Christmas 2026 Last Posting Dates for UK Sellers

Knowing which services are still available, and until when, can determine whether a Christmas order arrives on time. Use these dates to set your checkout cut-offs, so you only promise what your carriers can deliver.

The dates below are the carriers’ own recommendations, checked on 28 October 2026. They’re recommendations, not guarantees, and they’re subject to change, so check your carrier’s own page before you rely on a date.

Last posting dates at a glance

Evri, UPS, and InPost dates are the dates those carriers have given ShipStation. For DPD Next Day labels bought through ShipStation, the last date to drop parcels at a DPD store is Monday 21 December. The other DPD dates are the Post Office’s recommended dates for parcels handed in at a Post Office branch.

Royal Mail

Saturday 19 December is also the last posting date for Royal Mail Tracked Returns 48 to reach the sender before Christmas. International dates depend on the destination and service, so check Royal Mail’s country guides.

Royal Mail’s last posting dates for Christmas 2026 →

Parcelforce

These are Parcelforce’s UK inland services. Royal Mail publishes them on the same page as its own dates.

Royal Mail and Parcelforce last posting dates →

Evri

These are Evri’s dates for labels bought through ShipStation. Evri doesn’t deliver on Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December, or Friday 1 January 2027. It’s also running extra standard delivery days on Sundays 29 November, 6 December, and 13 December.

DPD

For DPD Next Day labels bought through ShipStation, the last date to drop parcels at a DPD store is Monday 21 December. The other dates are the Post Office’s recommended dates for parcels handed in at a Post Office branch, and remote postcodes should be sent earlier.

Post Office last posting dates 2026 →

UPS

UPS’s last day for next-day services in the UK is Wednesday 23 December, and parcels collected that day are delivered on Christmas Eve. For international parcels, UPS estimates the last day for UPS Standard at between Friday 18 and Monday 21 December. These are the dates for UPS from ShipStation.

UPS doesn’t deliver or collect on Friday 25 December or Monday 28 December, the substitute bank holiday for Boxing Day. For service-specific timings, UPS points customers to its Calculate Time and Cost tool, so use it for your route.

UPS holiday shipping schedule →

InPost

InPost’s recommended last date to send parcels for Christmas is Saturday 19 December. It applies to parcels sent with ShipStation and with your own InPost account.

Other carriers

If you ship with DHL eCommerce UK, Amazon Shipping, APG eCommerce, or Fin Mile, check your carrier’s official website or customer portal for its Christmas dates, or ask your account manager. Don’t assume they match the carriers above. If you ship with FedEx Express on your own account, FedEx’s UK holiday schedule lists pickup and delivery holidays by country or territory.

How to set your checkout cut-offs

A last posting date isn’t the last day a customer can order. Work backwards from the carrier’s date. Subtract the time you need to pick and pack, plus any lead time for a collection.

For example, Royal Mail Tracked 48’s last posting date is Saturday 19 December. If you need a day to pack, and you don’t post at weekends, your last posting day is Friday 18 December, so your checkout cut-off for that service is Thursday 17 December.

Switch each service off at its own cut-off, and show the date at checkout. Customers are far more forgiving of a clear cut-off than of a missed delivery. If you ship to remote postcodes, set an earlier cut-off for those addresses.

If a customer misses the date

The later services are the fallback. UPS next-day services run until Wednesday 23 December, and Parcelforce express24 runs until Tuesday 22 December. DPD Gold and Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed also run until 23 December, but ShipStation doesn’t list them for UK accounts, so you’d buy them at a Post Office counter. They cost more, so tell customers before they pay for them, and make clear that these dates are recommendations, not promises.

International parcels

International posting dates are earlier, and they depend on the destination and the service. Royal Mail publishes delivery aims by country, and has a separate page for parcels to the USA. Our guides to shipping from the UK to the USA, to Europe, and internationally explain the duty and customs rules that can slow a parcel down.

How ShipStation helps

ShipStation lets you compare services across Royal Mail, Parcelforce, Evri, DPD, UPS, and GlobalPost in one place, and automate which service each order uses. You can also connect your own accounts with carriers, including DHL eCommerce UK, InPost, Amazon Shipping, and APG eCommerce. With automation rules, you can route orders to the right service and stop offering a service once its cut-off passes.

Create automation rules →

Riccardo Russo

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