With the coronavirus pandemic altering lots of holiday plans this year, shippers are preparing for a significant increase in the number of packages that will need to be delivered.
Here are the shipping deadlines you need to know if you want your packages to arrive by Dec. 25.
U.S. Postal Service
For the lower 48 states:
- Dec. 15 -- Retail Ground Service
- Dec. 18 -- First-Class Mail Service
- Dec. 19 -- Priority Mail Service
- Dec. 23 -- Priority Mail Express Service
For Alaska:
- Dec. 18 -- First-Class Mail Service
- Dec. 19 -- Priority Mail Service
- Dec. 21 -- Priority Mail Express Service
For Hawaii:
- Dec. 15 -- First-Class Mail Service
- Dec. 15 -- Priority Mail Service
- Dec. 21 -- Priority Mail Express Service
Click here for international shipping deadlines for USPS.
FedEx
- Dec. 9 -- FedEx Smart Post
- Dec. 15 -- FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground
- Dec. 21 -- FedEx Express Saver, FedEx 3Day Freight
- Dec. 22 -- FedEx 2Day, FedEx 2Day A.M., FedEx 2Day Freight
- Dec. 23 -- FedEx 1Day Freight, FedEx Extra Hours, FedEx Standard Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx First Overnight
- Dec. 25 -- FedEx SameDay, FedEx SameDay City Priority, FedEx SameDay City Direct
Click here for international shipping deadlines for FedEx.
UPS
- Dec. 15 -- UPS Ground
- Dec. 21 -- UPS 3 Day Select
- Dec. 22 -- UPS 2nd Day Air
- Dec. 23 -- UPS Next Day Air
- Dec. 25 -- UPS is closed, but UPS Express Critical is available
Shipments to certain destinations may require an earlier ship date. Click here for more information from UPS.
Walmart
Walmart announced its deadlines to get items delivered by Christmas.
- For two-day shipping, orders must be placed by Dec. 19.
- Dec. 21 is the deadline for next-day delivery.
- Orders must be placed by Dec. 23 at 4 p.m. local time for in-store pickup on Christmas Eve.