Holiday shipping deadlines: When you need to send packages with USPS, UPS, and FedEx

Holiday shipping deadlines to keep in mind

As the holiday shopping season kicks off across the country, shoppers may be wondering how they will get those gifts to their long distance recipients in time. FOX 5's David Kaplan tells us what shipping deadlines you need to keep in mind, if you want your gifts to arrive for the holidays.

The end of Thanksgiving means the holiday shopping season is in full swing, but that also means holiday shipping season is as well.

FOX 5 spoke with shoppers in Bethesda Saturday night. Many say they won’t be sending gifts.

"I don’t think I’ll be sending anything, no," Maya Gonzalez said.

But many will.

"I plan on it sending it in the next couple weeks. Hopefully it gets there by Christmas," Isak Waktola said.

Waktola’s brother lives in California and won’t make it home for Christmas, so Waktola and his mother are making their last-minute gift purchases, and plan to send the gifts by the first week of December.

"Maybe like by the 5th or something, you know. That should be reasonable," Waktola said.

He’s right.

The U.S. Postal Service, UPS and FedEx are all out with their dates of the last day to send through them for a gift to arrive by Christmas Day.

USPS:

Ground or 1st Class: December 17
Priority: December 19
Priority Express: December 23

UPS:

Ground: Check UPS Website
Three Day Select: December 20
Two Day Select: December 21
Next Day: December 22

FedEx:

Ground: December 14
Express Saver: December 20
Two Day: December 21
Same Day: December 23

How inflation is expected to impact holiday shopping deals

Retail stores nationwide are offering up some early holiday deals, but are the bigger, better deals still to come? Consumer expert Martine Paris joins Good Day DC to break it down for us.

Christmas falls in a Sunday this year, which is typically a slower delivery day.

A reminder that Hanukkah starts Sunday, December 18 in case you are sending gifts for that holiday.