On May 1, 2022, the United States Postal Service (USPS) will implement new service standards for First-Class Package Service (FCPS) and update Priority Mail service standards.
FCPS applies to the domestic shipment of packages that weigh less than one pound and have a maximum combined length and girth of 108 inches. Items can be sent in an envelope, poly mailer, or plain or branded box.
By way of background, postal service delivery standards are “the stated delivery performance goal[s] for a mail class or product. A service standard reflects the number of days after acceptance of mail by which the sender and recipient can expect it to be delivered.
According to the USPS Fact Sheet on the new service standards, the majority of FCPS volume will not be impacted – 64% will still be subject to a standard of 2-3 days. Some FCPS (4% of volume) will upgrade from a 3-day to a 2-day service standard. Meanwhile, 17% of 3-day FCPS volume will shift to a 4-day service standard, and 15% will shift to a 5-day service standard. Packages traveling the longest distances (e.g., New York to California) will be most affected.
Postal customers may still opt to use Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail services to ship packages within the contiguous United States with a 1-to-3-day service standard. The Postal Service is removing an extra day for Priority Mail transported via ground. The extra day was temporarily put in place in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.