If you want your holiday package to arrive on time, here are the deadlines to know
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It's the most wonderful time of the year, and while the holiday season may have sneaked up on some of us, that doesn't mean your last-minute shipping woes need to sneak up on you as well.
Retailers across the U.S. are urging customers to finish their holiday shopping early this year, as supply chain issues and other shortages are posing a concern for many hot products on this year's shopping lists.
The U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS have all released their deadlines for holiday packages and cards to arrive by Dec. 25 — telling customers to mail their holiday packages earlier rather than later.
"We are ready and positioned to have a successful peak season," said Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in a statement last week. "Americans should feel confident sending their holiday cards, mail and packages with the Postal Service. There is a spirit of excitement throughout [USPS] and our entire team is ready to deliver the holidays for the nation."
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Here's a list of the major shipping deadlines for each of the services — aka the last possible day for you to procrastinate on sending those packages:
U.S. Postal Service
USPS officials recommend shipping your items by the following dates to guarantee they arrive by Christmas Day:
2021 holiday shipping dates for the contiguous U.S.
Dec. 15: USPS retail ground service
Dec. 17: First-class mail service (including holiday greeting cards)
Dec. 17: First-class packages
Dec. 18: Priority mail
Dec. 23: Priority mail express
2021 holiday shipping dates for Alaska and Hawaii
Alaska
Dec. 2: USPS retail ground service
Dec. 18: First-class mail service
Dec. 18: Priority mail
Dec. 21: Priority mail express
Hawaii
Dec. 17: First-class mail
Dec. 17: Priority mail
Dec. 21: Priority mail express
For more information on international and military shipping deadlines, check out USPS and their full list here.
UPS
In order for your packages to be delivered by Christmas Day, UPS is urging customers to ship their packages by the following deadlines:
Dec. 21: Three-Day Select
Dec. 22: Second-day air services
Dec. 23: Next-day air services
If you're using ground shipping, UPS has an online calculator to help you determine when your package will arrive in addition to an online tool to check for an accurate quote.
For a full list of shipping options, including international shipping, click here.
FedEx
If you couldn't help but send those holiday packages at the very last minute, FedEx may be the option for you for getting them to their destination on time. Here's a list of FedEx shipping deadlines:
Dec. 9: Ground and freight economy
Dec. 15: Ground and home delivery
Dec. 21: Express saver
Dec. 22: 2Day and 2Day-AM
Dec. 23: Overnight services
Dec. 24: Same-day services
For more information regarding other deadlines, such as international destinations, click here.
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