2022 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Time’s Almost Up for FedEx, UPS, USPS & Amazon

by Eli King Conklin | December 12, 2022
Email – LinkedIn

Busy? Sick kids? Still shopping? Just a procrastinator? We get it. It happens every year – the mad scramble to get gifts wrapped and shipped in time for the holidays. But it’s 2022, and between shortages, short staffing, and the 25th falling on a Sunday, if “all you want for Christmas” is to get your packages to your loved ones, then you better run, run, Rudolph! Here are the dates you need to know. (P.S. All three will also be closed on Monday, December 26 in observance of the holiday and to give those tired workers a rest!)

FedEx

The ground delivery deadlines for FedEx start Wednesday, December 14, and the last day to ship with them (using same day delivery…$$$) is Friday, December 23. If you ship by Wednesday, December 21, you can use the two-day service, or better yet, get to a FedEx location by Tuesday, December 20th for the Express Saver option. “We’re all in for the holidays,” says Brie Carere, Chief Customer Officer for FedEx Corp. “We’ve been working with our customers throughout the year to plan for this peak.”

UPS

UPS ground shipping deadlines vary, but the company is advising customers to expect longer transit times for packages from now through January 14, especially those with transit times of 3+ days or remote destinations. You can calculate more specific delivery times and costs at ups.com/ctc.

USPS

For USPS Ground and First Class service, get to the post office by Saturday, December 17, 2022. As for Priority Mail, you have until Monday the 19th. The USPS urges customers to use new, sturdy boxes and lots of newspaper or bubble wrap inside to protect the contents. Not only do you want to write the shipping information boldly on the outside, but it’s also a good idea to put an address card on the inside just in case the exterior box gets damaged – it happens. You can also sign up for Informed Delivery to monitor your shipments and get alerts when they’re delivered. The busiest time of year for them is December 14-20. Find USPS locations

Reminders & Tips (Source: USPS)

Packages containing used electronics or other hazardous materials — lithium-ion batteries, in particular — must now be shipped via surface transportation using Parcel Select Ground, USPS Retail Ground, Parcel Return Service or Ground Return Service.
Certain items may have restrictions or prohibitions when sent through the mail. See the list of hazardous, restricted and perishable mail or ask a Postal Service employee for more information on what can and cannot be sent through the mail.
Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch thick and use stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a retail associate at any of our more than 34,000 Post Office locations. This requirement does not apply to Click-N-Ship customers.
The Postal Service also offers shipping tips in 10 video “how to” guides. Each video is less than three minutes long and addresses a different topic, such as how to address packages, how to ship packages, and how to pack a box so items arrive safely.

Amazon

If you’re an Amazon Prime member who lives in an eligible zip code in the US, you can get Same-Day Delivery

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