The holiday season is officially here! If you are planning on shipping gifts to friends, family, or clients this holiday season, your PostNet shipping experts are here to ensure you get your packages to their destinations on time, damage-free, and without higher, last-minute fees.
From key holiday shipping deadlines to pointers for your packaging, read on to make sure shipping your items is a seamless and merry process this year.
The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are the busiest time of year for shipping packages. That is why it’s important to know the shipping rates and deadlines for various carriers (UPS, FedEx, USPS) so you can plan accordingly.
Whether you are ground shipping, international shipping, or shipping to service members, check out our updated list of shipping deadlines to help you plan.
Ground shipping is typically the least expensive option. If you want your gifts to arrive before Christmas, plan on shipping your packages by Dec. 14, 2022. Of course, you can always select faster options or overnight your gifts, but be prepared to pay additional charges and fees.
If you are shipping internationally, it will take longer for your package to be shipped and arrive at its final destination. When you ship internationally, you need to make sure you aren’t sending any prohibited items for the destination country, and you need to fill out the correct customs forms.
International shipping tip: Bring your gift to your local PostNet and let us handle all of the paperwork and packing. Save time and ensure your gift is delivered safely and on time! Also, check out our guide to shipping internationally to get your gifts on their merry way!
To avoid any delivery hiccups or damage to items, it’s important that all of your gifts are properly packed and labeled.
Use a sturdy box that has been properly rated for the weight of the shipment. Fragile items like glassware or electronics should be packed with extra care. Be sure to line your package with bubble wrap or packing peanuts to provide the necessary protection for your items during transit. Cookies and baked goods are also tasty holiday gifts to ship. Make sure your baked items are packaged and sealed tightly in a container at room temperature to keep them fresh and in good condition.
Curb any potential delivery delays with a correctly printed and visible label. Labels must clearly display the correct address and name for both the sender and recipient. Missing apartment numbers or illegible handwriting may result in shipment delays and missed delivery dates. If you are shipping to a service member, know that an address to a U.S. military base or embassy looks different from a domestic address.
Looking for additional packing tips? Check out this step-by-step guide to packing and mailing gifts.
Give yourself some peace of mind about where your package is in transit. A tracking number is a designated number assigned to each package before it’s shipped. Once you’ve confirmed your shipment, keep your receipt with the tracking number to keep tabs on the status and location of your package at any given time. Click here to track your package for an existing shipment.
Searching for a dependable and reliable shipping partner can be stressful, especially during the holiday season. Using a local shipping provider, like PostNet, cuts down on your wait times and helps you through every step of the shipping process – from packing services, to offering multiple carrier options to choose what’s best for you.
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