Does USPS Deliver on Sunday in 2024?
The U.S. Postal Service is a service that has been around for over 200 years now and has not only helped to shape the nation, but also encouraged people to think about how they can help others. Although this organization was founded in 1775, it did not start to deliver on Sunday until 1971 when President Nixon signed the Postal Reorganization Act into law. The movement of getting mail delivered on Sundays in 1971 was due to an increase in volume of mail and more people working outside of their home than ever before. Nowadays, most postal carriers are expected to deliver six days per week so they can make up for time lost on Saturdays, which is why you will see a lot less Saturday deliveries than Sunday ones. If you’re wondering whether or not the USPS delivers on Sundays, then the answer is yes! To find out more information about them and their services.
The U.S. Postal Service delivers packages on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Many of us rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver our packages on time and reliably, but do they deliver on Sundays? The answer is no, the U.S. Postal Service does not deliver on Sundays.
They don’t deliver overnights, either, so if you want your package delivered by USPS at all hours of the day, your best bet would be to choose from one of their five-day delivery options which are available for purchase online or in kiosks across the country.
Does USPS Deliver On Sundays?
Yes, USPS delivers packages and mails on Sundays. The United States Postal Service is delivering packages and mails on Sundays for a very long time, but there are few things you should know about the Sunday delivery which is in the next paragraph:
USPS has Sunday deliveries. Nonetheless, this does not apply to all USPS packages. It is only applicable for Amazon orders, as well as for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express. The latter both come at extra charges depending on the package’s location and weight, among other factors.
USPS Delivers on Sunday:
USPS runs on Sundays and delivers customers’ mails and packages, but it delivers only Priority Mail Express and Amazon packages on Sundays. It is because of the Negotiated Service Agreement (NSA) with Amazon Fulfillment Inc. in 2013.
Amazon started using USPS services to deliver its own products, from garden tools to clothing. This program started in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas, but after a few months, they started delivering packages to so many cities. Now, USPS is delivering Amazon packages to almost every major city.
Once more, let us remind you that USPS delivers only two types of packages on Sundays which are:
• Packages with Priority Mail Express service
• Amazon Packages
Only those who are Prime Members of Amazon can get their packages on Sundays through USPS Sunday delivery. Amazon Non-Prime customers have to wait for the next business day for their packages to get delivered.
In some cases, Non-Prime customers also get their packages on Sundays. Amazon hires private courier delivery companies to deliver its packages. Those companies may deliver packages on Sundays. However, Prime members of Amazon can place their orders as late as Friday and expect the delivery on weekends, Saturday, or Sunday. To know more about it, you should read our article on Amazon Sunday Delivery.
Priority Mail Express is a very reliable service if you want to go with it. It is the fastest delivery service offered by USPS. Starting at $25.50 at Post Offices and online, it also provides free pickup at your home or office. Priority Mail Express items can also be delivered even on USPS Holidays. If you want to know more about this service, then read the article on Priority Mail Express on the official site of USPS.
Is the Post Office Open On Sunday?
No, the post offices are not open on Sundays (although there is an exception — see Exception below). USPS only “delivers” on Sunday, but all the post offices are closed on Sundays. You can’t get help from any of the USPS employees on this day.
Most of the post offices have drop slots where you can leave your mail, and your mail will be processed, or the post office will deliver it. The main reason of post offices being closed for shipping on Sundays is cost savings. It costs a lot to keep the post offices open even on Sundays. That’s why the post offices want to stop the Saturday delivery also just like the Sunday mail delivery.
Exception: Some post offices remain open on Sundays before Christmas. USPS works hard to deliver a high volume of mail at the end of the year for the holidays. Each year, some of the larger post offices remain open on the two-four Sundays before Christmas. So, if you want to know which post office is open on Sunday for delivery of the shipment before Christmas, you should contact your local post office to find out if it the one that does the delivery.
Common Alternatives to USPS for Sunday Delivery
Looking for another mail delivery with Sunday service? Below are some of the best alternatives that are worth considering.
1. UPS
One of the leading global couriers, UPS is one company that allows Sunday deliveries. It comes at a cost, but such is worth it if you need urgent shipment.
For urgent freight deliveries, ship your package via UPS Express Critical. It is available 24/7 in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, among other countries.
UPS SurePost is another service that allows Sunday deliveries. This service is in partnership with the USPS. It is currently available in select locations, and we expect the network to grow bigger in the future because of the high demand for such a service.
2. FedEx
It was in January 2002 when FedEx launched FedEx Home Delivery Sunday service. It is available in more than 7,700 towns and cities in the United States. The company plans to extend its network depending on demand and performance.
What’s even better is that FedEx offers a money-back guarantee on its ground deliveries. It is an assurance of timely package deliveries. Otherwise, you can get your money back.
So again, does USPS deliver on Sundays? USPS does deliver on Sundays; however, their Sunday delivery is exclusive to Amazon packages and Priority Mail Express, which requires additional payment to expedite shipping. USPS also delivers Priority Mail on a Sunday during peak seasons and in high-volume areas.
