TAMPA, Fla. — The holiday season is in full swing, which means holiday shoppers needing to send their gifts to loved ones through the mail need to keep their eyes on the calendar — holiday shipping deadlines are approaching fast!
Whether you're checking off your gift list for Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa, you'll want to make sure those packages get there in time.
Typically, ground shipping is the cheapest option, but that also means the deadline for packages to make it in time for Christmas Day will be in mid-December. For the U.S. Postal Service, that deadline is Dec. 18; FedEx is even sooner on Dec. 13. UPS has a specific calculator for its ground service, but the last day for 3-day select is Dec. 19.
Another option is ordering gifts online and sending them directly to the recipient's address. Christmas shipping deadlines vary by retailer, but many will have website banners in December to show when you'll need to order to have it delivered on time. Some online retailers, like Amazon, even offer gift wrapping for various products.
Here are the major deadlines for delivery in time for Wednesday, Dec. 25.
- USPS Ground Advantage Service — Wednesday, Dec. 18
- First-Class Mail Service — Wednesday, Dec. 18
- Priority Mail Service — Thursday, Dec. 19
- Priority Mail Express Service — Saturday, Dec. 21
- FedEx Ground Economy — Friday, Dec. 13
- FedEx Home Delivery — Tuesday, Dec. 17 (Depending on where the destination is, 1-day shipping is available through Monday, Dec. 23)
- FedEx Ground — Tuesday, Dec. 17 (Depending on where the destination is, 1-day shipping is available through Monday, Dec. 23)
- FedEx Express Saver — Thursday, Dec. 19
- FedEx 2Day & FedEx 2Day AM — Friday, Dec. 20
- FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, Extra Hours — Monday, Dec. 23
- FedEx SamDay — Tuesday, Dec. 24
- UPS Ground — Use shipping calculator
- UPS 3 Day Select — Thursday, Dec. 19
- UPS 2nd Day Air — Friday, Dec. 20
- UPS Next Day Air — Monday, Dec. 23
TEGNA Digital contributed to this report.
