The deadlines to ship your holiday gifts and letters is right around the corner.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and FedEx have announced their shipping deadlines so packages may be mailed out so they arrive in time for Christmas.
The cost of a first-class Forever postage stamp is now 66 cents. The Postal Service announced it will not have a peak, or demand, surcharge this holiday season.
USPS said its busiest time begins two weeks before Christmas, and customer traffic at post office locations typically starts increasing the week of Dec. 5.
USPS holiday shipping deadlines
- USPS Ground Advantage — Dec. 16
- First-Class Mail (including greeting cards) — Dec. 16
- Priority Mail — Dec. 18
- Priority Mail Express — Dec. 20
FedEx holiday shipping deadlines
- FedEx Ground 5-day shipping — Dec. 15
- FedEx Ground 4-day shipping — Dec. 18
- FedEx Ground 3-day shipping — Dec. 19
- FedEx Ground 2-day shipping — Dec. 20
- FedEx Ground 1-day shipping — Dec. 21
- FedEx Express Same Day — Dec. 22
USPS holiday shipping tips
- Use free Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes at usps.com/freeboxes.
- Use Click-N-Ship at usps.com/ship.
- Schedule a free Package Pickup at usps.com/pickup.
- Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces and/or are more than a half-inch thick using stamps or take them to a window clerk at a USPS post office location.
