If you’re worried about getting your holiday gifts in the hands of your loved ones on or before Christmas, worry no more.
With the help of UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service, you can get your gifts on time with services like ground, next day or even same-day shipping. While shopping earlier is always recommended, we understand that people live busy lives—so knowing your shipping deadlines will come in handy this holiday season.
Get on the nice list.Sign up for our newsletter to get all the best gift guides, deals and holiday planning advice.
To make things easier on you, the three largest carriers — UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service — have posted their 2022 holiday shipping deadlines. They’re almost identical to 2021 deadlines — the only difference is deadlines are a day earlier this year, with Christmas falling on a Sunday. You’ll need to shop three days earlier than last year to meet USPS’ ground shipping delivery cutoff dates.
Another thing to note is that many retailers’ have their own shipping deadlines for online purchases so you may want to be conscious of those deadlines while you shop — some stores will have banners or countdowns for shipping on their site to help you navigate your holiday shopping. Other than that, you can always opt for curbside or in-store pickup all the way through Christmas Eve.
►Holiday gift guides 2022: Shop for everyone on your list with this ultimate gift guide
►Shop the best early Black Friday 2022 sales: Amazon, Walmart, and more
Last day for ground shipping before Christmas
This year, the ground shipping deadlines vary from carrier to carrier. For FedEx, the last day for ground delivery is Wednesday, Dec. 14. For USPS, the last day for ground delivery is Saturday, Dec. 17. UPS, on the other hand, suggests getting an estimate from its website based on its operating hours, holiday schedule and operational adjustments.
Shipping deadlines for Christmas 2022
The following are the shipping deadlines for UPS, FedEx and USPS.
UPS Christmas shipping deadlines
The following dates are the recommended last days for shipping holiday gifts within the U.S. for delivery by Saturday, Dec. 24:
- Ground: Check the UPS website for details
- 3-Day Select: Tuesday, Dec. 20
- 2nd Day Air: Wednesday, Dec. 21
- Next Day Air: Thursday, Dec. 22
Note: Like last year, UPS has suspended its service guarantee on most packages and until further notice, has made operational adjustments including extending UPS Next Day Air Delivery commitment times from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
FedEx deadlines for Christmas
The following dates are the recommended last days for shipping holiday gifts within the U.S. for delivery by Sunday, Dec. 25:
- FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground: Wednesday, Dec. 14
- FedEx Express Saver, FedEx 3Day Freight: Tuesday, Dec. 20
- FedEx 2Day: Wednesday, Dec. 21
- FedEx 1Day Freight, FedEx Extra Hours: Thursday, Dec. 22
- FedEx SameDay: Friday, Dec. 23
USPS Christmas deadlines 2022
The following are the recommended “send-by-dates for expected delivery” before Sunday, Dec. 25 in the contiguous U.S. (lower 48 states):
- Retail Ground: Saturday, Dec. 17
- First-Class Mail: Saturday, Dec. 17
- Priority Mail: Monday, Dec. 19
- Priority Mail Express: Friday, Dec. 23
Make holiday shopping easy with help from our experts.Sign up for text message alerts to get deals, gift guides and shopping advice delivered straight to your phone.
