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Does USPS Deliver on Saturdays and Sundays in 2026?
Time: Dec 25,2025 Author: SFC Source: www.sendfromchina.com
Understanding how the United States Postal Service (USPS) handles weekend delivery is crucial for logistics planning, carrier selection, and setting customer expectations—especially if you run an e-commerce or international shipping business like SendFromChina, serving merchants and customers who rely on timely U.S. delivery.
In this article, we’ll walk through USPS weekend delivery rules, the types of services that deliver on Saturday and Sunday, how these schedules affect delivery times, and practical tips to optimize shipping operations around weekend delivery windows. This is practical, real-world guidance grounded in official USPS policies and up-to-date industry data.
1. Overview: USPS Delivery Days and Why It Matters
USPS operates with a six-day delivery week, which includes Saturdays as a regular delivery day but traditionally excludes Sundays for most mail services. However, in recent years, Sunday delivery has expanded—particularly for Priority Mail Express and Amazon parcels—creating more options for weekend deliveries.
For high-volume logistics providers and cross-border sellers, mastering these nuances helps cut delays, refine customer delivery expectations, and choose the right shipping products for weekend fulfillment.
2. Does USPS Deliver on Saturday?
Yes. USPS treats Saturday as a normal delivery day for the majority of its services. This means your packages and mail can still move and be delivered on Saturday, typically between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM local time, depending on the carrier routes and regional volume.
Services Typically Delivered on Saturdays
| USPS Service | Saturday Delivery |
| First-Class Mail | ✔️ (standard) |
| First-Class Package | ✔️ |
| Priority Mail | ✔️ |
| Priority Mail Express | ✔️ (guaranteed) |
| USPS Retail Ground | ✔️ (in most cases) |
| Media Mail | ✔️ (often delivered) |
The key takeaways:
No extra fee is charged for Saturday delivery in most cases—Saturday is included in the regular transit.
Priority Mail Express offers guaranteed delivery (often by 10:30 AM) even on Saturdays. Regular Priority Mail and First-Class deliveries are not guaranteed by a specific time.
Some services like Retail Ground or Media Mail might have more variable delivery times due to processing and volume, even though Saturday delivery is technically available.
This consistency makes Saturday a useful day for fulfilling orders that govern faster transit windows — critical when planning delivery expectations for customers and logistics partners.
3. Does USPS Deliver on Sunday?
This is where things get nuanced: USPS does deliver on Sundays, but only under specific conditions and services.
Sunday Delivery Options
Priority Mail Express — Sunday delivery is available, often guaranteed by specific times (e.g., by 10:30 AM in many areas). However, this typically involves an additional fee compared to weekday pricing.
Amazon Parcels — Through USPS’s long-term partnership with Amazon, many Amazon packages get delivered on Sundays in metropolitan and high-volume regions.
Priority Mail / Standard Services (some areas) — In select high-volume urban markets, USPS may deliver standard Priority Mail on Sundays, though this is not guaranteed and varies by region.
Sunday Delivery Characteristics
Not all services deliver on Sunday. Traditional First-Class Mail and most standard mail classes do not run regular Sunday routes.
Volume matters. Sunday delivery of Priority Mail (non-Express) often happens in larger cities where package volumes justify the cost and staffing.
Priority Mail Express remains the most dependable method for Sunday delivery, backed by guaranteed time windows and service commitments.
The evolution of Sunday delivery is partly driven by e-commerce demand and partnerships like the one with Amazon, which has pushed USPS to support Sunday parcel drops in many areas.
4. Why Weekend Delivery Policies Changed
USPS has been reevaluating its delivery standards and service commitments to align better with volume patterns and operational efficiencies. Recent policy changes have reshaped how delivery days count toward the service standards: Sunday and certain holidays may not count as transit days for delivery calculations depending on when an item was tendered.
These shifts can affect shipping estimates for e-commerce orders, especially when communicating delivery windows to customers in your shopping platform or logistics planning.
5. How This Impacts E-commerce Logistics
For businesses shipping from overseas — like those using SendFromChina — understanding USPS weekend schedules is essential for:
Delivery Time Calculations
When setting estimated delivery dates for your customers, account for:
Saturdays being treated as normal delivery days.
Sundays applying only to select services, mainly express or Amazon-linked parcels.
Transit day counting adjustments introduced in USPS updates.
Product Selection
Choose shipping methods that align with your service goals:
Priority Mail Express for high-priority or weekend commitments.
Priority Mail for affordable, fast shipping with reasonable Saturday coverage.
Standard services (e.g., First-Class or Ground Advantage) for cost-effective solutions with typical Monday–Saturday delivery.
Customer Communication
Clearly set expectations in storefronts and customer notifications:
Indicate whether Sunday delivery is possible or guaranteed for certain products.
Share typical delivery windows (e.g., Saturday by afternoon for most services).
Use real-time tracking signals to keep customers informed — most USPS carriers offer robust tracking tools.
6. USPS Delivery Hours
Saturday: Generally between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, although delivery may extend later during peak seasons.
Sunday: Varies by service and region — Priority Mail Express deliveries often occur by late morning to early afternoon, while Amazon-associated parcels may appear later in the day.
Remember, local post office hours and carrier routes influence these windows. During holiday periods or high volume seasons, delivery times can stretch beyond standard expectations.
7. Practical Examples
Example 1: Saturday Delivery
A merchant ships a Priority Mail package from China to a U.S. address. Because Saturday is a regular delivery day, your parcel could be delivered on Saturday if it arrives in the destination network on Friday and the service timeline supports that schedule.
Example 2: Sunday Delivery
A customer selects overnight shipping with Priority Mail Express and pays any required Sunday delivery fees. The package is delivered on Sunday, often by a guaranteed time like 10:30 AM.
Example 3: Amazon Sunday Drop
An Amazon parcel that enters the USPS network late Saturday may still get delivered Sunday as part of the Amazon-USPS partnership, even at no extra cost to the customer.
8. Tips to Leverage Weekend Delivery
Offer expedited options: Make Priority Mail Express visible at checkout for customers who expressly need Sunday delivery.
Set realistic timelines: Don’t promise Sunday delivery unless using services that support it — this builds trust and reduces disputes.
Use tracking aggressively: Display USPS tracking links in customer notifications so recipients see real-time progress.
Include cut-off times: If your fulfillment network has drop-off windows, communicate these — especially if preparing for weekend dispatches.
9. Summary
Saturday Delivery: Yes — USPS delivers on Saturdays for most mail classes with no extra fee, operating like a regular mail day. Sunday Delivery: Yes — but limited. It’s primarily available for Priority Mail Express, Amazon parcels, and, in select markets, some Priority Mail shipments.Understanding these weekend delivery mechanisms allows logistics teams, e-commerce merchants, and fulfillment providers to plan smarter, set accurate customer expectations, and choose services that balance cost and speed.
10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does USPS deliver regular mail on Sunday?
No — standard First-Class mail and most ordinary mail types are typically not delivered on Sundays. Only specific services like Priority Mail Express or select parcels qualify.
Are there additional fees for Sunday delivery?
Yes — Sunday delivery for Priority Mail Express may include a surcharge.
Can I schedule Sunday delivery for any package?
Not all packages qualify. Only certain services and markets support Sunday delivery.
How do I know if my package will arrive on a Sunday?
Check your tracking — if it’s designated for Priority Mail Express or an Amazon partnership route, Sunday delivery is possible.
Does every USPS office deliver on Saturdays and Sundays?
Saturday delivery is standard nationwide. Sunday delivery, however, varies by region and service volume.
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