You snatched some great deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday and have completed your Holiday Gift List. Make sure your presents for dear friends and loved ones get delivered on time. Remember, the holiday season is also the busiest day for the postal service and shipping industry. You definitely do not want your packages to be caught up in the frenzy and arrive a few days after Christmas.
To help you make sure that you send out presents on time, we list down the USPS, FedEx, and UPS cut-off dates that must be met for shipments to arrive on or before December 24th.
USPS
USPS Domestic Packages
| Service | Last day to ship |
|---|---|
| USPS Priority Mail Express | Friday, Dec. 22nd |
| USPS Priority Mail | Wednesday, Dec. 20th |
| USPS First Class Mail | Tuesday, Dec 19th |
| USPS Retail Ground | Thursday, Dec 14th |
USPS Military Mail (APO/FPO/DPO)
| Military Mail Destination | Priority Mail Express | First-Class Mail (Letters/Cards) | Priority Mail | Parcel Select Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AE ZIPs 090-092 | Dec. 16th | Dec. 11th | Dec. 11th | Nov. 6th |
| AE ZIP 093 | N/A | Dec. 4th | Dec. 4th | Nov. 6th |
| AE ZIPs 094-098 | Dec. 16th | Dec. 11th | Dec. 11th | Nov. 6th |
| AA ZIP 340 | Dec. 16th | Dec. 11th | Dec. 11th | Nov. 6th |
| AP ZIPs 962-966 | Dec. 16th | Dec. 11th | Dec. 11th | Nov. 6th |
USPS International Packages
| Int’l Mail Destination | Priority Mail Express Int’l | Priority Mail Int’l | First-Class Pkg Int’l Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | Dec. 7th | Nov. 30th | Nov. 30th |
| Asia/Pacific Rim | Dec. 14th | Dec. 7th | Dec. 7th |
| Australia/New Zealand | Dec. 14th | Dec. 7th | Dec. 7th |
| Canada | Dec. 16th | Dec. 9th | Dec. 7th |
| Caribbean | Dec. 14th | Dec. 9th | Dec. 7th |
| Central & South America | Dec. 9th | Nov. 30th | Nov. 30th |
| Mexico | Dec. 14th | Dec. 7th | Dec. 7th |
| Europe | Dec. 14th | Dec. 9th | Dec. 7th |
| Middle East | Dec. 14th | Dec. 9th | Dec. 7th |
FedEx
FedEx domestic packages must be shipped by the cut-off date in order to arrive on or before December 24th (with the exception of FedEx Same day, which can be sent on the 24th and 25th to arrive the same day).
| Service | Last day to ship |
|---|---|
| FedEx Same Day | Monday, Dec. 25th |
| FedEx First, Priority, STD Overnight* | Thursday, Dec. 21st |
| FedEx 2Day & 2Day AM* | Wednesday, Dec. 20th |
| FedEx Express Saver* | Tuesday, Dec. 19th |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Monday, Dec. 18th |
| FedEx Ground | Friday, Dec. 15th |
| FedEx SmartPost | Monday, Dec. 11th |
*FedEx First, Priority, STD Overnight, 2Day, 2Day AM, and Express Saver have modified service hours and locations for the holiday weekend. See the infographic for more details.
UPS
UPS domestic packages must be shipped by the cut-off date in order to arrive on or before December 24th.
| Service | Last day to ship |
|---|---|
| UPS Next Day Air* | Thursday, Dec. 21st |
| UPS 2nd Day Air & 2nd Day Air A.M.* | Wednesday, Dec. 20th |
| UPS 3 Day Select | Monday, Dec. 18th |
| UPS Ground* | Friday, Dec. 15th |
* UPS Next Day Air, 2nd Day Air, 2nd Day Air A.M., and Ground services include the option for Saturday delivery and pickup. See the infographic for more details.