What time your mail gets delivered depends on the shipping company’s operating hours, the mail’s current location, and its shipping option. Nevertheless, most post offices and private carriers deliver parcels between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Carriers or shipping companies also provide tracking for their mail. This way, you can monitor the progress of your parcel or report any delay to the appropriate authorities until it arrives.
This guide explains when mail gets delivered by popular carriers and the different ways to know what time the mail was delivered to your mailbox. You will also discover what can delay mail delivery and how to handle it.
What Time Does Your Mail Get Delivered?
Your mail will be delivered within the shipping company’s operating hours and delivery turnaround. Here is a breakdown of what works for popular mail carriers.
1. USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS) delivers packages between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Its services deliver between 1 and 8 days for standard (domestic) shipping and 1 to 3 days or more for express services.
This can extend to 14 days (standard shipping) and 8 days (express shipping) for international parcels.
2. FedEx
Most FedEx facilities deliver mail between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday, with weekends dedicated to only residential deliveries.
Standard delivery within the U.S. is typically between 1 to 5 business days. International shipments usually occur between 2 to 8 business days or more, depending on the shipping option and destination.
3. UPS
UPS operates between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. It offers limited service on Saturday and Sunday to eligible locations. Standard delivery within the U.S. occurs between 1 and 5 business days.
International shipments should arrive at their destinations within 1 to 10 days, depending on the shipping option and destination. Express shipping services like UPS Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air guarantee faster shipping.
4. DHL
DHL delivers mail between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, with some locations eligible for Saturday delivery. Standard delivery within the U.S. occurs between 1 to 7 business days or less for express options.
Depending on the shipping option and destination, this may extend to 2 to 13 business days for international shipment.
5. Royal Mail
Royal Mail delivers parcels between 8 am and 6 pm from Monday to Friday. Standard delivery within the U.K. is usually between 1 to 3 business days, while express shipping delivers within 48 hours.
International delivery may require 3 to 14 business days, depending on the shipping option and distance.
6. Australia Post
Australia Post delivers mail between 9 am and 5 pm from Monday to Friday. It offers limited Saturday services to eligible locations. Standard delivery within Australia is typically between 2 to 6 business days, with expedited shipping delivering faster (1 to 3 days).
On the other hand, International shipments can arrive within 3 to 30 business days, depending on the shipping option and destination.
How to Know What Time Your Mail Got Delivered
The easiest way to know when your mail will be delivered is to track it. To do this, enter the carrier’s tracking portal and input your tracking number. The “delivered” tracking update represents when the mail was delivered.
Other ways you can know when mail arrives at your mailbox include:
- USPS Informed Delivery: This service is only eligible for USPS account owners. Once you sign up for USPS Informed Delivery, you will get automatic updates on the status of your mail, when it arrived, and a picture of it.
- Ask a neighbor who is mostly at home or is helping you watch your box.
- Call the post office or carrier to know when the delivery was made.
- Leave a note (with a timestamp) for the delivery personnel to register the delivery time.
Factors That Affect Mail Delivery
1. Weather conditions
Adverse weather conditions such as heavy rainfall or hurricanes can affect mail delivery. These conditions hamper transportation and might be unsafe for mail pieces, carriers, and vehicles.
2. Pandemic or disease breakout
Carrier companies and their delivery personnel should ideally avoid locations with pandemics. While this ensures safety, it significantly slows down mail delivery.
3. Delayed airplanes or vehicles
Transportation may get delayed when vehicles become faulty or due to severe weather conditions. Carriers will wait until they are fixed or when it is safe to go outside before they resume deliveries.
4. Long distance with standard shipping
If a mail piece will be traveling a very long distance and what your budget can afford is regular shipping, you need to be very patient.
This is because such a shipping option features a lengthy turnaround (compared to expedited options) with or without delivery exceptions. As a result, long-distance or international shipments should be handled by Express shipping.
5. Errors within the facility
Postal workers can also make mistakes when processing mail for delivery. This may be due to the workload that comes with peak seasons. Until such errors are corrected, your mail will not be delivered.
What to Do if Your Mail Exceeds the Delivery Time and Has Still Not Arrived?
1. Check the tracking update
Your first action should be to track your package and what stage of delivery it is at. This way, you know what to say when contacting the sender or customer service of the shipping company.
2. Contact the post office or carrier
Contact the shipping company if your package is experiencing a delay. Provide your package’s tracking number, and wait for further updates or instructions.
If you do not get a straightforward response within 3 to 5 business days, file a missing mail request (for USPS parcels) or request a refund. Please note that these options are only valid for eligible mailing services.
3. Contact the sender
You can also contact the seller if the carrier is not providing a lucid response to your inquiry. They can go to the post office or courier facility to sort things out and know the way forward.
Are There Days When Mail Doesn’t Get Delivered?
Postal services and private carriers such as FedEx and UPS generally do not deliver mail during national holidays, such as:
- Christmas
- Thanksgiving Day
- New Year
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Columbus Day
- Labor Day
Some also do not deliver packages on weekends except on special occasions.
FAQs
When can you consider your USPS mail late?
3 to 5 business days after the estimated delivery date. Contact USPS customer service to know the status of your parcel.
How long does UPS take to deliver?
UPS standard or ground shipping delivers mail between 1 to 5 business days within the U.S. Expedited or express options are faster and usually with a guarantee.
How long does mail take in the same city?
2 to 3 business days. This may extend to 5 days if there is a delay or the parcel is headed to another city.
Conclusion
If you do not want to miss mail delivery, you need to know the operating hours of the shipping company sending it. While most carriers deliver between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., some begin as early as 8 a.m. and close by 8 p.m.
You can also consider virtual mailboxes if your mail pieces are mostly documents. They guarantee maximum speed, security, and convenience as their services are online.
I hope you found this guide helpful. Here is what to do if your USPS mailbox is full.
Thanks for reading.
