When is the last day to ship a gift for Christmas with USPS, FedEx, UPS or Amazon?
We still have just over a month until Christmas and the start of Hanukkah, with Kwanzaa starting the day after. If you’re celebrating and hoping the gifts will arrive on time, now is the time to make a dent in your shopping list and take your packages to a delivery service.
Every year, the major shipping and delivery companies announce their holiday deadlines, usually focusing on Christmas. These guidelines are generally the very last day you can ship packages and expect them to arrive on time. But nothing is guaranteed, and a storm in late December can throw off the best shipping schedule.
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It’s not too early to circle those drop-dead shipping dates on your calendar. Here are the Christmas 2024 shipping deadlines for the major US parcel delivery services. If you’re looking for great gift suggestions, check out CNET’s favorite holiday gift ideas and our favorite Black Friday deals.
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FedEx shipping deadlines must arrive no later than December 25, 2024
With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, you can take advantage of FedEx overnight shipping on Monday, December 23. In a pinch, you can also ship FedEx SameDay on Tuesday, December 24 to receive your order. package delivered before Christmas. FedEx Express Saver, 2Day and 3Day deadlines fall the entire week before Christmas, and the FedEx Ground deadline is two weeks earlier on December 17.
Here are the dates FedEx recommends that you ship no later than (PDF) to have your packages arrive in the US on or before December 25.
FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
| Domestic service | Shipping date |
|---|---|
| Ground | December 17 |
| Express Savings | December 19 |
| 2Days and 2Days AM* | December 20 |
| First night and priority night* | December 23 |
| Same day | December 24 |
*You can ship FedEx 2Day and FedEx 2Day AM a day later on Saturday, December 21 with an optional Saturday delivery surcharge of $16 per package.
UPS shipping deadlines are due December 25, 2024
As with FedEx, UPS’s shipping deadlines are a little more reasonable this week, with the holiday falling on Wednesday instead of Monday as in 2023. You should ship your very last packages by December 23 to ensure they arrive on December 25 . Here they are UPS recommended shipping dates (PDF) for Christmas 2023.
UPS holiday shipping deadlines
| Domestic service | Shipping date |
|---|---|
| Ground | Bill the UPS website for terms |
| 3-day selection | December 19 |
| 2nd Day Air | December 20 |
| Next day air | December 23 |
USPS shipping deadlines for December 25, 2024
The US Postal Service’s deadlines for shipping holiday packages are also slightly more favorable this year for last-minute purchases. Here are the dates US Postal Service advises Please circle your calendar if you would like packages to arrive by December 25, including for Alaska and Hawaii.
USPS holiday shipping deadlines
| Domestic service | Date (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) | Date for Alaska | Date for Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS retail ground | December 18 | December 16 | December 16 |
| First class 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 estimated shipping deadlines for December 25, 2024
You may be able to streamline the shopping and mailing process by ordering directly from Amazon and shipping the package directly to your giftee. But beware: Amazon has a habit of waiting until much closer to Christmas before listing its holiday shipping deadlines. We can extrapolate the deadline this year based on shipping dates for previous holiday seasons.
Please note that these are estimated delivery dates. If it were us, and Christmas was close, maybe we wouldn’t risk it all on those same-day or same-day delivery dates and send an electronic gift certificate instead. All shipping dates except for e-gift cards and free five to eight day shipping are exclusive to First members.
One thing to be aware of: Amazon said Same day delivery is available in over 90 metro areas, so check your region has same day delivery. You can also search for ‘free delivery today’ next to the product name. And every Amazon product listing page also lists an estimated shipping date.
Amazon holiday shipping deadlines
| Shipping type | Deadline to purchase | Date delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Delivery of e-gift vouchers | December 25 | December 25 |
How to ship packages so they arrive in time for Kwanzaa this year
Shipping companies do not list specific deadlines for Kwanzaa. However, it is not that difficult to estimate what dates you need to ship in order for your packages to arrive on time.
For Kwanzaayou can in principle use the dates for Christmas. Kwanzaa begins December 26. If you want Kwanzaa packages to arrive before the holiday begins, please use the Christmas shipping deadlines.
Nothing is guaranteed, and storms and package shortages can cause shipping delays, as happened a few years ago.
To ensure that your packages are delivered safely, read here how to do so protect yourself from porch pirates. And if you need some inspiration, here are some cool gifts for under $100.
