Does Mail Come On Sunday? Full Breakdown Of Package Delivery

The start of a new week often brings the anticipation of receiving mail – whether it’s a letter from a loved one, documents for work, or an online purchase. But what if it’s Sunday? Does your regular mail get delivered, or do you have to wait until Monday?

The short answer is: USPS does not deliver regular mail like letters, flats, and magazines on Sundays. However, they do deliver select packages like Priority Mail Express and some Amazon deliveries that day.

Below we’ll explore the types of mail and packages that do and don’t get delivered on Sundays, along with other key details about USPS Sunday operations. We’ll also look at Saturdays, holidays, pickups, virtual mailboxes, and more.

Let’s dive in!

What Kinds of Mail Are Delivered on Sundays?

While most regular USPS mail does not get delivered on Sundays, there are a couple of exceptions:

Priority Mail Express

Priority Mail Express is USPS’s fastest mail service, guaranteeing next-day delivery to most U.S. addresses, including PO Boxes.

This service delivers 365 days a year, including Sundays and holidays. To get Sunday delivery, you must:

Select the “Sunday/Holiday Delivery” option when sending your package
Pay an additional $12.50 fee

Priority Mail Express also comes with:

$100 of included insurance
Real-time tracking updates
A money-back guarantee if the expected delivery time is missed

It’s a great option when you need something delivered urgently on a weekend or holiday.

Select Amazon Packages

In 2013, the United States Postal Service began delivering Amazon packages on Sundays as part of a special partnership between the two companies.

This service is focused mainly in metropolitan areas that have nearby Amazon fulfillment centers. Amazon can then hand packages off to USPS for quick weekend delivery by postal carriers.

Other Private Delivery Partners

In addition to Amazon, USPS partners with some other delivery companies to provide Sunday delivery under certain scenarios:

If a mail carrier is already out delivering Amazon packages in an eligible area on a Sunday, they may also deliver packages from USPS’s other “last mile” partners.
Packages shipped via UPS or FedEx Ground often utilize USPS for final delivery, including Saturdays and Sundays when carriers are already active.

So even if you didn’t ship with USPS, your package from another carrier could get delivered by the postal service on a Sunday in select areas.

What Mail Does Not Get Delivered on Sundays?

While Priority Mail Express and some Amazon packages do receive Sunday delivery, most other types of mail do not:

First Class Mail

USPS First Class Mail – like letters, postcards, bills, etc. – does not get delivered on Sundays. First Class Mail is only scheduled for delivery Monday through Saturday.

Priority Mail

Priority Mail is USPS’s 1-3 day delivery service for packages. It does not include Sunday delivery like Priority Mail Express. You’ll need to wait until Monday for Priority Mail packages.

Retail Ground

Retail Ground is USPS’s most economical ground shipping service, taking 2-8 days for delivery. It does not deliver on Sundays.

Media Mail

USPS Media Mail is used for shipping books, CDs, DVDs, and other media types. This method is another USPS service that does not deliver on Sundays.

Does USPS Deliver Mail on Saturdays?

Yes, USPS delivers mail and packages on Saturdays for most services, with a few caveats:

Hours are often reduced, with deliveries starting between 9am-12pm and finishing around 2-5pm depending on location. Some post offices close earlier.
Priority Mail Express is the only service that allows Saturday delivery as a selected date. These packages should arrive by 10:30am or you can get a refund.
Delivery of other package types depends on their origin, destination, and estimated transit time according to USPS tracking tools. Being close to the final processing facility helps.
In rural areas, Saturday hours may be more limited or delivery may not be available at all on Saturdays.

So for non-Express mail, Saturday delivery depends on proximity. But you can generally count on it in metropolitan and suburban areas.

Does USPS Deliver Packages on Sundays?

As we’ve covered, USPS does deliver select packages on Sundays:

Priority Mail Express packages are delivered 365 days a year if you select the Sunday delivery option and pay the fee.
Amazon packages shipped via USPS are delivered on Sundays in eligible major metro areas.
UPS/FedEx packages may be delivered if USPS is handling the last stretch through their Sunday “last mile” program.

Other package delivery services like Priority Mail, Media Mail, and Retail Ground do not include Sunday delivery.

What Are USPS Holiday Schedules Like?

USPS observes the following 10 federal holidays, on which they do not deliver regular mail:

New Year’s Day – January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Third Monday in January
Presidents’ Day – Third Monday in February
Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
Juneteenth – June 19
Independence Day – July 4
Labor Day – First Monday in September
Columbus Day – Second Monday in October
Veterans Day – November 11
Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day – December 25

Sundays and Holidays

If one of these holidays happens to fall on a Sunday, then mail will not be delivered the following Monday either.

