Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Shopping at the last minute? Don’t wait. As of today, you still have time to do so send your gifts so it will arrive before Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. You’ll have to act fast, though. The first deadlines to guarantee on-time delivery are coming this week and you need to be ready.
Every year, the major shipping and delivery companies publish their holiday deadlines, usually centered around Christmas. These guidelines are generally the last day you can ship packages and expect them to arrive on time. But nothing is guaranteed, and a storm in late December can throw off the best shipping schedule.
Circle these non-refundable shipping dates on your calendar and don’t miss them if you want your gifts to arrive on time. Here are the Christmas 2024 delivery dates for the major US package delivery services. If you’re looking for great gift ideas, take a look CNET’s favorite holiday gifts and our favorite Black Friday deals.
Hey, did you know? CNET offers texts that are free, easy, and save you money.
FedEx delivery dates are up to December 25, 2024
Since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, you’ll be able to take advantage of FedEx overnight shipping on Monday, December 23rd. As a last resort, you can also FedEx SameDay on Tuesday, December 24th to get your package delivered by Christmas. The FedEx Express Saver, 2- and 3-day deadlines are the full week before Christmas, and the FedEx Ground deadline is two weeks before, on December 17th.
Here they are the dates that FedEx recommends you ship by (PDF) to have your packages arrive on or before December 25th in the US.
FedEx holiday shipping times
| Domestic service | Delivery date |
|---|---|
| Ground | December 17 |
| Express Saver | December 19 |
| 2 days and 2 days in the morning* | December 20 |
| First night and priority night* | December 23 |
| SameDay | December 24 |
*You can ship FedEx 2Day and FedEx 2Day AM one day later on Saturday, December 21st with an optional Saturday delivery charge of $16 per package.
UPS delivery dates reach December 25, 2024
As with FedEx, UPS delivery times are a little more reasonable this week, as the holiday lands on a Wednesday instead of a Monday, as it did in 2023. You’ll need to ship the last packages by December 23rd to make sure they arrive by December 25 Here UPS Recommended Delivery Dates (PDF) for Christmas 2023.
UPS holiday shipping times
| Domestic service | Delivery date |
|---|---|
| Ground | Check it out UPS website for deadlines |
| 3-Day Select | December 19 |
| 2nd Day Air | December 20 |
| Next Day Air | December 23 |
USPS delivery dates by December 25, 2024
The US Postal Service’s Christmas package delivery deadlines are also slightly more favorable this year for last-minute shopping. Here are the dates The US Postal Service recommends circle on your calendar if you want packages to arrive before December 25th, including for Alaska and Hawaii.
USPS holiday shipping times
| Domestic service | Date (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) | Date for Alaska | Date for Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Retail Ground | December 18 | December 16 | December 16 |
| First class mail | December 18 | December 18 | December 18 |
| Priority mail | December 19 | December 19 | December 19 |
| Priority mail express | December 21 | December 20 | December 20 |
Amazon has estimated delivery times of December 25, 2024
You may be able to streamline the shopping and mailing process by ordering directly from Amazon and shipping the package directly to your giftee. But be aware: Amazon has a habit of waiting until much closer to Christmas before listing holiday shipping dates. We can extrapolate the deadline for this year from the delivery dates for previous holiday seasons.
Please note that these are estimated delivery dates. If it were us, and Christmas was around the corner, maybe we wouldn’t risk everything on those one-day and same-day delivery dates and send an electronic gift certificate instead. All delivery dates except e-gift cards and free five to eight day shipping are exclusive to Prime members.
One thing to look for: Amazon said Same day delivery is available in more than 90 metro areas, so check it out your area has same day delivery. You can also search for “free shipping today” next to the product name. Each Amazon product listing page will also provide an estimated delivery date.
Amazon shipping deadlines for the holidays
| Type of delivery | Deadline for purchase | Delivery date |
|---|---|---|
| Free shipping | December 14 | December 24 |
| 2-Day Shipping (Prime) | December 22 | December 24 |
| 1-Day Shipping (Prime) | December 23 | December 24 |
| Same Day Delivery (Prime) | December 24 | December 24 |
| Delivery of e-gift card | December 25 | December 25 |
How to send packages to arrive in time for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa this year
Shipping companies generally do not specify specific deadlines for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. However, since both holidays mostly coincide with Christmas this year, you can use the same deadlines.
Hanukkah begins in the evening December 25 this year, and Kwanzaa begins the next day December 26. If you want your Hanukkah or Kwanzaa packages to arrive before the holidays, use the Christmas shipping times.
Nothing is guaranteed, and storms and package supply shortages can cause delivery delays, as happened a few years ago.
To make sure your packages are delivered safely, here’s how to do it to protect from the fear of pirates. And if you need some inspiration, here are some cool gifts for under $100.
