Jump to deadlines for: Canada | United Kingdom | Australia
Why Do I Need To Know Holiday Shipping Deadlines?
For online sellers, getting orders out on time is crucial for a successful holiday season. Last-minute shoppers will expect ways to make a purchase days before December 25 and still get it on time. If you want to guarantee delivery by Christmas, you need to know which carrier services to use.
At ShipStation, we want you to delight your customers during the holidays. It’s important to tell your customers the last days to order if they need it by Christmas. So, we’ve compiled all the 2019 holiday shipping deadlines for the major carriers in the US.
Although you may need different information for international shipping during the holiday season, we’re going to go over how to handle domestic shipping this season.
Here are your deadlines for USPS, UPS, and FedEx:
USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines in the US
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Retail Ground™ | Saturday, December 14 |
| First Class Mail® | Friday, December 20 |
| Priority Mail® | Saturday, December 21 |
| Priority Mail Express® | Sunday, December 22 |
View the 2018 Holiday Shipping Dates for International Mail.
FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines in the US (awaiting 2019 dates)
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| SmartPost® Services | Monday, December 10 |
| Ground® | Friday, December 14 |
| Home Delivery® | Monday, December 17 |
| Express Saver® | Wednesday, December 19 |
| 2Day® Services | Thursday, December 20 |
| Overnight® Services | Friday, December 21 |
View the last days to ship to Canada and Mexico.
UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines in the US
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Ground® | Friday, December 13 |
| 3 Day Select® | Thursday, December 19 |
| 2nd Day Air® Services | Frisay, December 20 |
| Next Day Air® Services | Monday, December 23 |
See the full 2018 year-end holiday schedule.
Amazon Holiday Shipping Deadlines in the US
(awaiting 2019 dates)
| Service | Shipping Cutoff Date |
| Standard Shipping | Tuesday, December 18 |
| Prime FREE Two-Day Shipping | Saturday, December 22 |
| Prime FREE One-Day Shipping* | Sunday, December 23 |
| Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery* | Monday, December 24 |
| FREE 2-Hour Delivery with Prime Now* | Monday, December 24 |
*In select areas. See Amazon Prime for more info.
How Do I Use These Cutoff Dates For My Business?
Take these shipping cutoff dates and figure out the order-by dates for your customers. Consider the expected processing time you’ll need during this busy peak season. You might still be able to to pull off same-day turnaround, or you might need a few days before the deadline date. Use these dates as your building block for what you want to offer at checkout.
Download the 2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines Infographic
With the shipping cutoff dates above, we also put together a handy timeline graphic that shows you what services are available.
Download Phone, Tablet, and Desktop Backgrounds
You won’t miss a shipping deadline with these screen backgrounds downloaded to your devices!
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- (Desktop) 2018 UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Desktop) 2018 USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Desktop) 2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Desktop) 2018 FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Mobile) 2018 FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Mobile) UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Mobile) 2018 USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Mobile) 2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Tablet) 2018 FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Tablet) 2018 UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Tablet) 2018 USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
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- (Tablet) 2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Here’s to a successful holiday season in ecommerce. The holidays can be hectic, so be sure to also check out our tips on ecommerce automation for the holidays to make sure you’re keeping up with your shipping. We wish you happy holidays and the best of luck! #ShipTheSeason
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Do you have shipping deadlines for international packages? We want to offer USPS first class international for free to our Canadian, UK, and Austrailian customers this holiday season.
You can find some international ship by dates for USPS here: https://www.usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm
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Nice info! Thanks for sharing this informative article. You clearly explained all the services holiday shipping deadlines. I have noted some points from content. Hopefully, it will work for me and even I would definitely suggest these to my friends too!
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Thank you. Wonder if the National Day of Mourning affects this chart in any way?
I don’t believe the USPS closures on December 5 will affect package deliveries by Christmas with any of the domestic services listed on the chart.
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In holidays, the market and economic growth increases by few percentages and rates. Every shipping company in Vancouver and logistics are well aware of their customer requirements and needs. Therefore, they prepare well and make sure they provide on hand services to their clients.
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Infographics are amazing <3 thanks a ton for the great piece of information
That feature image graphics awesome would you send it to me using USPS Carrier.
Wonder if the National Day of Mourning affects this chart in any way?