Procrastinating holiday shippers take note: This week marks the critical window for ensuring gifts and cards reach their destinations by Christmas. The United States Postal Service has outlined key shipping deadlines to help customers plan their mailings:

• December 16: Deadline for mail to Alaska and Hawaii
• December 18: Ground and Priority Mail cutoff
• December 19: Priority Mail deadline
• December 21: Priority Mail Express final shipping date

Tampa’s Postmaster James Chambers reports an increase in mail volume compared to last year, with the postal service preparing to handle hundreds of thousands of packages before year’s end.

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“It’s a challenging time of year for us,” Chambers explained. “We’ve expanded delivery service hours and developed strategic plans to ensure early package deliveries and manage the extra workload.”

To streamline the shipping process, USPS recommends:

• Purchasing postage and printing labels online or at self-serve kiosks
• Dropping large packages at the counter
• Scheduling home or business mail pickups

Customers are advised to act quickly to guarantee holiday deliveries through USPS, with this week representing the final opportunity for timely shipping.

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(Image credit: Veeqo)