It’s time for procrastinators to buckle down: Shipping deadlines for packages and letters to arrive by Christmas Day are fast approaching.
And unless you are like Santa Claus and can deliver gifts via sleigh, you’ll have to send cards, letters and gifts through the mail with the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS.
As you purchase gifts and cards for friends and family members, it’s a good rule of thumb to ship them earlier rather than later. But if you’re running behind, there is an increased risk of the item not arriving before Christmas Day, or there could be additional fees for expedited shipping.
Here are the deadlines that you should know for sending Christmas gifts in 2024.
USPS deadlines for packages to arrive by Christmas Day
For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using the U.S. Postal Service should send items by the following dates:
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USPS Ground Advantage Service: Dec. 18.
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First-Class Mail Service: Dec. 18.
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Priority Mail Service: Dec. 19.
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Priority Mail Express Service: Dec. 21.
People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country online.
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FedEx deadlines for packages to arrive by Christmas Day
For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using FedEx should send items by the following dates:
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FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, FedEx Standard Overnight, Extra Hours: Dec. 23.
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FedEx 2Day & FedEx 2Day AM: Dec. 20.
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FedEx Express Saver: Dec. 19.
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FedEx Ground (one-day shipping): Dec. 23.
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FedEx Home Delivery (one-day shipping): Dec. 23.
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FedEx Ground Economy: Dec. 13.
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FedEx 1Day Freight: Dec. 23.
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FedEx 2Day Freight: Dec. 20.
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FedEx 3Day Freight: Dec. 19.
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FedEx Freight Priority (one-day shipping): Dec. 20.
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FedEx Freight Economy: Dec. 11.
People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country online.
UPS deadlines for packages to arrive by Christmas Day
For an expected delivery date before Dec. 25, Arizonans using UPS should send items by the following dates:
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UPS 3 Day Select: Dec. 19.
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UPS 2nd Day Air: Dec. 20.
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UPS Next Day Air: Dec. 23.
People who are sending mail abroad can find the full list of deadlines for each country online.
Reach the reporter at zbradshaw@gannett.com or on X at @ZachBradshaw14.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Christmas shipping: USPS, FedEx and UPS 2024 holiday deadlines