2026 USPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines
USPS's recommended send-by dates for delivery before December 25, for every domestic service, Alaska and Hawaii, 9 international regions and APO/FPO/DPO military mail, with what to do as each date passes.
Ground Advantage to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories should go a day earlier, by Wednesday, December 16. International First-Class Package and Priority Mail International go by Wednesday, December 9, and Ground Advantage to APO/FPO/DPO military addresses goes by Wednesday, November 4.
Source: USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines on usps.com, checked September 24, 2026.
On This Page
Contiguous US (Lower 48) Holiday Shipping Deadlines#
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
| Service | Send by |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | |
| First-Class Mail (cards and letters) | |
| Priority Mail | |
| Priority Mail Express |
What the USPS Holiday Dates Actually Promise#
- They are recommendations, not guarantees. USPS publishes them as send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25, and says actual delivery depends on origin, destination, the time the Post Office accepts the package, and other conditions.
- The date is the day USPS accepts the package, not the day you print the label. A label bought on December 17 for a package that gets its first scan on December 18 has missed the Ground Advantage date.
- Hanukkah runs December 4 to December 12 in 2026, earlier than usual, and USPS specifically asks shippers to adjust for it. Gifts meant for the first night need to be moving in late November.
- Kwanzaa runs December 26 to January 1, so the Christmas dates on this page also cover gifts meant for its first day.
Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US Territories#
Same services, same goal of delivery before December 25. Only Ground Advantage moves earlier.
| Service | Send by |
|---|---|
| USPS Ground Advantage | |
| First-Class Mail (cards and letters) | |
| Priority Mail | |
| Priority Mail Express |
USPS notes for these destinations#
- Ground Advantage packages shipped to or from Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and US territories can take longer and carry later estimated delivery dates. USPS asks shippers to check the estimated delivery date for those ZIP Codes and ship earlier if it lands too late.
- Shipping from American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or the US Virgin Islands into the customs territory of the United States: US Customs and Border Protection requires the mailer to prepay duties, taxes and fees, and hold proof of payment, on articles valued up to $2,500. The Domestic Mail Manual has the details.
- Priority Mail Express to these destinations: as of August 1, 2023, USPS no longer processes refund requests for the service guarantee on these items. Refund requests for loss are still processed.
International Holiday Shipping Deadlines by Region#
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25. In 2026 every region shares the same three dates.
| Destination | First-Class Package International | Priority Mail International | Priority Mail Express International |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | |||
| Asia/Pacific Rim | |||
| Australia/New Zealand | |||
| Canada | |||
| Caribbean | |||
| Central and South America | |||
| Europe | |||
| Mexico | |||
| Middle East |
Every international package of goods needs a customs declaration that lists a specific description, quantity, value and country of origin for each item. Customs uses the description to classify the item, so "gift" or "clothes" invites a hold. Fill the form in when you buy the label, days ahead of December 9, not at the counter on the deadline. The customs forms and duties guide covers which form each service uses.
Military Mail (APO/FPO/DPO) Holiday Deadlines#
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25, by the first three digits of the APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Code. Ground Advantage to military addresses closes in early November, weeks before anything else on this page.
| ZIP Codes | USPS Ground Advantage | First-Class Mail | Priority Mail | Priority Mail Express Military |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APO/FPO/DPO 090–092 | ||||
| APO/FPO/DPO 093 | Not offered | |||
| APO/FPO/DPO 094–099 | ||||
| APO/FPO/DPO 340 | ||||
| APO/FPO/DPO 962–966 |
- Priority Mail Express Military Service is offered only at selected military and diplomatic Post Offices. Check with your local Post Office whether it is available to the APO/FPO/DPO address you are shipping to.
Which USPS Service to Use as Each Date Passes#
Price and speed trade places as December runs out. Use the cheapest service whose date has not passed yet, and switch the day it does.
-
Through Thursday, Dec 17
USPS Ground Advantage
The economical choice for most packages up to 70 lb, and the one USPS recommends through December 17 in the lower 48 (December 16 to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and territories). Not guaranteed.
-
Friday, Dec 18
Priority Mail
One more day of runway. Priority Mail has no Saturday delivery surcharge, but its delivery dates are expected, not guaranteed.
-
Saturday, Dec 19
Priority Mail Express
The last recommended date, and the only USPS domestic service with a money-back delivery guarantee. The guaranteed date shows when you buy the label, so read it before you promise anything.
