The holiday shopping season is churning on, and as we all know, life is busy and can make it challenging to get everything taken care of in time. It’s not only the shopping that has to be done, the items typically have to be shipped as well, meaning you need to consider shipping deadlines and whether or not your packages will arrive in time for the holiday.
The US Postal Service, UPS and FedEx all have dates you need to be aware of — specifically to arrive in time for Christmas and Kwanzaa.
Here are the 2021 holiday shipping schedules for the big three package delivery services.
FedEx shipping deadlines for Dec. 25
If you’re a last-minute shopper, FedEx lets you ship on Dec. 24 for a Dec. 25 delivery, but it won’t be cheap. If you want a less costly option, FedEx’s ground delivery deadline is Dec. 15.
Here are the dates FedEx recommends you ship by to have your package arrive by Dec. 25 in the US.
FEDEX HOLIDAY SHIPMENT DEADLINES
Domestic service
Ground: Dec. 15
3 Day Friday, Express Saver: Dec. 21
2 Day Freight, 2Day: Dec. 22
1 Day Freight, Extra Hours: Dec. 23
Same Day: Dec. 24
UPS shipping deadlines for Dec. 25
With the pandemic, UPS has suspended its guarantee of delivering most packages on time — excluding some next-day air and worldwide services.
Here are UPS’ recommended dates for Christmas 2021.
UPS HOLIDAY SHIPMENT DEADLINES
Domestic service
Ship date
Ground
Check the UPS website for deadlines
3-Day Select: Dec. 21
2nd Day Air: Dec. 22
Next Day Air: Dec. 23
USPS shipping deadlines for Dec. 25
The US Postal Service is lengthening delivery times and boosting the cost of shipping parcels during the holidays. Here are the dates the post office recommends paying attention to if you want your packages to arrive in time for Christmas.
USPS HOLIDAY SHIPMENT DEADLINES
Domestic service
USPS Retail Ground: Dec. 15
First-Class Mail: Dec. 17
Priority Mail: Dec. 18
Priority Mail Express: Dec. 23
