Jump to deadlines for: United States | Canada | Australia
One of the most crucial parts of holiday shipping preparation is knowing which carrier services to use and when. Accommodating last-minute shoppers is vital, and knowing which services are available until which dates is crucial for cart conversions. We’ve gathered the most popular carriers and their services into one blog. Make sure that your checkout options reflect these deadlines below. When a customer doesn’t receive their gift in time, you face more headaches than losing a sell.
Royal Mail Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery
Royal Mail Domestic Services
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| 2nd Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 2nd Class | Wednesday, 18 December |
| 1st Class; Royal Mail Signed For® 1st Class | Friday, 20 December |
| Royal Mail Tracked 48® | Friday, 20 December |
| Royal Mail Tracked 24® | Saturday, 21 December |
| Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® | Monday, 23 December |
Royal Mail International Economy
| Region | Last Posting Date |
| Australia, New Zealand and all other non-European destinations (except Middle East, South Africa, Far East, USA, and Canada) |
Saturday, 5 October |
| Middle and Far East (except Hong Kong and Singapore) | Saturday, 29 September |
| South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, USA, Canada | Saturday, 5 October |
| Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta, Iceland |
Saturday, 2 November |
| Western Europe | Saturday, 16 November |
Royal Mail International Standard and International Tracking and Signature Services
| Region | Last Posting Date |
| Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and South America, Far and Middle East |
Monday, 9 December |
| Cyprus, Malta, | Tuesday, 10 December |
| Eastern Europe (except Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia) | Wednesday, 11 December |
| Australia, Greece, New Zealand and Turkey |
Thursday 12 December |
| Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Sweden, USA |
Saturday, 14 December |
| Finland, Sweden | Saturday, 15 December |
| Austria, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland |
Monday, 16 December |
| Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg | Wednesday, 18 December |
Royal Mail International HM Forces Mail
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| Operational HM Forces | Monday, 25 November |
| Static HM Forces | Friday, 13 December |
Parcelforce Worldwide Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery
Parcelforce Worldwide UK Last Posting Dates
| Service | Last Posting Date |
| Timed Services express9, express10, expressAM, expressPM |
Send by Monday, 23 December |
| Next Day Services express24 |
Send by Monday, 23 December |
| Two Day Services express48, express48large |
Send by Friday, 20 December |
Hermes Last Posting Dates for Christmas Delivery
Hermes Last Posting Dates UK
2019 Last Posting Days UK
With the shipping cutoff dates above, we also put together a handy timeline graphic that shows you what services are available.
If you use our holiday shipping deadlines infographic to start your holiday prep now, you’ll have plenty of time to calculate your own shipping cut off dates. And once you know your shipping schedule, you can start optimizing your shipping workflow to handle increased order volume. Plus, you’ll have more time to decide on which shipping promotions are best for your business and your customers.
Make your holiday shipping even easier this year with ShipStation.
