If You Don't Ship Your Gifts by This Date, They Won't Arrive by Christmas

While the holidays can put people in high spirits, the end of the year can also be quite a stressful time—especially if you're a last-minute shopper. This year, with coronavirus still looming large, many people are buying their holiday gifts online: In fact, a National Retail Federation survey found that 60 percent of consumers say they plan to do their holiday shopping online. Unfortunately, that puts in the added stress of getting gifts shipped in time for Christmas, but as long as you ship your gifts by a certain day, they should arrive on time. The United States' three major shipping carriers—USPS, Fedex, and UPS—have all released their holiday schedules, which break down the days consumers have to ship packages by for them to arrive before Christmas. Read on for a look at those nationwide deadlines, and for more shopping news, You Could Get Banned From Amazon for Doing This Common Thing.

Dec. 15

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Dec. 15 is the last day to get FedEx's, the United States Postal Service's (USPS), and the United Parcel Service's (UPS) cheapest shipping options. If you're using FedEx Home Delivery or FedEx Ground, you have to ship it by this day to guarantee a delivery by Dec. 25. For UPS and USPS, you have to ship your Christmas gifts by this day if you're using UPS Ground or USPS Retail Ground Service. And for things you won't find in your mailbox, This Is the One Thing You'll Never Get in the Mail Again.

Dec. 18

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If you ship your gifts by Dec. 18, you can use the USPS' First-Class Mail Service. This delivery service pledges to deliver your packages in one to three business days, with prices as low as $3.80. And for more holiday shopping news, You May Not Get to Do Your Holiday Shopping at This Beloved Store.

Dec. 19

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If you miss the Dec. 18 deadline, you still have the next day to send in your USPS packages. Their Priority Mail Service's recommended send-by date is Dec. 19, and this service option also pledges to deliver your packages in one to three business days, but at a slightly steeper cost. If you want to ensure your package will arrive by Dec. 25 with this option, you can check their Priority Mail Delivery Map.

Dec. 21

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FedEx Express Saver and FedEx 3Day Freight shipping options should both be sent by Dec. 21. According to EasyPost, these options both have a much quicker turnaround than FedEx Ground, but also come at a higher cost. For UPS, you can use their 3 Day Select if you send your packages by Dec. 21.

Dec. 22

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You can still use both FedEx and UPS by Dec. 22. FedEx offers three two-day shipping options: FedEx 2Day, FedEx 2Day A.M., and FedEx 2Day Freight. But you can also use UPS' 2nd Day Air shipping service. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Dec. 23

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Dec. 23 is the absolute latest day you can send a package by the USPS so that it arrives before Christmas. And you'll have to use their Priority Mail Express Service, where prices start at $26.35. However, you can also use FedEx's 1Day Freight, Extra Hours, Standard Overnight, Priority Overnight, and First Overnight shipping options, as well as UPS' Next Day Air.

Dec. 25

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FedEx is the only shipping service you can use same-day on Christmas. UPS is closed on Christmas Day, and it's also a postal holiday for the USPS. With FedEx, you have three shipping options on this day: SameDay, City Priority, and City Direct. However, it will cost you. A 2019 report listed FedEx SameDay rates as $235 for anything under 25 pounds. And if you've already started planning gifts, This Is the No. 1 Etsy Gift People Want This Year, CEO Says.