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Here are the shipping deadlines to get your holiday gifts on time

Here are the shipping deadlines to get your holiday gifts on time

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The clock is ticking if you want to get your gifts on time without spending a ridiculous amount of money.

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The Amazon Prime logo is displayed on the side of an Amazon delivery truck on June 21st, 2023, in Richmond, California.
Amazon Prime members may be eligible for free same-day delivery.
Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

The same thing happens year after year. Things get busy with work, school, and life in general until you’re suddenly up against the clock as you race your gifts to your local post office, FedEx store, or UPS location. We’ve all been there, but we’d like to be of some help as you plan your next move and begin sending out your holiday packages.

If you plan on sending your gifts via traditional mail, what follows are the upcoming domestic shipping deadlines for various retailers and shipment carriers so you can ensure that your packages arrive before Christmas, Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday it is you celebrate this time of year. Hopefully, it’ll help you avoid some holiday stress, if at all possible.

UPS 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Final day to shipShips via this service
December 19thUPS 3 Day Select
December 20thUPS 2nd Day Air
December 21stUPS Next Day Air

With UPS, you have until Thursday, December 21st, to ship via Next Day Air and have your package arrive by Friday, December 22nd. Packages shipped via Next Day Air after Thursday won’t arrive until after Christmas. Wednesday, December 20th, is the last day to ship via 2nd Day Air if you want your package to arrive by Friday, December 22nd. You can opt for UPS’s 3 Day Select option until Tuesday, December 19th, to have it arrive by the 22nd. Before then, you can select the normal pickup and delivery service to get your packages where they need to be on time.

See more details regarding UPS shipping deadlines here.

FedEx 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Final day to shipShips via this service
December 19thFedEx Express Saver
December 20thFedEx 2Day and 2Day A.M.
December 22ndFedEx SameDay

FedEx’s same-day shipping can get your package where it needs to be by Friday, December 22nd. That’s the last day that FedEx can guarantee that your package will arrive by Christmas. If you ship it by Wednesday, December 20th, you can opt for the two-day shipping method. If you manage to get it to FedEx by Tuesday, December 19th, you can go the Express Saver route and (hopefully) pay a reasonable fee for shipping.

See more details regarding FedEx shipping deadlines here.

USPS 2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Final day to shipShips via this service
December 20thFirst-Class Mail
December 20thUSPS Ground Advantage
December 21stPriority Mail
December 21stPriority Mail Express

Thursday, December 21st, is the final day to send packages (and have them arrive by Christmas Eve) through USPS via its Priority Mail Express service. You can also get packages delivered by December 23rd via Priority Mail. First-Class Mail packages and those you intend to send via USPS Ground Advantage, meanwhile, must be sent by Wednesday, December 20th, to arrive in time.

See more details regarding USPS shipping deadlines here.
An illustration of the Amazon logo on the top of a building.
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon 2023 deadlines

  • If you subscribe to Amazon Prime and live in an eligible ZIP code in the US, you can get Same-Day Delivery on certain items through December 24th. You’ll need to meet the “minimum threshold” of eligible items in your cart, however, which can vary by location (see here for more details). In LA, for example, the threshold is over $25.
  • Prime members can get One-Day Delivery for eligible products through December 23rd with no minimum purchase amount or Two-Day Delivery through December 22nd.
  • If you’re a Prime member in select US cities, you can take advantage of two-hour grocery delivery through December 24th.

Shipping times and prices may vary depending on the product type, size, and whether it’s shipping directly from Amazon or a third-party seller, so make sure to check the expected arrival date at checkout, then choose accordingly.

Best Buy logo laid over white and yellow tags.
Illustration by Kristen Radtke

Best Buy 2023 deadlines

  • If you’re a My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total subscriber, you can get free two-day shipping, and there’s no order minimum.
  • Other customers need to clear the $35 order threshold (before taxes but after coupons), and certain items are available for next-day and standard shipping.
  • December 21st at 11:30AM ET is the cutoff date for free shipping if you want your package to arrive by December 23rd.
  • Free next-day delivery is available on select items through December 23rd.
  • You can get free same-day delivery if you order your package on December 23rd or December 24th. You must place your order by 12PM local time for free same-day delivery by 7PM.
  • You can also order online by 5PM local time on Christmas Eve for an in-store pickup at 7PM.

Best Buy’s shipment arrival dates may vary depending on the kind of item that you’re getting. Major appliances may take longer to be delivered at this point.

A stock photo of the Walmart logo
Illustration by Kristen Radtke

Walmart 2023 deadlines

  • Walmart offers two-day shipping on items sold directly from Walmart, with orders over $35 shipping for free. You must place orders by 2PM local time on December 21st to receive the package in time for Christmas, however. Next-day shipping is also available in some areas.
  • Walmart also offers free next-day and two-day shipping to Walmart Plus subscribers with no order minimum. However, the arrival date of your package may vary depending on whether Walmart or a third-party seller is shipping your item.
  • The retailer offers in-store pickup through December 24th, depending on availability, as well as same-day delivery on December 24th. Same-day pickup is available on orders made by 12PM local time.
  • You can also have the package delivered to you in less than two hours on Christmas Eve if you order by 12PM local time and pay a $10 Express Delivery fee. Note that Walmart Plus members also get one Express Delivery free during the month of December.
The Target logo over a repeating pink and white bullseye illustration
Illustration by Kristen Radtke

Target 2023 deadlines

  • Both same-day delivery and in-store pickup are available to you if you place an order by 6PM local time on Christmas Eve. It helps to choose your desired location as “My store” in the upper-left corner of Target’s website, which will prompt it to automatically indicate if the item you’re purchasing is available for pickup nearby.
  • You can also get packages within an hour on Christmas Eve (if you order before 4PM local time) with a service called Shipt. An annual Shipt subscription provides unlimited deliveries on orders above $35 for $99 a year, though an annual membership is currently going for half off. Alternatively, you can pay for same-day shipping with Shipt on a per-order basis via Target’s website. Shipping fees may vary depending on your location and the contents of the order. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions that might help.
  • Target RedCard credit card holders receive free two-day shipping on many items from the retailer’s website.
  • Many (but not all) orders over $35 are eligible for free two-day shipping, even if you don’t have a Target RedCard. It’s determined by the item’s location and your ZIP code.
  • Target stores will be open on Christmas Eve, though it’s wise to get pickup orders and same-day shipping orders in by December 23rd to be on the safe side.

Similar to Walmart and Amazon, be aware that items at Target shipped or sold by third-party retailers can result in longer lead times. Product listings usually spell out your options for pickup, same-day delivery, and standard shipping — complete with estimated availability times — before you add them to your cart.

Update 2:26PM ET, December 18th, 2023: Updated shipping deadlines and other related information pertaining to the 2023 holiday season.