2014 Christmas Shipping Deadlines: When To Mail Gifts So USPS, FedEx, UPS Delivers Before Santa Arrives
If you need to send packages out in time for Christmas, the 2014 holiday shipping deadlines are getting closer. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Fedex, and UPS all have cutoff dates for shipping around the holidays, and for many who are sending overseas, the deadline has already passed for shipments going to a number of countries.
Whether you have gifts or holiday cards to mail, if they need to get to their destination by Christmas Eve, check the list below for the last possible dates that you can ship your cards and goodies to arrive before Santa and his reindeer show up.
Learn how your child can get a letter from “Santa” courtesy of USPS. #LettersfromSanta http://t.co/jSpXjCbGPM pic.twitter.com/UeD3it7qOb
— U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 6, 2014
If you are shipping internationally or to someone who is overseas in the military, the USPS has a handy shipping chart on their site that allows you select the country you are shipping to and find out all your options for holiday shipping. Unfortunately, many of the less-expensive methods of shipping have already passed deadline or are about to in the next few days.
For domestic shipments going out via the U.S. Postal Service, you have a little more time, but not much. Parcel Post packages need to go out by December 15, First-Class Mail by the 20th, and Express Mail — the most costly option — has a deadline of December 23.
UPS has air, international, and ground shipping options, with a little more time available for those who haven’t finished their holiday shopping yet. For domestic shipments, ship by UPS Ground by December 15 and get your package there just in the nick of time — December 24. Download the entire UPS holiday schedule here, including overseas shipping information.
.@UPS Makes a Little Boy’s Wish Come True in #Heartwarming Holiday Ad (by @JONEILL2010): http://t.co/h86O0TFiFc
— YahooParenting (@YahooParenting) December 5, 2014
The Compass writes that one of the most important things customers can do is to have their holiday packages ready to go if you have a UPS driver picking it up. Jim Dunn, UPS corporate industrial engineering manager, states that the company’s drivers don’t go home at night until their trucks are empty. Having your package ready not only helps the driver finish the route, but it helps “all the other folks along the route” to get their packages picked up on time as well.
If you want to ship your holiday packages by FedEx, the cut-off date depends on where you are shipping to. Easy Post states that December 17 is the last day you can drop off or have FedEx pick up packages that are going out via their Home Delivery or Ground service. The deadline is December 20 for Express Saver service and December 22 for FedEx Two Day. If you have a package going overseas, check FedEx’s last day to ship list for the most current information.
[Image: Getty]
