Ding-dong! Delivery! For friends and family far away at Christmas, getting them their holiday gift to unwrap in time takes a little extra planning. That means you need to pack it and get the package on its merry way by a specific deadline — depending on the delivery service, delivery option and expected arrival date. Remember, the longer you wait, the more expensive it will be to ship a package.
Here are the shipping deadlines for 2022:
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25
For Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States):
USPS Retail Ground Service by Saturday, December 17
First-Class Mail Service by Saturday, December 17
Priority Mail Service by Monday, December 19
Priority Mail Express Service by Friday, December 23
For Alaska and Hawaii, packages need to be sent by December 17 for First-Class Mail Service and Priority Mail Service. And December 21 for Priority Mail Express Service.
For more information about USPS’ holiday shipping deadlines, click here.
FedEx
The holiday shipping deadlines are a little more complicated at FedEx because they offer a wide variety of shipping options. Use this helpful guide as a reference.
FedEx Freight Economy by Thursday, December 8
FedEx Ground Economy by Thursday, December 8
FedEx Freight by Wednesday, December 14
FedEx Ground by Wednesday, December 14
FedEx Express Saver or FedEx 3Day Freight by Tuesday, December 20
FedEx 2Day by Wednesday, December 21
FedEx 1Day Freight or FedEx Extra Hours by Thursday, December 22
FedEx SameDay by Friday, December 23
UPS – United Parcel Service
UPS Ground – Check here for time estimates.
UPS 3-Day Select by Tuesday, December 20
UPS 2nd Day Air by Wednesday, December 21
UPS Next Day Air by Thursday, December 22
For UPS’ full holiday shipping schedule, click here.
Always be sure to properly secure your package to ensure it arrives safely. Choose a strong shipping box and use lots of tape and packing materials.