Does USPS Deliver On Sunday? | Delivery + Hours Guide
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Perhaps you are waiting for that important piece of mail to be delivered, but the weekend is quickly approaching. Maybe you were a little late mailing that birthday gift to a friend and you are worried that it will not make it in time. Does the USPS provide Sunday delivery so that your packages will get where they need to be before your deadline? Depending on the type of mail or package, they might deliver it on Sunday after all! If you need to know whether to expect your package to be delivered on Sunday, then keep reading. We will tell you everything that you need to know about getting mail on Sundays.
Does The USPS Deliver On Sundays?
Yes, the United States Postal Service does deliver mail on Sundays. This includes Priority Mail Express and some Amazon packages. Since the volume of mail has greatly increased recently, the U.S. Postal Service has expanded the types of packages that they will deliver on Sunday.
Even though you might get USPS Sunday delivery on some items, do not expect that the post office will deliver your ordinary first-class mail on a Sunday. In most cases, you will be waiting until Monday to receive that type of mail. However, in some areas with extremely high volumes, you might even get your regular mail on a Sunday. The Postal Service is doing everything possible to keep the mail flowing and keep the backlog low, so this includes making regular deliveries on Sundays. These decisions are made on a local basis, so whether or not you receive basic mail delivery on Sunday depends on your location.
If you need to have guaranteed package delivery on Sunday, then you will want to ship your package via Priority Mail Express. Other than some Amazon deliveries, this is the only type of mail service that is available for expected delivery on a Sunday. Do not count on your first-class package making it to its destination on Sunday. You should also note that Priority Mail Express starts at around $26, and there is also an extra charge for Sunday delivery. However, there is a money-back guarantee on overnight delivery if your package is late.
USPS Sunday Delivery Hours
Many people wonder, “Will USPS deliver on Sunday? and if so, what time can I expect it?” Sunday delivery service varies greatly in different regions of the country, but you can generally expect that your package should arrive early in the day. Overnight Priority Express delivery is guaranteed by 10:30AM. Other USPS services do not have a guaranteed delivery time, but most of the employees would like to get done as early in the day as possible. So, they will be delivering your USPS packages typically before lunchtime. What if your package is being delivered to a PO Box?
In the case of a PO Box, many post office locations have package pickup times available on Sundays. In most cases, they only offer a small window for pickup on Sunday. You should check with your local post office, but some examples of pickup times on Sunday are as follows:
- 8:00AM – 10:00AM
- 10:00AM – 2:00PM
- 9:00AM – 11:00AM
- 9:00AM – 2:00PM
Is The Post Office Open On Sunday?
Generally, no, your local post office is not open on Sunday. While you are likely accustomed to USPS Saturday delivery, some post office locations are not open on Saturday either. For those that are, the hours are much shorter than the average business day. In some large metropolitan areas like New York or Los Angeles, you might find that your post office is open on both Saturday and Sunday. In areas with large volumes of mail, this becomes necessary to keep up with the demand. Maybe you are asking, “Does USPS run on Sunday?” Remember that just because the mail carriers are delivering some packages on Sunday does not mean that the post office is open for business.
If you are wondering whether the location nearest you is open on Sunday, then simply check out the post office locator. There you can find everything you need to know about your location’s hours and services. You can find out whether the location is open on Saturday and Sunday as well as get driving directions. If your closest location is not open, then you can also look for other locations nearby that might have Sunday hours.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that while most mail is not delivered on Sundays, there are a few exceptions. Next-day delivery Priority Mail Express packages and some Amazon Prime shipments will be delivered on Sunday, while cheaper services like media mail and flat rate boxes will usually not be delivered until the following week.
If your local area is experiencing high volumes of mail, particularly around the holiday season, then your post office might decide to go ahead and deliver additional types of packages over the weekend too. This helps keep the mail moving along and prevents backlogs and delays in the system.
Make sure that you know what delivery options are available before you send your package, and you can always check your USPS tracking number for additional details on the estimated delivery date.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did USPS start delivering on Sundays?
Believe it or not, certain types of mail have been delivered on Sundays since 1885. Express weekend delivery options have been available for over 100 years that would allow you to have a package delivered on a Sunday. However, the service is quite expensive and most people do not choose this shipping service unless they have an emergency situation. Even though it is expensive, it is still priced reasonably when you compare it to other carriers like UPS or FedEx.
Standard USPS Retail Ground deliveries are still not performed on Sundays. Within the last 10 years, you have likely noticed more mail trucks in your neighborhood on Sundays. This is due to the USPS agreement with Amazon. Under this agreement, the postal service has agreed to make deliveries on Sundays for certain Amazon Prime orders that were placed before the deadline on Friday. This e-commerce business has provided a flood of additional shipments for the postal service, and weekend work is almost a must to avoid large backlogs in shipments.
Can I pick up my mail on Sundays?
In most cases, yes. Nearly all post office locations allow access to your PO Box on the weekends. In fact, most locations allow 24/7 access to the PO Box area of the post office. This allows you to pick up your regular first-class mail any time you wish. If you are expecting a special delivery on Sunday, then that might be a little different.
First, you should know that very few types of mail are delivered on Sundays at all. However, if you are expecting an Express Priority mail shipment or an Amazon Sunday delivery to your PO Box, then you might be able to pick it up on Sunday. Some locations have limited pickup hours on Sundays to allow customers to pick up these kinds of shipments. The hours may range anywhere from two to four hours of availability. For example, some locations are open from 8:00AM to 10:00AM for pickup on Sunday. Others may open from 9:00AM to Noon. Make sure that you know the hours for your specific location and be prepared with your delivery confirmation to make pickup as quick and smooth as possible.
What types of packages can I receive on Sundays?
The types of packages that you can expect to receive are fairly limited. You can expect USPS Priority Mail delivery on Sundays as well as Amazon Sunday delivery shipments. The Priority Mail Express items and some Amazon packages are the only types of packages that are guaranteed to be delivered on Sunday. In some cases, standard first-class packages might be delivered in your local area depending on the volume of shipments at your post office. During times of high volume, your local post office might decide to go ahead and make deliveries on Sunday to keep things moving along and free up space in their facility for additional packages that will be arriving the next day. Your mail carriers are doing everything they can to get your packages delivered as quickly as possible, but shipping time may be delayed in some situations when the volume of packages is extreme.
If I ship a package using 2-Day Delivery on a Friday, will it get delivered on Sunday?
It depends on where you are shipping from and where the package is going. Standard Priority Mail takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days for delivery. So, it is possible that your package might get delivered the next day on Saturday. However, unless you used Priority Mail Express, then the package will not be delivered on Sunday. Only Priority Mail Express and certain Amazon shipments have guaranteed delivery on Sunday. Priority Mail Express rates start at $26.35 depending on the weight of your package, plus there is an extra fee for Sunday delivery. If the package absolutely must arrive no later than Sunday, then make sure you go ahead and pay for Priority Mail Express shipping. This service also comes with a guarantee. If the package does not make it to its destination by the promised time, then you are entitled to a refund of the postage amount.