There’s no such thing as “fashionably late” when it comes to holiday shipping deadlines. Your customers are counting on you to ensure they have their gifts in hand by December 25 — and they aren’t willing to compromise.
It may seem early to start filling out your calendar, but Halloween is just around the corner — and it’s the gateway to a whole slew of end-of-year holidays that prompt big gift-giving. Here are the recommended holiday shipping deadlines from USPS, FedEx and UPS you can’t afford to miss.
USPS Domestic Holiday Shipping Deadlines
These are the recommended 2022 US Postal Service (USPS) holiday shipping deadlines you’ll want to keep in the calendar.
Note: These deadlines are within the 48 contiguous US states only.
| Service | Deadline |
| Retail Ground™ | Thursday, December 15, 2022 |
| First Class Mail® | Saturday, December 17, 2022 |
| Priority Mail® | Monday, December 19, 2022 |
| Priority Mail Express® | Friday, December 23, 2022 |
Alaska and Hawaii Holiday Shipping Dates
Note: These deadlines are for shipping from the US mainland to Alaska and Hawaii.
| Service | To Alaska Deadline | To Hawaii Deadline |
| Retail Ground™ | Friday, December 2, 2022 | Friday, December 2, 2022 |
| First Class Mail® | Sunday, December 18, 2022 | Saturday, December 17, 2022 |
| Priority Mail® | Sunday, December 18, 2022 | Saturday, December 17, 2022 |
| Priority Mail Express® | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 |
International Holiday Shipping Deadlines
US companies sending internationally must also follow strict holiday shipping deadlines that vary depending on the destination.
| Destination | First-Class International® Service | Priority International® Service | Priority Mail Express International® Service | Global Express Guaranteed® Service |
| Africa | Tuesday, November 29 | Tuesday, November 29 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 20 |
| Asia / Pacific Rim | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Tuesday, December 20 |
| Australia / New Zealand | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Tuesday, December 20 |
| Canada | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Thursday, December 22 |
| Caribbean | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Wednesday, December 21 |
| Central and South America | Tuesday, November 29 | Tuesday, November 29 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 20 |
| Europe | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Wednesday, December 21 |
| Mexico | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Thursday, December 22 |
| Middle East | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 6 | Tuesday, December 13 | Tuesday, December 20 |
Remember: The USPS’s deadlines are not a guarantee for December 25 delivery, but a recommendation. Plan ahead and give your suppliers and fulfillment partners plenty of time to deliver.
FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Using FedEx for all your holiday shipping? Be sure to stick to these important deadlines:
| Service | Deadline |
| FedEx Ground® Economy | Thursday, December 8, 2022 |
| FedEx Ground® (All 50 states) | Wednesday, December 14, 2022 |
| Home Delivery® (All 50 states) | Wednesday, December 14, 2022 |
| Express Saver® | Tuesday, December 20, 2022 |
| FedEx 2Day Freight | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 |
| Fedex Same Day | Friday, December 23, 2022 |
We recommend reaching out to FedEx directly for international shipping deadlines.
UPS Domestic Holiday Shipping Deadlines
If you are using UPS for your holiday shipping, here are the shipping deadlines for sending within the US. We recommend reaching out to UPS directly for international shipping deadlines.
| Service | Deadline |
| UPS® Ground shipping | Check ups.com/ctc for details |
| UPS 3 Day Select® | Tuesday, December 20, 2022 |
| UPS 2nd Day Air® services | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 |
| UPS Next Day Air® services | Thursday, December 22, 2022 |
Help Yourself By Helping Your Customers
The burden of meeting rigorous holiday shipping deadlines doesn’t have to be all on you. Hold your shoppers accountable with regular reminders of approaching order deadlines to meet their arrival needs through:
- Bold website banners
- Email reminders
- Social media posts
- Cart and checkout screen disclaimers
- Product search filters for “Arrival by December 25”
Too much to manage? ChannelAdvisor Managed Services is well versed in meeting your deadlines for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other holiday you plan for year-round. Let our expert team help you plan, market and fulfill to meet customers’ growing expectations.
Contact us today to learn how ChannelAdvisor Managed Services can help you master the holiday rush.
