delivery times
How long does mail take?
Inside one country, a letter usually takes 1 to 5 days. USPS gives 1 to 5 days for First-Class Mail, Royal Mail aims to deliver 1st Class the next working day, and Canada Post allows 2 to 4 business days. A tracked card we post from India takes 8 to 15 days to reach the US. Pick a country below to see real dates.
When will a card from us arrive?
Every card is written and posted in Bangalore, India, so India is always where it starts. Choose where it is going.
Working out today's dates…
How long does mail take inside a country?
Most post offices aim for 1 to 5 days for a letter or postcard that stays in the country. Short trips, like the same city, are faster. Each figure below is the post office's own standard, not a promise, and each one links to where it is published.
| Post office | Service | Usual time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS (United States) | First-Class Mail: letters and postcards | 1 to 5 days | USPS |
| Royal Mail (United Kingdom) | 1st Class letters | Next working day, Monday to Saturday | Ofcom |
| Royal Mail (United Kingdom) | 2nd Class letters | Within three working days | Ofcom |
| India Post | First Class Mail: letters and postcards | 2 days in the same city, up to 5 to 6 days across the country | India Post Citizens' Charter |
| Canada Post | Lettermail | 2 business days in the same city, 3 in the same province, 4 across Canada | Canada Post |
| Australia Post | Regular letters | 3 to 7 business days | Australia Post |
A few details matter. Canada Post counts business days and does not count the day you post. Its full delivery standards add time for towns outside major cities, up to 4 to 8 days across the country. India Post does not count Sundays or holidays, and adds a day for a village branch office. Royal Mail's targets are 90% of 1st Class next day and 95% of 2nd Class within three days. In the year to March 2026 it managed 75.7% and 90.2% (Ofcom).
How long does mail take from India to other countries?
A tracked card we post from India takes 7 to 14 days to the UK and 8 to 15 days to the US, counted from the day it is posted. These are the windows our checkout shows, read from the same table as our shipping page.
| Going to | Tracked delivery, typically |
|---|---|
| India | 3 to 7 days |
| United Arab Emirates | 6 to 12 days |
| Singapore | 6 to 12 days |
| United Kingdom | 7 to 14 days |
| United States | 8 to 15 days |
| Canada | 8 to 15 days |
| Australia | 8 to 15 days |
| Brazil | 10 to 18 days |
Add up to 2 business days for us to write and post the card. The calculator above does that sum for you.
What slows mail down?
Distance, weekends and the address do most of it. The post offices' own standards name the same few causes.
- Distance. Same city is fastest. India Post allows 2 days locally and 5 to 6 days across the country.
- Weekends and holidays. Many standards count business days only, so a letter posted on Friday often moves on Monday.
- Posting after the last collection. Mail posted after the cut-off starts its count the next day.
- Small towns and remote places. Canada Post and India Post both add time outside the big cities.
- Customs. Mail to another country can wait for inspection, which no one can predict.
- A wrong or messy address. India Post's standards only apply to mail with a correct address and PIN code. Here is how to address a postcard so machines can read it.
Need it there by a date?
Plan for the slow end of the window, not the fast one. If a birthday card must land on the day, order it so the last date the calculator shows is before the birthday. Not sure what to say in it? Start with how to write a postcard. Sending cards to many customers? MailMyCard for business writes and posts them for you.
Sources
- USPS, mail and shipping services (First-Class Mail, 1 to 5 days): usps.com
- Ofcom, Royal Mail delivery changes and targets: ofcom.org.uk
- Ofcom, Royal Mail's 2025/26 delivery performance: ofcom.org.uk
- India Post, Citizens' Charter, service standards (table 1.1): indiapost.gov.in
- Canada Post, Lettermail delivery standards: canadapost-postescanada.ca and the full delivery standards (PDF)
- Australia Post, regular letters: auspost.com.au
- MailMyCard, delivery windows by destination: shipping and delivery