Reference
Christmas 2026 shipping cutoffs
For the contiguous United States, USPS recommends Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Dec. 17, Priority Mail by Dec. 18, and Priority Mail Express by Dec. 19, for expected delivery before Dec. 25. UPS publishes air dates and no single Ground date. Amazon has not published one shopper order-by date. None of these is a guarantee.
This page is the table. It lists a date only when USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon, or DHL has published it, and it says so when they have not. The longer explanation, including what a send-by date does not promise, is Christmas 2026 shipping deadlines. If you still need the gift, use the gift finder.
USPS
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25. USPS says the actual day depends on origin, destination, when the Post Office accepts the parcel, and other conditions. The holiday page and the Sept. 22, 2026 announcement agree on the lower-48 dates. Both were opened November 1, 2026.
Contiguous United States
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25, contiguous U.S. Excludes Alaska and Hawaii. |
| First-Class Mail | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Letters and flats in the USPS holiday table, contiguous U.S. Not a separate parcel class. |
| Priority Mail | Friday, Dec. 18 | Recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25, contiguous U.S. |
| Priority Mail Express | Saturday, Dec. 19 | Recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25, contiguous U.S. Retail cutoff times still apply. |
Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage to or from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories | Not a single date | USPS says these packages have a service expectation of 10 days or more. Days vary by distance. Look up the ZIP pair. |
| First-Class Mail to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Same recommended date as the lower 48 in the USPS holiday table. |
| Priority Mail to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories | Friday, Dec. 18 | Same recommended date as the lower 48 in the USPS holiday table. |
| Priority Mail Express to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories | Saturday, Dec. 19 | Same recommended date as the lower 48 in the USPS holiday table. |
ZIP-to-ZIP expectations: USPS service commitments.
International
USPS lists the same three dates for every region in this table.
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| First-Class Package International to Africa | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Africa | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Africa | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Asia/Pacific Rim | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Asia/Pacific Rim | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Asia/Pacific Rim | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Australia/New Zealand | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Australia/New Zealand | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Australia/New Zealand | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Caribbean | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Caribbean | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Caribbean | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Central & South America | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Central & South America | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Central & South America | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Europe | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Europe | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Europe | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Mexico | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Mexico | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Mexico | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Package International to Middle East | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail International to Middle East | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| Priority Mail Express International to Middle East | Wednesday, Dec. 16 | USPS recommended send-by for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
Military mail (APO, FPO, DPO)
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Advantage to APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092, 093, 094-099, 340, and 962-966 | Wednesday, Nov. 4 | USPS labels every military row this way, including 962-966. Recommended for expected delivery before Dec. 25. |
| First-Class Mail to those military ZIP ranges | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Same date on every military row in the USPS table. |
| Priority Mail to those military ZIP ranges | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Same date on every military row in the USPS table. |
| Priority Mail Express Military (PMEMS) | Wednesday, Dec. 16, or N/A | Dec. 16 for AE ZIPs 090-092, 094-099, 340, and 962-966. USPS marks PMEMS N/A for AE ZIPs 093. |
UPS
These are for delivery on Dec. 24, not “before Dec. 25,” and UPS says some destinations need an earlier ship date. Checked November 1, 2026 on the year-end PDF and the holiday schedule page.
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| UPS Ground | Not published as one date | The year-end schedule says to check ups.com/ctc. It does not print one nationwide last day. The UPS holiday page adds that from Nov. 16, 2026 to Jan. 8, 2027 a limited number of Ground packages will need extra time in transit. |
| UPS 3 Day Select | Monday, Dec. 21 | Last day to ship for delivery on Thursday, Dec. 24. Some lanes may need an earlier date. UPS says a limited number of 3 Day Select packages tendered Dec. 14 or 15 may take an extra day. |
| UPS 2nd Day Air | Tuesday, Dec. 22 | Last day to ship for delivery on Thursday, Dec. 24. Packages tendered Dec. 14, 15, 16, or 21 may take an extra day. |
| UPS Next Day Air | Wednesday, Dec. 23 | Last day to ship for delivery on Dec. 24, with On-Call Pickup, Smart Pickup, another scheduled pickup, or a drop-off at The UPS Store or a UPS Authorized Service Location. |
| UPS pickup on Christmas Eve | Not a Christmas delivery | Dec. 24 pickup is Air and International Air only, and only if prearranged by Friday, Dec. 18. No Ground pickup. Next Day Air picked up Dec. 24 is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 28, except Saturday-labeled pieces. |
Lane lookup: UPS Calculate Time and Cost.
FedEx
The FedEx PDF is headed as last shipping dates so a package is scheduled to arrive by Dec. 24, 2026. Domestic Ground and Home Delivery are drawn as transit-time bars. This page quotes the sentences and the one-service dates. It does not convert a bar into a day the PDF did not write out. Checked November 1, 2026. FedEx says the dates can change.
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery, U.S. domestic | Not one national date | The PDF charts these by transit time (1 to 5 business days in the contiguous U.S., 3 to 7 to and from Alaska and Hawaii). The bars are not a sentence this page will turn into a calendar day. Arrival target on the chart is Dec. 24, and FedEx says the dates can change. |
| FedEx International Next Flight, U.S. to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 23 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF, for scheduled arrival by Dec. 24. |
| FedEx International First, U.S. to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 23 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF. |
| FedEx International Priority, U.S. to Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 23 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF. |
| FedEx International Connect Plus, U.S. to Canada | Monday, Dec. 21 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF. |
| FedEx International Priority Distribution, U.S. to Canada | Tuesday, Dec. 22 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF (re-read Nov. 1, 2026: the date sits on the same row as the service name). |
| FedEx International Economy, U.S. to Canada | Monday, Dec. 21 | Last day to ship on the FedEx PDF, same row as the service name. |
| FedEx International Next Flight, First, and Priority, U.S. to Mexico | Tuesday, Dec. 22 | Each of those three is listed as last day to ship Tuesday, Dec. 22. |
| FedEx International Economy and International Connect Plus, U.S. to Mexico | Monday, Dec. 21 | Each is listed as last day to ship Monday, Dec. 21. |
| FedEx International Next Flight, First, and Priority, U.S. to Puerto Rico | Wednesday, Dec. 23 | Each is listed as last day to ship Wednesday, Dec. 23. |
| FedEx International Economy, U.S. to Puerto Rico | Tuesday, Dec. 22 | Listed as last day to ship Tuesday, Dec. 22. |
| FedEx on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | Not a ship-by date | FedEx lists Dec. 24 as modified service, including modified Ground pickups, and Dec. 25 as closed. |
Lane lookup: FedEx rates and transit times.
Amazon
Shoppers do not get one nationwide order-by date on the pages below. The Dec. 17 line is for businesses that ship with Amazon Shipping. Checked November 1, 2026.
| Service | Published date | What the source says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon shopper order-by date for Christmas 2026 | Not published | Checked Nov. 1, 2026: the delivery-date help page explains a per-order estimate and an “order within” countdown. It does not name a Christmas cutoff. amazon.com/holidayshipping did not show a 2026 order-by table. |
| Amazon Shipping seller pickup for Christmas Day | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Amazon Shipping tells shippers to schedule pickups for Christmas Day delivery on or before Dec. 17. That is a seller calendar, not a date in a shopper’s cart. |
| Prime Same-Day Delivery on Christmas Day | Not available that day | Amazon’s Same-Day help page says Same-Day Delivery is not available on Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, or New Year’s Day. It does not publish a 2026 order-by clock time for Christmas Eve. |
Not published, as of November 1, 2026
| What | Status |
|---|---|
| Hanukkah send-by table | USPS says Hanukkah 2026 is Dec. 4 through Dec. 12 and to adjust. It does not publish a separate Hanukkah send-by table. The Christmas dates above are too late for the first nights. |
| Kwanzaa send-by table | The USPS holiday page names Kwanzaa as Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The dated tables on that page are for delivery before Dec. 25. USPS has not published a separate Kwanzaa send-by table. |
| DHL, U.S. domestic | DHL’s global postal-holidays page, checked Nov. 1, 2026, does not name a U.S. domestic last ship day for Christmas 2026. It says most postal services recommend mailing at least a week ahead. That is not a DHL cutoff, so this page does not turn it into one. |
| One date that fits every ZIP code | None of the carriers above publish a single date that covers every origin, destination, and service. A lane that is slower than the table still has to leave earlier. |
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Questions people ask
What is the last USPS day to mail a Christmas gift in the lower 48 in 2026?
USPS recommends Dec. 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Dec. 18 for Priority Mail, and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express, for expected delivery before Dec. 25. That is not a guarantee.