But Priority Mail Express and select Amazon packages can still be delivered on both Sundays and holidays thanks to USPS’s special delivery programs.

Saturdays and Holidays

If a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, post offices will be closed and there will be no regular mail delivery on that Saturday.

Picking Up Mail from the Post Office on Weekends

While you won’t get normal mail delivery to your home mailbox on Sundays and holidays, you can sometimes pick up packages in person from your local post office.

Saturdays

Most post office locations are open for limited hours on Saturdays, usually 9am-4pm. You can stop by and retrieve your PO Box mail or packages during this window.

Hours can vary by location, so check your specific post office hours online in advance.

Sundays

Post offices are closed Sundays and do not offer package pickup. You’ll need to wait until Monday.

The exceptions are Sundays that fall on a federal holiday – then post offices will be closed on Monday as well for the observed holiday.

Holidays

Post offices are closed for retail transactions on all federal holidays. You cannot pick up mail or packages in person on holidays or Sundays when post offices are closed.

How to Get Mail When Post Offices Are Closed?

When you’re waiting on an important package and the post office is closed on Sundays or holidays, you have a couple options:

USPS Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery is a free USPS service that emails you images of your incoming mail.

It’s a great way to see what will be physically delivered on Mondays after Sundays and holidays. Sign up to get a digital preview.

Hold Mail Requests

You can temporarily stop delivery of your mail at home and pick it up in person when the post office reopens after a closure. This ensures valuable items aren’t left in your mailbox.

Schedule free Hold Mail requests on USPS.com for vacations or holidays.

Package Intercept

If you need an inbound package rerouted before delivery, you can set up a Package Intercept for a fee. This redirects the item to your local post office for pickup.

Package Pickup

Schedule a USPS package pickup to have your outgoing mail collected on a Saturday instead of waiting until Monday after a Sunday holiday closure.

There is a pickup fee on Saturdays, and it’s not available on Sundays. But it ensures your items get into the mailstream faster when post offices are closed.

Premium Forwarding Services

A virtual mailbox service like Anytime Mailbox provides 24/7 package access, mail scanning, and address forwarding to anywhere.

This means you can get your packages on Sundays, holidays, and any other day without having to pick them up in person from a post office. Virtual mailboxes start at around $9.99/month.

Private Carrier Delivery

For urgent letter mail, you could look into having it shipped by a private company like FedEx or UPS that provides delivery 365 days a year. However, this can be expensive.

Why Doesn’t USPS Deliver Regular Mail on Sundays?

USPS has never delivered regular mail like letters and flats on Sundays. There are a few core reasons behind this:

Tradition

Mail service in the U.S. has historically always taken Sundays off since its inception. Taking Sunday as a day of rest is customary.

Cost

Adding an extra delivery day every week for all routes would be extremely expensive in terms of payroll, fuel, facilities, etc.

Demand

For most letter mail, there is not enough urgent need or volume to justify the expense of Sunday delivery. Bills and personal letters typically don’t require this extra service.

Rest

Postal workers deserve a day of rest like those in other industries. Many carriers already work 6 days per week and would not want to add a 7th day permanently.

Can You Request Sunday Mail Delivery?

Unless you use Priority Mail Express and elect to pay for Sunday delivery, you cannot request your regular mail or packages to be delivered on Sundays.

USPS decides which regions qualify for Amazon Sunday delivery based on logistical factors like proximity to fulfillment centers. They don’t offer it upon individual request.

For extremely urgent documents, you would need to utilize Priority Mail Express and select the Sunday delivery option when shipping. This ensures it will be delivered that day.

How Much Does Sunday USPS Delivery Cost?

It does not cost extra for Amazon to utilize USPS for Sunday parcel deliveries – the standard shipping rates apply. This perk is built into their partnership agreement.

However, adding Sunday delivery for Priority Mail Express packages costs an additional $12.50 on top of the base cost. This premium service starts around $26.75 and goes up depending on weight and distance.

So you’ll pay roughly $40 to have a Priority Mail Express item delivered on a Sunday or holiday via USPS.

In Conclusion

While most regular USPS letter mail is not delivered on Sundays, Priority Mail Express and select Amazon packages are the exception.

USPS also takes federal holidays off from delivering mail to residences and PO Boxes. However, their special Sunday delivery services remain active even on holidays.

If you need reliable access to your mail every single day, considering a virtual mailbox service could be tremendously helpful. Virtual mailboxes scan and forward both physical and digital mail 24/7.

Now that you know the ins and outs of USPS Sunday and holiday delivery, you can better set your expectations when sending time-sensitive materials.