The holidays are coming in fast, and nothing says "happy customers" like on-time deliveries. As a savvy online business, it's crucial to help your shoppers plan ahead. The best way to do that? Share those all-important holiday shipping deadlines loud and clear. Luckily, the major carriers have you covered with their deadline schedules, so you can keep the holiday cheer (and your shipments) running smoothly.
Check out the tables below and make sure your website and team are prepped for holiday success.
Most domestic packages need to ship between Dec. 17 and Dec. 23 to arrive by Christmas, depending on the carrier and how fast the service is. Ground services need the most lead time, and overnight services the least.
USPS dates are for delivery before Dec. 25. UPS and FedEx dates are for delivery by Dec. 24.
When is the last day to ship for Christmas 2026?
The last day to ship ranges from Dec. 17 for ground services to Dec. 23 for overnight. Find your speed in the left column.
Rows show the closest match by speed, not identical services. Sources: USPS, UPS 2026 Year-End Holiday Schedule, FedEx.
What is the last day to ship USPS for Christmas 2026?
The last day to ship USPS for delivery before Dec. 25 is Dec. 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail, and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express. See the table at the top of the page to compare with UPS and FedEx.
Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or a U.S. territory? First-Class, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express use the same dates. Ground Advantage to those locations has a 10-day or longer service expectation, so ship it earlier.
For USPS international dates, see the international section below.
USPS military mail
What is the last day to ship UPS for Christmas 2026?
The last day to ship UPS for delivery by Dec. 24 is Dec. 21 for 3 Day Select, Dec. 22 for 2nd Day Air, and Dec. 23 for Next Day Air, while UPS Ground depends on your route, so check ups.com/ctc. See the table at the top of the page to compare with USPS and FedEx.
For Next Day Air shipments, UPS says to use an On-Call Pickup, a Smart Pickup, a scheduled pickup, or drop the package at a UPS Store or UPS Authorized Service Location.
For Canada and Mexico, see the international section below. For other destinations, use UPS Calculate Time and Cost at ups.com/ctc, since some may need an earlier ship date.
What is the last day to ship FedEx for Christmas 2026?
The last day to ship FedEx for delivery by Dec. 24 is Dec. 21 for Express Saver, Dec. 22 for 2Day, and Dec. 23 for overnight services. FedEx SameDay ships as late as Dec. 24 and Ground Economy as early as Dec. 15. See the table at the top of the page to compare with USPS and UPS.
FedEx Ground and Home Delivery
FedEx Ground and Home Delivery have several last ship dates, because the right one depends on how many days the package spends in transit. Find your transit time at fedex.com, then use this table.
These dates assume a regular scheduled pickup or a drop-off at a staffed FedEx location.
For FedEx international dates, see the international section below.
What are the last days to ship internationally for Christmas 2026?
The last day to ship to Canada for Christmas is Dec. 23 with UPS Worldwide Express or FedEx International Priority, and Dec. 22 for Mexico. USPS dates are earlier: Dec. 16 for Priority Mail Express International and Dec. 9 for its other international services.
Note: USPS dates apply to every international destination, including Canada and Mexico. For UPS and FedEx shipments to other countries, use ups.com/ctc and fedex.com/ratefinder/home. FedEx notes that its international dates don't account for customs clearance.
Sources: , , .
Are carriers open on holidays in 2026?
USPS, UPS and FedEx are all closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and New Year's Day (Jan. 1). UPS and FedEx also scale back pickups on several days around Christmas and New Year's.
"Open" for USPS means the date isn't a USPS holiday. Local Post Office, The UPS Store and FedEx Office hours can vary around holidays, so check your location before you drop off.
How can you ship by the deadline and still save money?
Compare rates and delivery dates side by side before you buy a label, so you pick the cheapest service that still arrives in time. That matters more than usual right now, since carriers add holiday surcharges through mid-January.
- Compare every carrier at once. Rates from USPS, UPS, FedEx and 40+ other carriers show up side by side in Shippo, with up to 90% off retail.
- Missed your ground cutoff? You can still make Christmas with a faster service, since UPS and FedEx 2-day and overnight cutoffs run through Dec. 22 and Dec. 23. Compare what each one costs with our shipping calculator before you upgrade.
- Ship earlier than you think you need to. Carrier dates are recommendations, not guarantees, and the final days before Christmas leave little room for delays.
