Will your post arrive in time?

Christmas is coming.  There is no point denying it any longer.  Kirkcaldie & Stains Christmas shop is open and it won't be long before we will hear Christmas carols in the shops.

If you have family and friends overseas, then you may like to know about the changes for posting Christmas cards to arrive in time.

NZ Post no longer gives the option of sending cards by International Economy.  International Economy is only available for parcels.  Your only option to send cards overseas is by International Par Avion Air.  Of course, all mail gets sent by air these days.  It has been a long time since you had the option of post by sea or air.

So, what does this mean for the cost of sending a medium sized card overseas:
To Australia & South Pacific is $1.90
The rest of the world is $2.40

For posting Christmas cards it is worthwhile to keep in mind, it is the size of the envelope that determines the price of the postage, not the weight of the envelope.  This is different from how the postal prices works in the UK, for example.  In the UK you can choose between first and second class posting, and then postal costs are determined on the weight.

So, before you buy a pack of Christmas cards,  you may like to consider the size of the envelope and maybe buy the charity packs.  The charity pack of Christmas cards donate a portion of the sale proceeds to a named charity.

Another point to note, is the dates the NZPO advise for posting Christmas cards to arrive in time for Christmas in the UK, Europe & North America is 2nd December.  Of course, NZPO cannot guarantee your post will reach its destination within the delivery target.  Last Christmas the postal delivery for the UK was brought to a stand still as the heavy snow stopped deliveries.  In previous years, postal strikes by UK Postal Union saw sacks of mail undelivered by Christmas.

So, the good news is that you don't need to get organised for sending Christmas cards quite so early this year.

But don't leave it too long, I understand that next week will be the last delivery most retail shops will receive before Christmas.  And if you go shopping in the weekend, be prepared for driving, parking and shopping in general to take a bit longer.  Of course, you could choose to shop online, but that is another blog to come!

Below are outlines for the letter/card rates from NZPO:

The cost to send by International Air depends on the destination, weight and size of documents.

Size	Max dimensions per letter (height x length)	Max weight per letter	Max thickness per letter	Required postage per letter for Australia and South Pacific	Required postage per letter for Rest of the World
Aerogrammes and postcards	130mm x 235mm	10g	-	$1.90	$1.90
Medium	130mm x 235mm	200g	10mm	$1.90	$2.40
Large	165mm x 235mm	200g	10mm	$2.40	$2.90
Extra large	230mm x 325mm	200g	10mm	$2.90	$3.40
Oversize	260mm x 385mm	200g	10mm	$3.60	$5.10

All prices include GST. Items larger than 260mm x 385mm, thicker than 10mm or heavier than 200g are classified as parcels

Below are outlines for the mailing dates for Christmas letter and parcels from NZPO:

Make sure you send your mail by the dates below so your cards and gifts arrive in time for Christmas!

International	Zone  A (Australia)	Zone B (South Pacific),  Zone C (East Asia and North America), Zone D (UK and Europe)	Zone E (Rest of the world)
International Economy*	Fri 2 December	Fri 25 November	Mon 21 November
International Air	Fri 9 December	Fri 2 December	Mon 28 November
International Economy Courier**	Wed 14 December	Fri 9 December	N/A
International Express Courier	Fri 16 December	Wed 14 December	Mon 12 December

*International Economy is only available for parcels.
**International Economy Courier is available to 32 key locations.