When is the absolute latest to send gifts this holiday season? What you need to know about shipping deadlines

Time is already running out to make sure presents are delivered via mail by Christmas Day.

The United States Postal Service has warned shoppers that the holiday season would be its busiest time. According to the USPS’ real-time Holiday Mail Counter, nearly 4.9 billion pieces of mail have already been accepted this holiday season.

Other mailing services are also preparing for a mass number of nationwide shipments throughout this month, including FedEx and UPS.

Since U.S. mailing services won’t be operating on Christmas Day, shoppers are urged to prepare accordingly. Each mailing service has a recommended deadline for sending packages to guarantee that presents will arrive on time.

Here’s the absolute last day to ship holiday presents this year using USPS, FedEx, or UPS.

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Recommended holiday shipping dates vary based on the destination and type of service, according to the USPS website. Packages should be sent by December 17 if using Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail services in all U.S. states, except Alaska and Hawaii. Packages will arrive in two to five business days with either of these options.

Using the Priority Mail Service, gifts shipped December 18 should arrive in two to three business days. Packages can be mailed two days later via Priority Mail Express with arrival in one to two business days.

In Hawaii, Alaska, and other U.S. territories, packages sent via Ground Advantage service and First-Class Mail service should be shipped by December 16. Packages sent via Priority Mail Service should be shipped by December 18, while those shipped by Priority Mail Express should be sent by December 20.

When sending gifts out internationally via USPS, the shipping date varies based on location. For example, packages sent to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, and the Caribbean have recommended shipping dates of December 9 or December 16 for arrival by Christmas Day.

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For FedEx, shipping dates vary based on the service, as noted on its website. In the U.S., FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery can take anywhere from three to five business days for arrival, so gifts should be mailed by December 19. Opting for a one to two day delivery service via FedEx means the latest gifts should be shipped is December 23.

Depending on the country, packages sent from the U.S. to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Europe using FedEx’s International Economy service should be sent by December 18 or 19.

Shipping dates for UPS’ Ground Shipping Service vary based on location, according to the company’s website. However, gifts should be shipped by December 19 using UPS’s Three Day Select, with packages expected to arrive in three business days.

With UPS’s Second Day Air service, packages should be shipped out by December 22 to arrive before Christmas. Choosing to splurge for UPS Next Day Air means packages can be sent December 23 and still arrive in time.

Deadlines to send gifts internationally are different for every country. If sending gifts to Canada or Mexico from the U.S., using UPS Worldwide Expedited, packages should be shipped by December 19 or December 22. Specific shipping dates for other countries — across Australia, Europe, and more — can be determined on UPS’ website.