Have you been making a list and checking it twice? With the holiday season already in full swing, it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts you'll need to send out, especially if you want those gifts to be opened on Christmas Day. It's a thoughtful Christmas tradition no one wants to miss—especially due to mail delays!
December 25 is quickly approaching; given sheer volume of packages and unexpected winter weather likely to cause delays, it'll be extra important to plan ahead. Luckily, the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx have all released their domestic holiday shipping deadlines for 2024.
Read on to find out these key shipping dates so you can get your gifts or Christmas cards in the mail on time. While getting packages delivered on time can be stressful, keeping these dates on hand is one way to ensure your gifts arrive before Christmas. Oh, and if you're more of a last-minute holiday gift shopper, there's also a few good dates to know from major retails like Amazon and Walmart.
USPS Holiday Shipping Dates 2024
The U.S. Postal Service recommends these send-by dates for domestic delivery in the lower 48 states to arrive before December 25.
- December 18: Last day for Ground Advantage
- December 18: Last day for First Class Mail
- December 19: Last day for Priority Mail
- December 21: Last day for Priority Mail Express
UPS Holiday Shipping Dates 2024
While UPS notes that ground service usually takes five days or less, that depends on where you're shipping it to. Also, because Christmas falls on a Tuesday, you may need to seek out a premium service for delivery by Friday, December 21 or Monday, December 24. Those deadlines are:
- December 18: Last day for Three-Day Select
- December 20: Last day for Second-Day Air
- December 21: Last day for Next-Day Air
FedEx Holiday Shipping Dates 2024
FedEx has a lot of different options depending on where you live and where you're sending your gifts, so be sure to compare prices as well as delivery dates.
- December 13: Last day for Ground Economy
- December 17: Last day for Five-Day Ground or Home Delivery
- December 19: Last day for Express Saver or Three-Day Freight
- December 20: Last day for Two-Day or Two-Day Freight
- December 23: Last day for One-Day Freight
- December 24: Same-Day shipping available
Amazon Holiday Shipping Dates 2024
Especially when it comes to ordering last-minute gifts, going to a one-stop online retailer like Amazon is a smart choice. For Prime members, most items will need to be ordered by December 22 to get the two-day shipping on eligible products. And regardless if you're a Prime member or not, Amazon will list in green "Arrives before Christmas" along with an order-by date for every single product.
Walmart Holiday Shipping Dates 2024
This year, Walmart is extending cutoff times for orders to allow more shopping. If you're ordering from the site and the products are available in your local store, you can order as late as Christmas Eve!
- December 23, 12:30 p.m. local time: Last day for Next-Day or Two-Day Shipping
- December 24, 12:00 pm. local time: Last day for In-Store or Curbside Pickup
- December 24, 4:00 p.m. local time: Last day for Express Delivery
AnnMarie Mattila is the Senior Editor for The Pioneer Woman, covering a wide range of topics from food and cooking to home, beauty, style, and more.
