Does USPS Priority Mail Deliver on Sunday

The United States Postal Service, commonly referred to as USPS, provides a comprehensive range of shipping services for sending parcels and mail across the United States. One of its most popular shipping options is Priority Mail, which offers an affordable rate and delivers packages within 1-3 days. If you’re wondering whether USPS Priority Mail delivers on Sundays, you can try searching for Discover USPS Priority Mail delivers on Sunday to find more information.

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Regular Priority Mail Does Not Deliver on Sundays

Standard USPS Priority Mail does not include Sunday delivery. The regular Priority Mail service delivers packages Monday through Saturday only. Sunday delivery is not part of their regular schedule.

So if you ship a package via basic Priority Mail, with no extra services added, you can expect it to be delivered anytime Monday-Saturday, unless there is a holiday. But Sunday delivery would not be available.

Priority Mail Express Does Offer Sunday Delivery

USPS does provide a Priority Mail shipping option that delivers 365 days a year, including Sundays and holidays. That service is called Priority Mail Express.

Priority Mail Express is USPS’ premium expedited shipping service. It comes with a money-back guarantee to deliver your package by a specific date and time, which could include Sundays. Priority Mail Express offers overnight delivery to most addresses in the United States.

The benefit of Priority Mail Express is it’s fast and reliable. If your package doesn’t arrive on time, you can request a refund of the postage. So it’s a great choice for situations when you need delivery on a weekend or holiday.

The downside is Priority Mail Express costs more than regular Priority Mail. You’ll pay approximately $25 or more to ship Priority Express, even for relatively small packages. Plus it may be overkill if you don’t specifically need guaranteed Sunday or holiday delivery.

Why Regular Priority Mail Doesn’t Deliver Sundays

USPS has chosen not to offer regular Sunday delivery for standard Priority Mail because it keeps their costs down. Operating extra delivery days each week would require additional staffing and logistical expenses. And that expense would likely need to be passed onto consumers through higher shipping rates.

By focusing deliveries Monday-Saturday, USPS can offer affordable Priority Mail shipping that fits most customers’ budgets and delivery needs.

Consumers who do require Sunday delivery can choose the Priority Mail Express option for a premium. Meanwhile, those without a specific need for fast Sunday delivery can select standard Priority Mail and avoid the additional charges.

Does USPS Deliver Amazon Packages on Sundays?

You may be wondering whether any USPS packages get delivered on Sundays, even if regular Priority Mail does not. Over the past few years, USPS has started doing some Sunday deliveries of Amazon customer packages in select areas.

As part of an agreement between the two companies, USPS will deliver Amazon packages on Sundays in certain major cities and towns. This enables faster order fulfillment for items Prime customers order from Amazon.

Not all locations have Sunday USPS deliveries of Amazon parcels at this time. And only Amazon packages are eligible, not other mail or parcels shipped via USPS. But it’s a noteworthy example of USPS providing Sunday delivery when partnering with other organizations.

If you happen to see a postal carrier bringing packages to your home on Sundays, they are most likely Amazon orders being delivered as part of this arrangement.

How to Track USPS Packages Scheduled for Sunday Delivery

If you use a USPS shipping service that does allow Sunday delivery, such as Priority Mail Express, how can you track the package to confirm it’s on track to arrive that day?

USPS offers a few helpful tools for tracking packages expected on Sundays:

USPS Tracking: The main USPS tracking tool allows you to input a package’s tracking number and view scheduled delivery details. If it’s being shipped via Priority Mail Express, it will note if the expected delivery date is a Sunday.

USPS Informed Delivery: This free notification tool from USPS shows you daily the type of USPS mail and packages set to arrive soon. So you can check Informed Delivery on Sundays to see if a Priority Mail Express package for that day appears.

APIs: For commercial shippers and developers, USPS provides tracking APIs and web tools to retrieve up-to-date delivery status through your software systems. The data includes any packages with Sunday delivery dates.

So try using those USPS tracking options to monitor your Priority Mail Express packages that you need to arrive on a Sunday. Reach out to USPS if you ever run into an issue with the scheduled Sunday delivery.

Will Sunday USPS Deliveries Expand in the Future?

As more customers do their shopping online, there will likely be increased demand for shipping providers like USPS to expand Sunday delivery options.

USPS does currently face financial and structural constraints that limit its ability to offer nationwide Sunday delivery without boosting rates or receiving taxpayer funding. However, they might look to add staffing and logistics selectively in high-density regions where the economics make sense.

Partnering with major e-commerce retailers could enable more affordable Sunday deliveries, as seen with the current USPS arrangement for Amazon parcels in some cities. The higher volume and activity with large shippers can improve efficiency.

There are also cases like the holidays where USPS takes on additional temporary staff to handle extra workload. Expanding those holiday operations to Sundays year-round might make financial sense at some point.

For now, standard Priority Mail should continue operating Monday-Saturday only in most regions. But over time, market demand and retail partnerships could enable a wider USPS presence for Sundays as well.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Does every type of USPS mail and package deliver on Sundays?

No, the only USPS shipping services with regular Sunday delivery are Priority Mail Express (overnight) and Amazon packages in some select markets. Standard mail classes and Priority Mail do not deliver on Sundays nationally.

If a holiday like Christmas is on a Sunday, does USPS still deliver Priority Mail Express packages?

Yes. Priority Mail Express states that it delivers 365 days a year, so even federal holidays falling on Sundays should still see Priority Mail Express delivery. Double-check tracking to confirm around major holidays though.

Can I pick up a package from a Post Office on a Sunday that a merchant shipped via Priority Mail?

Unfortunately, USPS Post Office locations are closed nationwide on Sundays, so you cannot pick up a package from a Post Office that day regardless of the shipping method used. You’d need to pick it up on a weekday when Post Offices are open.

Does USPS ever do Sunday delivery for political election mail, like absentee ballots?

During the 2020 election year, USPS did temporarily implement additional Sunday deliveries specifically for election and political mail, including absentee ballots. This was to help ensure timely delivery leading up to the November 2020 elections. However, USPS has not continued regular Sunday election mail delivery outside of those limited 2020 election circumstances.

Do most other shipping carriers like UPS and FedEx offer Sunday delivery?

Yes, both UPS and FedEx provide extensive Sunday delivery capabilities across the U.S. for their air and ground services. So if needing Sunday shipping, you may consider evaluating UPS, FedEx, or other private carriers instead of USPS. Just note their rates can be higher.

Conclusion

To recap the key points:

• Regular USPS Priority Mail does not deliver packages on Sundays – only Monday-Saturday currently.
• Priority Mail Express is the USPS option that guarantees Sunday delivery, as well as holidays. But it costs more.
• In select cities, USPS delivers Amazon Sunday packages as part of a partnership agreement.
• Tracking tools like USPS Informed Delivery can confirm if your USPS packages have a scheduled Sunday delivery date or not.
• While there’s a chance USPS will expand Sunday delivery more in the future, significant infrastructure and staffing would need to be added to make it possible nationally.