USPS, FedEx and UPS have released their recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before the big December 25. Here’s a quick review by carrier.
Keep in mind that these are guidelines and subject to change. Know that carriers get overwhelmed and fall behind. You can follow the guidelines and still have packages show up late. It’s happened to me. To be safe, beat the deadlines by a few days or more if you can.
USPS holiday shipping deadlines
For mail sent within the contiguous U.S.:
- Send First-Class Mail by Dec. 17
- Send USPS Ground Advantage by Dec. 17
- Send Priority Mail by Dec. 18
- Send Priority Mail Express by Dec. 20
Read more about USPS holiday shipping.
FedEx last days to ship
Here are the recommended send-by dates by FedEx service type, for shipments within the U.S.
- Send FedEx Ground Economy by Dec. 15.
- FedEx Ground and Home Delivery send-by deadlines range from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23, depending on transit time.
- Send FedEx Express Saver by Dec. 20.
- Send FedEx 2Day by Dec. 22.
- Send FedEx First Overnight, Priority Overnight, and Standard Overnight, Extra Hours by Dec. 23.
- Send FedEx SameDay shipments by Dec. 24.
See the official FedEx guide on last days to ship.
UPS holiday shipping deadlines
UPS will be delivering on Dec. 24. Christmas Eve pickup is only available for Air and International Air shipments that are scheduled by Dec. 18. UPS will not offer pickup or delivery service on Christmas Day.
Mark these dates on your calendar for U.S. domestic shipping.
- The UPS Ground shipping deadline depends on transit time. Use this calculator to estimate it.
- Send UPS 3-Day Select packages by Dec. 18.
- Send UPS 2nd Day Air packages by Dec. 22.
- Send UPS Next Day Air packages by Dec. 23.
See more about UPS holiday shipping.
And those retailers
In years past, some retailers would offer holiday shipping deals that could save you money and/or get your packages delivered faster. Unfortunately, these deals have become increasingly rare.
That’s why you should plan to finish up your online gift shopping early this year. Really early. Like, try to get your shopping done and ordered by Dec. 4 or 5.
Amazon
After December 10, make use of free expedited shipping or, of course, Amazon. And plan on giving Amazon extra time. The Prime Shipping two-day guarantee is ancient history. Many Prime Shipping products nowadays have estimated shipping times of three, four, or five days. On top of that, Amazon regularly misses those estimated arrival dates.
The takeaway is: If you don’t have your shopping done by December 1, you’d better get busy. Amazon can save you early in December, but you might be out of luck later in the month.
Etsy
I wouldn’t bother with anything on Etsy at this point. To be safe, you would have had to place your Etsy orders in early November. I say this based purely on personal experience.
I’ve been burned too many times by casual Etsy sellers who take way too long to get the item ready for shipping. Last year, I ordered a customized gift in early December from an Etsy seller promising “express holiday processing.” I cancelled the order on December 23 because it hadn’t been shipped and I had no communication at all from the seller. Boo.
Good luck and happy shopping!