With Christmas just over a week away, you’re probably waiting for a few holiday packages to arrive — or maybe you still haven’t done your holiday shopping.
Be warned: This holiday season, some packages might be arriving later than you hoped.
If you find yourself worried about potential shipping delays, you aren’t alone — 54% of Americans are worried about shipping delays during the holidays, according to a study by BadCredit.org.
There are already reports of shipping delays in northern Ohio, Indianapolis, Atlanta and other cities.
Lauren Beitelspacher, professor of marketing at Babson College, told CNBC that “third-party shippers are particularly strained” during popular shopping events, like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and throughout the holidays.
Due to “an ongoing labor shortage,” there aren’t enough people “to sort, transport and deliver packages on time,” CNBC reported.
And, according to AccuWeather, this month’s weather isn’t helping.
“AccuWeather meteorologists say several storms will spread rain and snow across parts of the country before Christmas, which could complicate shopping and shipping for people purchasing last-minute gifts,” the article said.
2024 holiday shipping deadlines
If you still haven’t put in your holiday orders yet, here are the important shipping deadlines to keep in mind for the 2024 holiday season.
UPS holiday shipping deadlines
According to UPS, these are the shipping deadlines — your last dates to ship — to get your package by Dec. 24:
- Three day select: Dec. 19
- Second day air: Dec. 20
- Next day air: Dec. 23
FedEx holiday shipping deadlines
According to FedEx, these are the shipping deadlines to get your package by Christmas Eve:
- Ground: Dec. 16
- First-class mail: Dec. 18
- Priority mail: Dec. 19
- Priority mail express: Dec. 20
USPS holiday shipping deadlines
Here are the U.S. Postal Service’s shipping deadlines for 2024 to get your package before Christmas Day:
- Ground advantage service: Dec. 18
- First-class mail service: Dec. 18
- Priority mail service: Dec. 19
- Priority mail express service: Dec. 21
Amazon holiday shipping deadlines
While Amazon doesn’t have specific holiday shipping deadlines, CNET created an estimate:
- Free shipping: Buy by Dec. 14, delivered on Dec. 24
- Two-day shipping: Buy by Dec. 22, delivered on Dec. 24
- One-day shipping: Buy by Dec. 23, delivered on Dec. 24
- Same-day delivery: Buy by Dec. 24, delivered on Dec. 24
CNET noted that “Amazon has a habit of waiting until much closer to Christmas before it lists its holiday shipping deadlines.”