The United States Postal Service, UPS, and Fed Ex are all getting ready to handle your special holiday gifts and other packages, but they’re asking everyone to make sure to get those packages shipped early this year if you want them to get to their intended destination on time.

2021 Holiday Shipping Deadlines:

USPS  – USPS  is touting the slogan… “don’t delay, mail and ship today.”
(Continental U.S.)
December 15: USPS retail ground service
December 17: First-class mail service (including greeting cards)
December 17: First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
December 18: Priority mail service
December 23: Priority mail express service

USPS For Air/Army/Fleet/Diplomatic post office addresses:
November 6: Retail ground service
December 9 :Priority mail and first-class mail
December 16: Priority mail express military service

USPS Alaska and Hawaii:
December 17: Hawaii to/from mainland — priority mail and first-class mail
December 18: Alaska to/from Continental U.S. — first-class and priority mail
December 21: Alaska to/from Continental U.S. and Hawaii to/from mainland — priority mail express

FedEx
December 9: ground economy
December 15: ground and home delivery
December 21: express saver
December 22: two day and two-day am
December 23: overnight services
December 24: same day

UPS:
Ground shipping, check the website for a quote
December 22: second-day air services
December 23: next-day air services
December 25: no pickup service, UPS holiday
Note: UPS service guarantee still suspended for most services due to COVID-19

Busiest Time
The busiest time of the season for the United Postal Service begins two weeks before Christmas. It’s expected that customer traffic at all Post Office locations will increase beginning the week of Dec. 6, with the week of Dec. 13-18 anticipated to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week of the season.

There are plenty of holiday- and winter- themed stamps available to adorn your greeting cards this year. You can find them on the online Postal Store or at any one of their more than 34,000 Post Office locations. As a reminder, on Aug. 29, the cost of a First-Class Forever stamp increased three cents, from 55 cents to 58 cents. There are also temporary price increases in place through Dec. 26, 12:01 a.m., Central time for both retail and business customers for some of their more popular shipping products, which also includes military shipping.

Priority Mail Express (PME), Priority Mail (PM), First-Class Package Service (FCPS), Parcel Select, USPS Retail Ground, and Parcel Return Service. International products are unaffected.