The U.S. Postal Service has released its 2021 holiday shipping deadlines, letting everyone know the last day to mail gifts if we want them to arrive by Christmas.
The nation’s other two largest package delivery companies — FedEx and UPS — also announced their deadlines, which are similar to those of 2019 and 2020.
The release of the holiday mail schedule coincides with a nationwide slowdown in mail delivery that began Oct. 1, in which mail now could take up to five days to deliver instead of three days for standard first-class mail, which had always been a staple of the Postal Service.
U.S. Postal Service: To deliver by Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
Recommended “send-by dates for expected delivery"
- Retail Ground: Dec. 15
- First-Class Mail: Dec. 17
- Priority Mail: Dec. 18
- Priority Mail Express: Dec. 23
With the pandemic resurging and recurring disruptions to the U.S. supply chain, consumers should anticipate some delays even if mailing packages on the deadlines.
Also don’t forget that prices went up recently for holiday mail.
FedEx: Deadline to ship holiday packages in the U.S.
- FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground: Dec. 15
- FedEx Express Saver, FedEx 3Day Freight: Dec. 21
- FedEx 2Day: Dec. 22
- FedEx 1Day Freight, FedEx Extra Hours: Dec. 23
- FedEx SameDay: Dec. 24
Some consumers are playing it smart — a recent survey by RetailMeNot showed that 37% of Americans began their holiday shopping between August and September, according to USA Today.
UPS: Recommended last days to ship domestic gifts to deliver by Christmas Eve (Dec. 24):
- 3-Day Select: Dec. 21
- 2nd Day Air: Dec. 22
- Next Day Air: Dec. 23
- Check the UPS website for ground shipments.
The most holiday gifts will be mailed between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Postal Service spokesperson Kim Frum told the newspaper.
“Every year, we urge customers to plan ahead and ship their holiday gifts early, because the longer you wait, the more limited your choices of shipping options become,” Frum said.
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