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ANIUnited States Postal Service (USPS) USPS holiday shipping: USPS customers have only a few days left to send holiday cards and gifts before temporary price hikes kick in. The changes take effect on October 5 and will impact most express mail services, including Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select, as per a report.USPS Temporary Price Hikes Begin October 5The higher prices, which USPS says are meant to cover extra handling costs during the busy season, will stay in place until January 18, 2026, as per The Sun report.USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines for 2025To avoid delays, USPS is urging people to ship early and said that during the 2022 holiday season, the postal service delivered mail and packages in an average of 2.5 days. For 2025 the deadlines are:USPS Domestic Shipping Deadlines for Lower 48 StatesGround Advantage and First-Class Mail for the lower 48 states must be sent by December 17.Priority Mail has a cut-off of December 18.Priority Mail Express is available through December 20.ALSO READ: Crypto whales offload billions in Bitcoin over the past month - is a market crash next?USPS Shipping Deadlines for Hawaii, Alaska, and US TerritoriesFor Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other US territories, Ground Advantage packages must be mailed by December 16, as per The Sun report. First-Class Mail has a December 17 deadline, Priority Mail must be sent by December 18, and Priority Mail Express has a December 20 cut-off.Live EventsUSPS International Shipping Deadlines for 2025International shipping must be done earlier. Packages for Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Caribbean must be sent by December 9, as per the report. The latest possible date is December 16 with Priority Mail Express International Service. For Central and South America, First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International Service must be shipped by December 2, while Priority Mail Express International has a December 16 cut-off.ALSO READ: Why this US government shutdown fight could be the ugliest yet, and what’s really at stakeUSPS Military Mail Deadlines for 2025Military mail also has specific deadlines. Ground Advantage must be shipped by November 4, First-Class and Priority Mail by December 9, and Priority Mail Express by December 16.USPS Price Hikes During Holiday SeasonThe price hikes vary depending on weight and zone. For example, Priority Mail increases range from $0.40 to $7.00, while Priority Mail Express could rise by as much as $16.00. Flat-rate products will also see increases, such as $1.45 for large flat-rate boxes and $2.00 for flat-rate envelopes, as per The Sun report.Customers looking for lower costs may want to use Ground Advantage, which starts at $6.80. However, waiting too long could mean having to pay for faster, more expensive services like Priority Mail Express, starting at $31.40, as per the report.New USPS Holiday Stamps for 2025Alongside the deadlines, USPS announced new holiday stamps featuring seasonal designs, including pear, pomegranate and clementine against an evergreen tree branch, a wreath, two cardinals on a mistletoe branch and three scarlet amaryllis flowers tied with a red bow, as reported by The Sun. Operation Santa Returns for 113th YearOperation Santa has also returned for its 113th year, with children invited to send letters to Santa by December 6, so they can be eligible for adoption and fulfillment, as per the report.FAQsWhen do USPS holiday price hikes start?They begin on October 5, 2025.What’s the cheapest USPS holiday option?Ground Advantage, starting at $6.80.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onUSPS holiday shipping costs 2025USPS holiday shippingUSPS price hikesUSPS holiday stampsUSPS holiday shipping deadlinesUSPS price increase October 2025When is the last day to ship USPS for ChristmasUSPS Operation Santa 2025USPS latest newsHoliday gift ideas (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onUSPS holiday shipping costs 2025USPS holiday shippingUSPS price hikesUSPS holiday stampsUSPS holiday shipping deadlinesUSPS price increase October 2025When is the last day to ship USPS for ChristmasUSPS Operation Santa 2025USPS latest newsHoliday gift ideas(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless
