(NEXSTAR) – The peak holiday shopping – and shipping – season is underway. If you want to make sure your gifts make it under the tree in time, you'll need to plan ahead.
The shipping deadline depends on the service you choose – and how much you're willing to pay to get a package there on time. Your deadline also depends on the holiday you're celebrating. Hanukkah starts on the same day as Christmas this year (Wednesday, Dec. 25) and Kwanzaa starts a day later (Thursday, Dec. 26).
For delivery before Dec. 25 in the 48 contiguous states, the United States Postal Service recommends these send-by dates:
| Domestic Mail Class/Product | Date (excluding Alaska & Hawaii) | Date for Alaska & Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage® Service | Dec. 18 | Dec. 16 |
| First-Class Mail® Service | Dec. 18 | Dec. 18 |
| Priority Mail® Service | Dec. 19 | Dec. 19 |
| Priority Mail Express® Service | Dec. 21 | Dec. 20 |
The international shipping deadlines are even earlier. The USPS breaks it down by country and region here.
If you want to use UPS Ground to ship a package, you can use UPS's online calculator to figure out the deadline shipping date. It will depend on where you're shipping to and from.
For UPS's other services, the deadlines for domestic delivery by Dec. 24 are:
| Shipping Service | Ship Date |
|---|---|
| UPS 3 Day Select | Dec. 19 |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | Dec. 20 |
| UPS Next Day Air | Dec. 23 |
FedEx's delivery deadlines are similar. You can wait as long as Dec. 24 if you're willing to pay for FedEx SameDay delivery, but the more economical services take longer.
| Shipping Service | Ship Date |
|---|---|
| FedEx Overnight | Dec. 23 |
| FedEx 2Day | Dec. 20 |
| FedEx Express Saver | Dec. 19 |
| FedEx Ground | Dec. 17-23 |
| FedEx Home Delivery | Dec. 17-23 |
| FedEx Ground Economy | Dec. 13 |
You can see more details, and international deadlines, from FedEx here.
Amazon doesn't post an official holiday shipping calendar, but you can see shipping estimates on individual products as you add them to your cart. Prime members may be able to get one-day, two-day and same-day shipping, depending on the product.
