Hawai‘i Holiday Mailing Dates Announced

Now that everyone has survived Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping rushes, Hawai‘i residents’ thoughts will soon turn to shipping. The Postal Service is happy to assist its customers in that endeavor by providing suggested holiday mailing dates specific to Hawai‘i, news on extended holiday services, information about convenient self-service options and holiday mailing tips.

Suggested Mailing Dates
Below are the dates that the Postal Service suggests Hawai‘i residents mail their letters, cards and packages to give them the best chances of reaching their destinations by Christmas. Note that the dates apply to the mail received by each Post Office’s daily cutoff time.

Our suggested mailing dates are Dec. 6 for first-class and Priority mail headed to international and overseas military destinations, and Dec. 17 for First-Class and Priority mail headed to the mainland. Procrastinators have until Dec. 20 to send their holiday cheer to the mainland via our expedited Priority Express shipping service.

Dates apply to mail received by each Post Office’s cutoff time.

Postal customers are asked to keep in mind that the above suggested mailing dates are not deadlines, implying that packages or letters will not arrive at their destinations if mailed after the listed dates. In fact, if normal holiday conditions prevail, chances are good that letters and packages sent shortly after the suggested dates will still make it to their destinations before Christmas. Ultimately, unpredictable factors such as mailing volumes and weather determine whether deliveries can be made early or on time.

Extended Retail Hours – One Office, One Day
Only one Hawai‘i post office will provide extended retail hours this year—the Honolulu Main Post Office near the airport will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16.

Self Service Ship & Mail Centers
These convenient postal kiosks allow customers to purchase stamps, print and pay for postage for packages, and conduct other common transactions without the need to stand in line to see a mail clerk–an all-too-frequent necessity during holiday mailing season. Perhaps most important, customers can access the Self Service Ship & Mail Centers 24/7, at times that are convenient to them. USPS Self Service Ship & Mail Centers are located in Hawaii at the 16 locations below:

Hilo Main Post Office
Kailua-Kona Post Office
Aina Haina Post Office
Downtown Honolulu Post Office
Hawai‘i Kai Post Office
Honolulu Main/Airport Post Office – 2 kiosks
Kailua Post Office
Kaneohe Post Office
Kapahulu Safeway supermarket
Kihei Post Office
Lahaina Post Office
Makiki Post Office
Mililani Post Office
Waialae-Kahala Post Office
Waikīkī Post Office
Wailuku Post Office

Mailing Tips
Here are some time- and money-saving tips to help make the holidays a little brighter:

• Save money with Flat Rate Boxes: Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes are the best deal around. Customers can send up to 70 pounds in Medium Flat Rate Boxes to domestic locations for only $13.65 An even better deal is the Large Flat Rate Box, which holds 50 percent more (with the same 70-pound limit) for only $18.90, and features the tagline “Seasons Greetings from Hawai‘i” printed on its side. And, to support our military troops overseas, up to 70 pounds can be shipped in the military Large Flat Rate Box to most APO and FPO locations for only $17.40.
• Save time; Use USPS.com: Pay for your postage and print out your mailing label at USPS.com. After printing out the mailing labels for your packages at USPS.com, notify USPS at usps.com/pickup that they’re ready to be picked up. Your carrier will be alerted and will pick up your packages from your home or office, usually the next business day. There is no extra charge for this service. You can also drop off your prepaid packages at a Post Office without waiting in line.
• FREE insurance: All Priority Mail and Priority Express envelopes and boxes now include day-specific delivery, improved tracking and FREE insurance.
• FREE packaging: Priority Mail and Priority Express envelopes and boxes, including a limited supply of special “Seasons Greetings From Hawaii” large Flat Rate boxes, are available for FREE at your local Post Office.
• Express Mail on Christmas Day: The Postal Service delivers Express Mail on Christmas Day in major U.S. metropolitan areas. Ask your local postal clerk to determine whether this option is available for your holiday packages.

By the Numbers – Nationwide

• The Postal Service expects to process and deliver nearly 16 billion pieces of mail and 900 million packages between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day this year.
• The week of Dec. 17–23 is predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week. More than 2 billion pieces of First-Class Mail, including greeting cards, will be processed and delivered that week.
• Nearly 200 million packages will be delivered during the busiest week—that works out to about 29 million packages delivered a day.
• Nearly 105 million customers will visit USPS.com between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
• More than 3 million customers are expected to use USPS’s Click-N-Ship online application during the holidays to pay for postage and print out their shipping labels from the convenience of their homes or offices.

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