Holiday Shipping Guide: Your Last-Minute Dates for USPS, FedEx, UPS and Amazon
Want to do some last minute shopping? Don’t wait any longer. From today on, you still have time ship your gift So they arrive before Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. However, you need to act quickly. The first deadline to guarantee on-time delivery is coming this week, and you need to be prepared.
Every year, major shipping and delivery companies announce holiday deadlines, usually centered around Christmas. These guidelines are usually the last day you can send packages and expect them to arrive on time. But nothing is guaranteed, and late-December storms could derail even the best-laid shipping plans.
Circle these exact shipping dates on your calendar and don’t miss them if you want your gifts to arrive on time. Here are the Christmas 2024 shipping deadlines for major U.S. package delivery services. If you’re looking for great gift suggestions, check out CNET’s favorite holiday gift picks and Our favorite Black Friday deals.
Hey, you know what? CNET deal text is free, easy and saves you money.
FedEx shipping deadline is December 25, 2024
Since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, you’ll be able to take advantage of FedEx’s overnight shipping service on Monday, December 23rd. In a pinch, you can also get your package shipped via FedEx SameDay on Tuesday, December 24th. Package arrived before Christmas. The FedEx Express Saver, 2Day, and 3Day deadlines are all the week before Christmas, and the FedEx Ground deadline is two weeks ago, on December 17th.
The following is FedEx recommends your shipping date (PDF) Get your package delivered to the United States on or before December 25th.
FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
| Domestic services | Ship date |
|---|---|
| ground | December 17 |
| Special offer | December 19 |
| 2 days and 2 mornings* | December 20 |
| First Night and Priority Overnight* | December 23 |
| Same day | December 24 |
*You can ship FedEx 2Day and FedEx 2Day AM one day later on Saturday, December 21, with the optional Saturday delivery surcharge of $16 per package.
UPS shipping deadline is December 25, 2024
Like FedEx, UPS’s shipping deadlines this week make more sense, with the holiday falling on a Wednesday instead of a Monday like in 2023. You need to send your last packages by December 23rd to ensure they arrive on December 25th. The following is UPS recommended shipping date (PDF) Christmas 2023.
UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
| Domestic services | Ship date |
|---|---|
| ground | Check UPS website for deadline |
| 3 days selection | December 19 |
| next day air | December 20 |
| Next day air transport | December 23 |
USPS shipping deadline is December 25, 2024
The U.S. Postal Service’s deadline for shipping Christmas packages is also a little more favorable for last-minute shopping this year. The following are the dates United States Postal Service Recommendations If you want your package to arrive by December 25th (including Alaska and Hawaii), please circle it on your calendar.
USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
| Domestic services | Dates (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) | Alaska Date | hawaiian date |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS retail ground | December 18 | December 16 | December 16 |
| Ordinary mail | December 18 | December 18 | December 18 |
| priority mail | December 19 | December 19 | December 19 |
| priority mail express | December 21 | December 20 | December 20 |
Amazon’s estimated shipping deadline is December 25, 2024
You can order directly from Amazon and have your package shipped directly to your gift recipient, simplifying the shopping and mailing process. But be warned: Amazon has a habit of waiting until closer to Christmas to list holiday shipping deadlines. We can extrapolate this year’s deadline based on shipping dates from previous holidays.
Please note these are estimated delivery dates. If it were us, and Christmas was approaching, we probably wouldn’t risk it all with a one-day and same-day delivery date and instead send out e-gift certificates. All shipping dates are limited to e-gift cards and free shipping within five to eight days Premium Member.
One thing to look for: Amazon says same day delivery Available in over 90 metro areas, so check if Same-day delivery available in your area. You can also look for “Free Shipping Today” next to the product name. Each Amazon product listing page will also provide an estimated shipping date.
Amazon holiday shipping deadlines
| Transportation type | Purchase deadline | Delivery date |
|---|---|---|
| free shipping | December 14 | December 24 |
| 2-day shipping (Prime) | December 22 | December 24 |
| 1 day shipping (Prime) | December 23 | December 24 |
| Same-day delivery (Prime) | December 24 | December 24 |
| Electronic gift card delivery | December 25 | December 25 |
How to ship packages so they arrive in time for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa this year
Shipping lines typically do not list specific deadlines for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. However, since both holidays mostly coincide with Christmas this year, you can use the same deadlines.
Hanukkah starts at night December 25 This year, Kwanzaa begins the next day December 26. If you want any Hanukkah or Kwanzaa packages to arrive before the holidays begin, use the Christmas shipping deadline.
Nothing is guaranteed and storms and package supply shortages can cause shipping delays, as has happened years ago.
To ensure your package arrives safely, please follow these steps Guard against Porch Pirates. If you need a little inspiration, here are some Cool Gifts Under $100.
