I’ll admit it: When it comes to buying Christmas presents, I’m the queen of procrastination. You can usually find me at Target or TJMaxx around 7pm the night before my family’s annual Christmas party doing some last minute shopping – oops. Luckily, I never have to send gifts via the US Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx because I live so close to my family, but if you do (and you’re also notorious for racing against the clock), you should plan these dates in Keep in mind that packages and Christmas cards arrive on time.

Christmas is less than two weeks away, so it’s time to start preparing as soon as possible. Don’t worry: you still have some time to send these gifts and have them arrive by December 24th. To prevent you from missing any of these deadlines – the first is tomorrow, December 13th – I made a cheat sheet.

Here are the holiday shipping deadlines for USPS, UPS and FedEx. (I recommend you make a note and stick it on your fridge as a reminder.) Also remember that although these are the last days for packages and cards to be sent, bad weather may affect whether Getting Your Gifts Arrive on Time I recommend sending your Christmas gifts well before the deadline.

Should I ship via USPS, UPS or FedEx?

Which carrier you choose depends on what is available where you live and how quickly you want a package delivered. For example, FedEx is the only option that offers same-day delivery, while some rural areas may only have access to one post office and the nearest FedEx or UPS is more than an hour away.

If you’re pressed for time and have a branch nearby, stick with UPS or FedEx, as they’re open later than USPS – branches typically close around 4 p.m. The other two options have longer hours, with some locations staying open until 7:00 p.m. or later.

As far as pricing goes, it all depends on the urgency and what you’re shipping. Let’s say you need to ship a medium-sized package from Kentucky to Wisconsin and have it delivered within three days. With USPS you’ll pay about $19 if you use one of their boxes, with UPS you’ll pay about $19 with your own packaging, and with FedEx you’ll pay about $25 with your own packaging.

USPS 2024 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

• Ground advantage: December 18 (December 16 for Alaska and Hawaii). With this option, your package could arrive within two to five business days.

• First Class Mail: December 18 (same deadline for Alaska and Hawaii). Available for envelopes and postcards only. Thanks to first-class mail, your card can be delivered within one to five business days.

• Priority Mail: December 19th (same deadline for Alaska and Hawaii). With this shipping flat rate you can ensure that your packages and cards arrive within one to three working days.

• Priority Mail Express: December 21 (December 20 for Alaska and Hawaii). You should use this option if you want your gifts to arrive within two business days or less, and flat rates are available.

UPS shipping deadlines for the 2024 holidays

• Floor: Go to Calculate Time and Cost to get a cost estimate. However, allow one to five business days depending on how far your package needs to go. For example, the UPS estimator says a small package leaving Kentucky for Wisconsin on December 20th will take only two business days and arrive at the end of the day on December 24th. However, if you are shipping to California, shipping must be made by December 18th to arrive on time.

• 3-day selection: December 19th. You can expect your package to arrive within three business days.

• 2nd day air: December 20th. Your package should arrive within two days.

• Broadcast next day: December 23rd. According to UPS, your shipment is guaranteed to be delivered the day after it is shipped, and you can choose between morning, midday, or evening delivery. With this option, shipping of the materials is free.

FedEx 2024 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

• Express saver: Dec 19 If you have a few days to spare, you can have your packages delivered to your doorstep within three business days with Express Saver.

• 2Day and 2Day AM: December 20th. If you select one of these options, your gifts should be delivered within two business days. If you would like them to arrive in the morning, select the 2Day AM option.

• First, priority or standard overnight stay: December 23rd. Depending on the option you choose, your items will be delivered the next business day early morning (First), late morning (Priority) or afternoon (Standard).

• Same day: December 24th. You can schedule same-day pickup and delivery of packages to their destination. Plan this appointment in advance as it needs to be planned in advance.

If you already know you’re going to be shopping in the final hours but want to skip the mediocre gifts, check out some of the best subscription boxes we’ve found instead. Or keep it simple with one of these gift cards or our favorite last-minute gifts.