Wrap up those Christmas packages. The first big shipping deadline to make sure they arrive on time is no longer right around the corner – it’s here.
For FedEx, Thursday is the last day for Ground Economy. For the Postal Service, military mail and international packages need to be on the way if using First Class Service.
The next deadline to jot down is Wednesday, December 15th, for most other options through FedEx requires gifts be dropped off using most of their other ground and freight options. It’s also the last day to send something through the Postal Service using Retail Ground.
The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office (APO/FPO/DPO) and domestic addresses*:
- Dec. 9 — APO/FPO/DPO (all ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
- Dec. 15 — USPS Retail Ground service
- Dec. 16 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express Military service
- Dec. 17 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
- Dec. 17 — First-Class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
- Dec. 18 — Priority Mail service
- Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express* service
For the 2021 peak season — the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day — the Postal Service will deliver more mail and packages to homes than any other shipper. It’s anticipated that between 850 million and 950 million packages will be delivered for the holidays. The total number of letters, cards and packages processed and delivered is estimated to be more than 12 billion.
