It's Not Just the Price of Stamps

My real estate tax bill arrived, and the payment is due in just a couple of weeks. A few neighbors and I (who always meet up as we walk our dogs) got talking about this fact, when one said she always mails a check on the due date so she can delay the ding on her checking account for as long as possible.

What?  Evidently she hadn’t heard the latest from the United States Postal Service.

Neighbor Joanie (she’s the one below with a Golden Retriever) brought it up. “Haven’t you heard that the Post Office no longer guarantees postmark dates?  If you don’t pay extra, you can’t be sure if the postmark.”

What??? Several of the dog-walking neighbors were stunned!  They had no idea! And while she meant well, Joanie’s comment wasn’t entirely true – as follows.

Same day postmarks aren’t the usual course of business any more, as of December 24, 2025. Postmarks will now reflect the day they actually get processed, which won’t necessarily be the day you mail it.

That, combined with the extended time it requires for most categories of mail to be delivered, means our thought processes and habits need to be updated. We need and want to be sure that birthday cards arrive by the right dates, that checks arrive in time so we won’t be paying penalties and fees, that vote-by-mail ballots arrive by Election Day, and so forth.

Where Joanie went wrong is that it won’t necessarily cost you extra to get that accurate, day-of postmark. There are options for making sure it’s correct. They might cost you time, but not necessarily money.

Here are some suggestions for making sure YOUR mail gets postmarked when needed, and /or arrives where it needs to be on the dates you want it to arrive:

• Consider paying your bills online – through your bank, or through your creditor’s website. Most allow you to choose the date you want the payment to be delivered; meaning, you can program it ahead of time on the date YOU choose.

• If you aren’t yet an online bill-payer – then check it out!  It’s SO easy, takes so little time, and gives you SO much control. (I love it. Online bill paying is one of the very best reasons to learn how to use your computer or device.) Also – important – postal-mailed checks can be too easily stolen, so online banking/bill paying can be much safer.

If you feel you need some hand-holding, ask a loved one who understands it to help you, or just go to your local bank branch and ask them to walk you through it.

•  If you’re mailing something like a greeting card, a personal letter, or a gift that needs to arrive by a specific date, consider sending it several days earlier than you have in the past.  I used to mail my grandkids’ birthday cards 4 or 5 days prior. I now mail them 7-8 days ahead and still can’t be sure they will arrive on time. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t.

•  If you’re mailing something where a postmark is crucial, like legal papers, or a tax bill, or income tax filing, with a specific date required, the Post Office suggests you walk up to the counter (not just drop it in the box), and ask for a hand/manual postmark on the envelope. OR – you always have the option of sending it Certified or Registered Mail and requesting a receipt signature, although both those options will cost you more.

I hope you’ll heed this advice!  Not understanding the new rules, and trying to do things the “old” way, will only cost you embarrassment and frustration at the least and money at the most. It’s not worth either to not make these adjustments.

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Additional Resources:

Postmarking Myths and Facts (from the US Postal Service)

How USPS Postmark Change Could Affect Mail Deadlines (from AARP)

Not yet comfortable with digital devices or a computer?  Check out our technology category for help.