Holiday Shipping Deadlines Announced for USPS, FedEx, and UPS
With Christmas just days away, the nation’s major shipping carriers released their final holiday deadlines to ensure packages arrive by Dec. 25.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), FedEx, and UPS each outlined cut-off dates for ground, priority, and express services, urging customers to ship early to avoid delays caused by winter weather and high package volume.
USPS Deadlines
- Dec. 17: Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail
- Dec. 18: Priority Mail
- Dec. 20: Priority Mail Express
- Earlier cut-offs apply for Alaska, Hawaii, and military APO/FPO/DPO addresses.
FedEx Deadlines
- Dec. 15: Ground Economy
- Dec. 17–19: Ground and Home Delivery (depending on service speed)
- Dec. 20: Express Saver
- Dec. 22: 2Day services
- Dec. 23: Overnight services
- Dec. 24: SameDay delivery
UPS Deadlines
- Dec. 19: 3-Day Select
- Dec. 22: 2nd Day Air
- Dec. 23: Next Day Air
- Ground deadlines vary by ZIP code and should be checked on UPS’s website.
Shipping Tips
Carriers recommend packaging gifts securely, using clear labels, and tracking shipments online. Customers who miss deadlines may need to rely on overnight or same-day services, which come at a premium.
“Ship early, track often, and plan ahead,” USPS officials said, noting that Priority Mail Express remains the only USPS service with a money-back guarantee for Christmas delivery.