Plan ahead for holiday shipping deadlines
Peak season is busy enough already. The last thing you'll want to do is add unnecessary stress to meet carriers' deadlines. Here are several steps you can take to be ready for holiday shipping:
Prepare your fulfillment operations
Communicating holiday shipping deadlines to shoppers is important. But if you receive an order on one of these dates, can you actually get it out the door on time?
Ask yourself the following questions to identify any weak points in your operations:
- Have you assessed the average time it takes to prepare an item for shipment?
- Do you have the staffing needed to fulfill orders efficiently?
- How well stocked are you on the shipping supplies you use most frequently (especially any custom packaging products with long order lead times)?
- Have you optimized the layout of your facility or fulfillment centers to avoid unnecessary slowdowns?
- Do you have technology in place to optimize fulfillment (for example, by batch-processing shipping label printing)?
Pro tip: With Shippo Estimate, available on the Pro plan, you no longer have to guess when packages will arrive. Powered by AI trained on millions of deliveries, it shows clear, expected delivery dates before you buy a label, helping you choose the most cost-effective service without risking late arrivals.
Communicate deadlines clearly and frequently
Once you have a better sense of the state of your fulfillment operations, use your average order processing times to set your own holiday shipping deadlines.
For example, if you offer USPS Priority Mail shipping within the continental U.S., and you need an average of two business days to fulfill an order, you may not want to use the USPS-stated deadline of Friday, December 18. Instead, consider setting the deadline you share with shoppers to Wednesday, December 16 to minimize potential delays, and repeat the process for each shipping service you offer or any of your products that have special shipping requirements.
After you establish your own shipping deadlines, post this information in as many places as possible to ensure would-be buyers aren't left in a lurch. Possible locations for this information include:
- Your website's homepage
- Your FAQ page
- Each of your product description pages (PDPs)
- Your order confirmation pages
- Your order notification emails
- Any marketing messages going out during November and December
As you update the holiday shipping language in these and other areas, consider incorporating a reminder that your dates are only guidelines, not guarantees. Encourage customers to buy well in advance to avoid any unanticipated delays.
Give shoppers expedited shipping options
Even if you normally stick with a single carrier, the holiday season is a great time to diversify your carrier mix in order to give shoppers more options. For instance, if you only offer ground or standard shipping services, consider adding an expedited level for customers who are willing to pay extra for timely delivery.
You can also diversify by holiday shipping deadlines. Although USPS Priority Mail is an expedited service, its deadline is four days before the target shipping dates for FedEx's 2Day® and 2Day AM® services. While a few days may not seem like that much, offering both options can mean a world of difference to your last-minute shoppers.
Communicate deadlines to your customer service teams
Last but not least, make sure you keep your all-important customer service teams in the loop with your deadlines. Not only are they likely to field questions from customers on holiday shipping deadlines, but they can also help you to get the word out by proactively sharing target dates in customer conversations, when appropriate.
You'll empower the team members who are hands-on with your customers, and in turn, they'll have a better understanding of what to expect before they buy. It's a win-win.
FAQ
Can I ship on Christmas Eve and still arrive by Christmas?
Rarely. UPS Next Day Air and FedEx overnight services stop at Dec. 23, and USPS Priority Mail Express stops at Dec. 19. FedEx SameDay is the exception, with a Dec. 24 ship date.
Are these holiday shipping deadlines guaranteed?
No. says actual delivery dates vary with origin, destination, acceptance time and other conditions. and UPS both say their dates are subject to change.
What is the last day to ship ground packages for Christmas?
USPS Ground Advantage is Dec. 17. FedEx Ground and Home Delivery run from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23 depending on transit time. UPS Ground depends on your route, so check ups.com/ctc.
What if I miss the cutoff?
Move up a speed tier. If a ground cutoff has passed, UPS 2nd Day Air and FedEx 2Day ship through Dec. 22, and overnight services through Dec. 23.
Do these dates cover Hanukkah and Kwanzaa?
Hanukkah runs Dec. 4 to Dec. 12 this year, so ship those gifts well before the Christmas dates above. USPS lists Kwanzaa (Dec. 26 to Jan. 1) under the same Dec. 25 cutoffs.
Looking for more tips on preparing for the 2026 holiday shipping season? Check out our 2026 holiday shipping surcharges guide, see what's new in our 2026 peak season releases, and watch our on-demand Peak Playbook workshop.
Originally published 11/3/23; updated 10/30/26 with 2026 dates
