Holiday Shipping Deadlines Post Office, FedEx, UPS: Last Day To Ship Gifts And Cards In Time For Christmas
Black Friday shoppers will be out in force starting this week, and many consumers will be packing up their purchases and sending them to loved ones via their local post office, UPS, or FedEx. Sending your gifts as soon as possible is important as all three delivery companies have shipping deadlines in place. And if you still send out Christmas cards, you will want to check that task off your list so the cards make it to their destinations before December 25.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2017 holiday shipping cutoff dates.
If you buy gifts on Thursday, why not wrap them up and ship them out right away so you can avoid long lines at the post office or delayed shipping times? Although all three delivery services will be closed on Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday, it will be business as usual on Friday if you need to ship a package to friends and family who won’t be close by during the holiday season.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, all post office branches will be open regular business hours on Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25. In addition, FedEx and UPS trucks will be on the road making deliveries on Friday, and their drop-off locations will be open for regular business hours.
Holiday shipping cutoff dates
If you don’t finish your holiday shopping this week, or still have to sign and stamp your holiday cards, don’t fret. There’s still a little time left before the USPS, FedEx, and UPS no longer guarantee delivery in time for Christmas.
Stamps.com reports that the United States Postal Service shipping deadlines are as follows:
- First-Class Mail (cards and letters) — December 19
- Priority Mail — December 20
- Priority Mail Express — December 21
If you are shipping a Christmas gift or card to a Military base overseas (APO/FPO/DPO), the deadlines to ship is December 11 for most locations. International mailing dates vary between November 30 and December 15, depending on location.
According to the UPS website, December 20 is the last day to ship all UPS 2nd Day Air packages to ensure Christmas Eve delivery. December 22 is the deadline for all packages that are shipped via UPS Next Day Air.
FedEx reports that a $16 Saturday delivery fee will apply per package for anything that will be delivered on Saturday, December 23 for the following services: FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, and FedEx 2Day. The shipping deadline for these services is December 22.
[Featured Image by Jeff Topping/Getty Images]
