Time Tidbits: USPS.com

With the holidays just around the corner, usps.com will be as busy as ever. That’s because it’s the easiest way to accomplish your holiday shopping and shipping at home or on the go. For example, with Package Pickup, a carrier will pick up your shipment free during regular mail delivery if you're using an expedited service like Priority Mail, Express Mail, Global Express Guaranteed or Merchandise Return services.

Other services on usps.com to make the holidays simpler:

• Click-N-Ship — Using a home or office computer, customers can pay for postage, print shipping labels and schedule free package pickups. Check out this cool video.

•  Track & Confirm — Enter your label number to see the status of your item. If you shipped with Express Mail, you’ll get point-by-point tracking details. If you used another service — Delivery Confirmation, Certified Mail, Domestic or International Registered Mail — you’ll see when it went out for delivery.

• Calculate Postage — Whether your letter or package is domestic or international, the Postage Price Calculator provides the right amount of postage for a variety of Express Mail and Priority Mail services. Don’t know the package’s weight? Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale and weigh yourself again holding the package. Calculate the difference. It’s that simple.
• Post Office Locator — Find Post Offices by typing in a city and state or ZIP Code. You’ll also see other locations such as grocery, convenience and other stores selling postal products and services.

At usps.com/shop, customers can order this year’s Santa and Sleigh or Holy Family Forever stamps as well as shipping supplies, philatelic items and holiday gifts, including high-quality framed and canvas artwork, books, puzzles, games, totes and collectibles — all from the Postal Store.     

Looking for an educational holiday gift? Consider the 2012 Stamp Yearbook or the 2012 Holiday White House Ornament. 

With ZIP Code Lookup, you can find all those missing ZIP Codes for your holiday cards and personalize them with holiday stamps or Customized Postage. Or, Create Customized Holiday Cards via third-party websites. These sites help you create not only personalized greeting cards but also envelopes, postcards and a holiday newsletter. Customers going out of town for the holidays can have their mail held from the Hold Mail Service till they return.

 

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.