With both Christmas and New Year’s Day being on a Saturday this year, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what this means for US Post Office hours and bulk mail. I’ve also been getting questions about what changes the USPS has in store for the upcoming year. This post will address all of these questions and more.
Will there be regular US mail delivery on Christmas Eve, Friday December 24th, 2010 and New Year’s Eve, Friday December 31st, 2010? Yes
Will the US Post Office be opened on Christmas Eve, Friday December 24th, 2010 and New Year’s Eve, Friday December 31st, 2010? Yes, BUT according to the USPS, there will be limited lobby hours and most post offices will close by noon.
Can I drop off my bulk mail on Christmas Eve, Friday December 24th, 2010 and New Year’s Eve, Friday December 31st, 2010? No, you’ll want to check with your local Business Mail Unit, but most (if not all) will be closed on BOTH days. I phoned several USPS Business Mail Units and all confirmed that they will be closed on BOTH days.
So don’t procrastinate! Get your bulk mail out before those dates. If you are committed to get bulk mail out before the end of the calendar year, then Thursday December 30th is most likely your final opportunity to take care of this.
Other things to look for from the US Post Office in 2011
1) The Intelligent Mail Barcode: If you’re a bulk mailer and you’re looking to maximize your postage discount, you want to be sure that you’ve converted to the Intelligent Mail Barcode by May 2011. If you don’t know what an Intelligent Mail Barcode is, then take a look at my recent post, What’s the Intelligent Mail Barcode and Why You Should Care? If you have a third party professional process your bulk mail, then make sure that they are up to date on the Intelligent Mail Barcode.
2) Postage Rate Increases: The proposed postage rate increase was rejected earlier this year, but most agree that rates are still likely to increase in 2011.
3) Reduction to 5-Day Delivery Schedule: As financial pressures continue to mount on the USPS with no immediate solution, one of the least painful cost-saving options is to reduce the current 6-day delivery to 5 days. Saturday would almost certainly be the least disruptive day to eliminate.
Don’t get burned because you don’t know the USPS bulk mail holidays; please share this post with anyone who you think could benefit from this info, or from getting a view at what changes are likely ahead from the USPS.
Psst, click here for a list of all 2011 US Postal Holidays.
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