-
After Dec 19
Tell the buyer first
Nothing on the USPS table covers a package accepted after December 19. If Priority Mail Express still shows a guaranteed date before the 25th, that is your answer; if not, tell the buyer before you ship rather than after.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays in the Delivery Count#
USPS delivers Monday through Saturday, so Saturday is an ordinary day for Ground Advantage and Priority Mail. What does not count is a Sunday or holiday straight after a Saturday or pre-holiday drop-off: USPS's own example is a package with a 3-day standard that is expected Monday when mailed on a Friday, but Wednesday when mailed on a Saturday.
Christmas Day is a federal holiday, and USPS leaves a holiday out of the expected delivery time for a package mailed the day before it.
Priority Mail Express is the exception. USPS delivers it 7 days a week, 365 days a year with limited exceptions, and offers Sunday and holiday delivery in many major markets for an additional fee.
Holiday Shipping Tips for Online Sellers#
- Get the acceptance scan the same day
The delivery count starts at the first USPS scan. Drop packages before the last collection time posted at your Post Office or blue box, or schedule a USPS Carrier Pickup, which is free, so the package is scanned the day you ship it and not the next business day.
- Stretch handling time before the rush, not during it
Marketplaces generally let you set a handling time, and some add a holiday or vacation setting. Change it before your order volume peaks, so the estimated delivery date buyers see at checkout already includes your packing days.
- Put your own cutoff on the listing
Work back from the USPS date for the service you actually use, subtract your handling time, and post that as your last order date for Christmas delivery. A buyer who orders on December 17 from a seller with a two-day handling time is already past the Ground Advantage date.
- Start international customs forms early
The international and military dates land on December 9, eight days before the domestic Ground Advantage date. Complete customs declarations when you buy the label so nothing waits on paperwork at the counter.
- Hanukkah and military first
Military Ground Advantage closes November 4 and Hanukkah starts December 4. Put those orders at the front of the queue in November.
- Watch tracking after you ship
Scans can sit longer than usual in December. The tracking status guides explain how long each scan normally lasts before it is worth chasing.
Ship the Holiday Rush With I'd Ship That#
I'd Ship That prints discounted USPS and UPS labels from your phone or the web, below commercial rates. You see the full price before you buy, and you can compare Ground Advantage against Priority Mail on the same order, which is exactly the call you make around December 17.
Once the label is printed, schedule a free USPS Carrier Pickup from the app's Pickup screen so the package gets its acceptance scan without a trip to the counter. The account is free; you pay per label.
Sources#
- USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping DeadlinesEvery date on this page, and the notes for Alaska, Hawaii, territories and military mail.
- USPS: Service Standards and transit time mapHow Sundays and holidays are counted.
- USPS: Priority Mail ExpressMoney-back guarantee, 7-day delivery, Sunday and holiday delivery fee.
USPS Holiday Shipping 2026: Questions Sellers Ask#
For the lower 48 states, USPS recommends Thursday, December 17 for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail, Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail, and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express. Those are send-by recommendations for expected delivery before December 25, not guarantees.
No. Priority Mail and Ground Advantage delivery dates are expected, not guaranteed. Priority Mail Express is the only USPS domestic service with a money-back delivery guarantee, and its guaranteed date is shown when you buy the label.
USPS recommends Wednesday, December 16 for Ground Advantage, Thursday, December 17 for First-Class Mail, Friday, December 18 for Priority Mail and Saturday, December 19 for Priority Mail Express. The same dates apply to Puerto Rico and US territories, where Ground Advantage estimates can run longer.
For every region USPS lists, from Canada and Mexico to Europe and Asia/Pacific, the recommended send-by date is Wednesday, December 9 for First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International, and Wednesday, December 16 for Priority Mail Express International.
Ground Advantage to every listed military ZIP Code range should go by Wednesday, November 4. First-Class Mail and Priority Mail go by Wednesday, December 9, and Priority Mail Express Military Service by Wednesday, December 16 where it is offered. It is not available to ZIP Codes beginning 093.
USPS delivers Monday through Saturday, so Saturday is a regular delivery day for Ground Advantage and Priority Mail. USPS leaves out a Sunday or holiday that comes right after a Saturday or pre-holiday drop-off: a package with a 3-day standard mailed on a Saturday is expected on Wednesday, not Tuesday. Priority Mail Express delivers 7 days a week with limited exceptions, and Sunday and holiday delivery carries an additional fee in the markets where it is offered.
Beat the Dec 17 Ground Advantage Date#
Print discounted USPS and UPS labels below commercial rates, and see the full price before you buy.
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