Some of the post offices located in other retail stores, such as Staples, are open on Sundays. According to a program, USPS is putting most of the post offices inside of other retail stores. Staples is one of those retail stores. Some of these in-store post offices remain open 7 days a week, including Sundays. Sunday delivery by post offices is normal for them.
Post Office Sunday Hours:
If you want to know the working hours of post offices on Sundays, then you should know that the post offices are closed on Sundays. They don’t work on this day. Most of the post offices remain open on a few Sundays before Christmas. So, you can see the working hours of some of those post offices:
All the listed post offices are in INDIANAPOLIS, IN and remain open on Sundays before Christmas:
- Brownsburg:
- Working Hours: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Bloomington:
- Working Hours: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Anderson:
- Working Hours: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Danville:
- Working Hours: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Greenwood:
- Working Hours: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Carmel:
- Working Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Noblesville:
- Working Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Elkhart:
- Working Hours: 12:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Gary Merrillville:
- Working Hours: 12:00 am – 4:00 pm
These hours are just for getting an idea about the opening and closing timings of the post offices on Sundays. You should contact your local post office for complete detail.
USPS Sunday Delivery Hours:
If you want to know the Delivery time or hours of post offices on Sundays, then you should know that as said before, USPS delivers Priority Mail Express items and Amazon Packages on Sundays.
It promises the overnight scheduled delivery by 10:30 am for all the Priority Mail Express items, but one main thing is that the delivery time depends on the volume of the mail and location of the delivery point. Priority Mail Express customers can see the pickup and delivery hours of some post offices on Sundays below:
Package Pickup:
- Ken Caryl, 8200 Shaffer Parkway: 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.
- Centennial Branch, 2221 E. Arapahoe Road: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Denver Bear Valley, 7555 W. Amherst Ave.: 9-11 a.m.
- Westminster, 3051 W. 105th Ave.: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
- Arvada Main, 5885 Allison St.: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Highlands Ranch, 9609 S. University Blvd.: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Denver University Park, 3800 Buchtel Blvd.: 8-10 a.m.
Post Offices with Full Retail Operations and Hours:
- Aurora Main, 16890 E. Alameda Parkway: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Denver GMF Finance, 7550 E. 53rd Place: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Northglenn, 11887 Washington St.: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Lakewood, 10799 W. Alameda Ave.: 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
- Denver Sullivan, 8700 E. Jefferson Ave.: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Boulder Main, 1905 15th St.: 10 a.m. -1 p.m.
These USPS Sunday hours for delivery are just for getting an idea about the delivery time. So, if you are waiting for your package, then do something else because it will be delivered to you anytime.
Reasons Why There Is No Standard USPS Sunday Delivery
If you are wondering why there is no standard USPS Sunday delivery, below are some of the reasons:
1. Christian Tradition
This is more historical than current practice. Back in the day, Christian traditions dictate that Sunday is the day of worship, and hence, no one should work. Sunday is a holy day, so there are no commercial activities. Today, however, this reasoning is often almost no longer applicable.
2. Closure of Post Offices and Businesses
Most post offices in the United States follow the Monday to Friday business days. So, when the offices are not operating, mail will not move. Because of this, the packages cannot be delivered when it is a Sunday. Nonetheless, many post offices are also operating on weekends but in a limited capacity with a skeletal workforce.
Aside from post offices, most businesses are also not operating on a Sunday. These establishments will seldom send mail on a Saturday, so there is a low volume of parcels to deliver the next day, except on peak seasons.
3. Low Demand
USPS generally experiences a low demand on weekends. Many of its customers are also businesses, and most of them do not have weekend operations. So, the bulk of the delivery requests are only on Mondays to Fridays, except on peak months.
4. Cost-effectiveness
This is perhaps the most practical reason why USPS does not do regular deliveries on a Sunday. With the rising costs, it is not financially feasible for USPS to deploy most of its employees on a Sunday. It is more logical to wait for regular business days before delivery to cut down on expenses.
Post Office Opening Times Sunday:
As said before, post offices are closed on Sundays, but most remain open few Sundays before Christmas. So, the opening time of all those post offices is different. Some open at 9:00 am., some at 10:00 am., 11:00 am., and 12:00 am. You should see the list of post offices under the heading “Post Office Sunday Hours” to see the opening times.
Conclusion:
USPS will deliver your packages on a Sunday, but there are certain limitations. Aside from Amazon packages, Sunday deliveries are exclusive to priority packages at an extra charge. Priority Mail starts at $7.40, while Priority Mail Express starts at $22.75.
While USPS Priority Mail has Sunday deliveries, it has limitations. For instance, it happens only during high-volume months, such as November and December. Often, it is also only available in popular cities. This is done to clear the network and keep the parcels moving, preventing backlogs. Priority Express, on the other hand, guarantees overnight to two-day deliveries.
We have mentioned almost every single detail about the USPS Sunday delivery in this article. If you want to know more about Sunday hours or opening or closing times. You will get the complete details of every single post office in the United States. If you want to know something else, then feel free to comment below.
