USPS Discontinues Priority Mail Express Refunds to Alaska and Hawaii

The US Postal Service announced this week that it is discontinuing guaranteed Priority Mail Express refunds to Alaska and Hawaii. Starting August 1st, this not only applies to Priority Mail Express (PME) shipments going to Alaska and Hawaii, but also to PME shipments originating from the two states.

Priority Mail Express Refunds to Alaska and Hawaii are Discontinued

On July 24th, 2o23, the Postal Service made the following announcement:

“Effective August 1, 2023, the Postal Service is suspending guaranteed service for Priority Mail Express pieces destined to or originating from Alaska and/or Hawaii. Refund requests for postage will only be processed for loss on Priority Mail Express piece’s destined to or originated from Alaska or Hawaii.”

USPS noted that shippers can still request refunds for lost postage. This means that the $100 of built-in insurance for Priority Mail Express shipments still applies, but you can only claim it if your package gets lost in transit. Per the USPS claim timelines, you can file a claim for a lost Priority Mail Express shipment if it still hasn’t arrived seven (7) days after USPS accepted it.

Are There Other Options for Guaranteed Service to Alaska and Hawaii?

Unfortunately, Priority Mail Express is the only money-back guaranteed service out of all the major shipping carriers in the United States. Prior to August 2023, it was the only available service that provided a money-back guarantee for shipments going to and from Alaska and Hawaii. Now that USPS has discontinued guaranteed refunds for shipments going to and from those two states, there are no money-back guaranteed services available for shippers sending packages to and from Alaska and Hawaii.

Some Other Ways to Protect Express Shipments Going to Alaska and Hawaii

To best protect their packages, individuals and businesses can purchase shipping insurance to hedge express shipments going to/from Alaska and Hawaii.

Shippers can use online shipping software to purchase discounted express postage from USPS as well as other carriers like UPS. UPS provides next-day delivery to Hawaii and Alaska at higher prices than USPS does. However, some shippers may find services such as UPS Next Day Air to be more reliable than Priority Mail Express. Purchasing postage through shipping software allows customers to access UPS services at discounts that can save them a significant amount of money compared to what they might pay to ship the same package at their local UPS Store.

No matter which service you use for shipments going to and from Alaska and Hawaii, shipping insurance doesn’t provide money-back guaranteed coverage for packages that arrive late. Shipping insurance simply covers your package in the event that it arrives damaged or gets lost in transit.