXG)1*** | Express Mail® Inter-national (EMS)2 | Priority Mail® Inter-national (PMI)3 | First-Class Mail® |
| Africa | Dec-20 | Dec-10 | Dec-2 | Dec-2 |
| Asia/Pacific Rim | Dec-19 | Dec-15 | Dec-9 | Dec-9 |
| Australia/New Zealand | Dec-19 | Dec-15 | Dec-9 | Dec-9 |
| Canada | Dec-21 | Dec-16 | Dec-12 | Dec-9 |
| Caribbean | Dec-20 | Dec-15 | Dec-12 | Dec-9 |
| Central & South America | Dec-20 | Dec-10 | Dec-2 | Dec-2 |
| Mexico | Dec-21 | Dec-15 | Dec-9 | Dec-9 |
| Europe | Dec-20 | Dec-15 | Dec-12 | Dec-9 |
| Middle East | Dec-20 | Dec-15 | Dec-12 | Dec-9 |
| Military and APO/FPO mail | Class of mail and mail-by-date | |||||
| Addressed to | Express Mail® Military Service (EMMS)1 | First-Class Mail® Service | Priority Mail® Service | Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)2 | Space Available Mail (SAM)3 | Parcel Post® Service |
| APO/FPO/DPO AE | Dec. 17 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 | Nov. 26 | Nov. 12 |
| ZIPs™ 090-092 | ||||||
| APO/FPO/DPO AE | N/A | Dec. 3 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 1 | Nov. 26 | Nov. 12 |
| ZIP 093 | ||||||
| APO/FPO/DPO AE | Dec. 17 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 | Nov. 26 | Nov. 12 |
| ZIPs 094-098 | ||||||
| APO/FPO/DPO AA | Dec. 17 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 | Nov. 26 | Nov. 12 |
| ZIP 340 | ||||||
| APO/FPO/DPO AP | Dec. 17 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 3 | Nov. 26 | Nov. 12 |
| ZIPs 962-966 | ||||||