Has Amazon published one order-by date for Christmas 2026?
Not for shoppers, as of Nov. 1, 2026. Use the delivery estimate on the listing. Amazon Shipping tells sellers to schedule Christmas pickups on or before Dec. 17. That seller date is not your cart.
Does UPS publish one Ground ship-by date for Christmas 2026?
No. The year-end schedule says to check ups.com/ctc for Ground. It does publish Dec. 21 for 3 Day Select, Dec. 22 for 2nd Day Air, and Dec. 23 for Next Day Air, for Dec. 24 delivery.
Did USPS publish a separate Hanukkah mailing table?
No. The holiday page says Hanukkah is Dec. 4 through Dec. 12 and to adjust. The Christmas dates on this page are too late for the first nights.
Are these dates a promise the package arrives?
No. USPS calls its dates recommended, for expected delivery. UPS and FedEx say schedules can change, and some lanes need an earlier day. Ship earlier if the gift cannot be late.
Sources
Opened November 1, 2026. Carriers can change a holiday schedule. If you are mailing in December, open the source again before you pay.
- USPS: 2026 holiday shipping dates
- USPS newsroom, Sept. 22, 2026: recommended holiday mailing and shipping dates
- UPS: 2026 year-end holiday schedule (U.S.)
- UPS: holiday shipping schedule
- FedEx: 2026 shipping deadlines for holiday packages (PDF marked 8/26)
- FedEx: holiday schedule and last days to ship
- Amazon Help: how shipping and delivery dates are calculated
- Amazon Help: Prime Same-Day Delivery
- Amazon Shipping: Prepare for Peak 2026 (seller pickups)
- Amazon: holiday shipping page
- DHL: 2026 postal holidays and shipping deadlines
Related: last-minute gifts, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Holiday 2026 hub, Hanukkah 2026 dates.
Big boxes need the earliest order dates on this page: an indoor putting green in gifts for golfers, a turntable or record crate in gifts for music lovers, a puzzle board in gifts for puzzle lovers, full-size binoculars in gifts for birdwatchers, blocking mats in gifts for knitters, and an oil-free turkey cooker in deep-frying a turkey. Glass oil cups for Hanukkah should move before December 4 (Hanukkah gifts for adults). A pickleball sling is in gifts for pickleball players. A bike pump is the long box in gifts for cyclists. A chess set with a clock is in gifts for chess players. A line cutter for an angler is small; the license is not a shipment (gifts for anglers). Grandparent stocking stuffers are a book and a magnifier (stocking stuffers for grandparents). A camera bag is the long box in gifts for photographers. A 15-can tennis case is the heavy box in gifts for tennis players. A push-stick kit is the flat box in gifts for woodworkers. A guitar humidity kit is small (gifts for guitar players). A baseball bat is not on gifts for baseball players until the stamp matches the league. A frozen turkey is an oven plan, not a shipment (cook a turkey from frozen). A size 5 soccer ball is the round box in gifts for soccer players. A 29.5 inch basketball is the round box in gifts for basketball players. A volleyball is the round box in gifts for volleyball players. Hockey tape is the small box in gifts for hockey players. A bowling towel is small (gifts for bowlers). An oven thermometer for a grilled turkey should be in the house before November 26 (how to grill a turkey). Toy age grades for November 27 are on Black Friday toys. A quilting ruler is the long box in gifts for sewers and quilters. Hanukkah candles have to be in the house before sundown December 4 (Hanukkah party checklist). A gravy separator is a small box you need before November 26 (pan gravy from drippings). A yoga mat is a roll (yoga and Pilates gifts). Ski goggles are a small box (ski and snowboard gifts). Blank kraft wrap for a household that keeps both holidays should move before December 4 if it is for the first night (Hanukkah and Christmas gifts). Category order for November 30 is on Cyber Monday 2026 by category. For a gift going to a care home, address it with the resident's full name and room number (assisted living gifts). A 12-pack of lacrosse balls is the dense box in gifts for lacrosse players. An official-size leather football is the long box in gifts for football players. A mesh swim bag is a soft package in gifts for swimmers. Runners' gifts are in gifts for runners. A disc golf starter set and a mini are small boxes in gifts for disc golfers. A chalk ball and a chalk pot are in gifts for rock climbers. Hand wraps are a soft parcel in gifts for boxers.