(KERO) — You'd better get started on your holiday shopping because mail delivery is about to get slower and more expensive.
Snail mail is about to get slower. Beginning Friday, the U.S. Postal Service will adopt new standards that will delay delivery times for some mail.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously announced the changes to save billions of dollars.
"We are not structured properly and we have fallen out of step with the marketplace we serve," said DeJoy.
The changes mean some first-class mail, along with magazines, fliers, and other periodicals, will arrive later, especially if traveling a long distance.
The current one-to-three-day delivery service will lengthen to one-to-five days.
Add that to the current, pandemic-related delivery delays and critics aren't happy.
"Medical shipments have gone missing. Many small businesses cannot get their products to customers and people are getting hit with late fees for bill payments that did not arrive on time because of mail delivery delays," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D, Maryland.
Under this new plan, first-class package deliveries are not expected to be affected, they include most medications and food deliveries.
But beginning this Sunday, it will cost you more to send commercial and retail packages. The higher prices are expected to last through Christmas.
Some post offices will also see reduced hours.
Postmaster General DeJoy, a President Donald Trump appointee, has already come under fire for slower mail delivery around the election and during the holiday season last year.
But supporters are praising his plans to upgrade mail-processing equipment and technology, even with the postal service mired in $161 billion in debt.
As for the changes taking effect Friday, people sending first-class mail are being warned to plan ahead.
