The U.S. Postal Service announced the 2026 USPS holiday shipping deadlines for domestic and international destinations. With this in mind, you must prepare for the busy shopping and shipping season. USPS wants to ensure businesses send all holiday packages and orders in time for customers to receive and enjoy them. To ensure timely delivery of your cards, letters, or packages, please note the shipping deadline dates for the following types of mail.
To ensure timely delivery of cards, letters, and packages within the United States by Christmas, December 25th, the Postal Service recommends that customers ship their items by the following dates:
Domestic Deadlines — Domestic
- December 17, 2026 – USPS Ground Advantage
Ground service for less-than-urgent deliveries and oversized packages. - December 17, 2026 – First-Class Mail
Service for standard-sized, single-piece envelopes and small packages weighing up to 13 ounces, delivered in 3 business days or less. - December 18, 2026 – Priority Mail
Domestic service in 1, 2, or 3 business days based on where the package is mailed and where it’s being sent. - December 19, 2026 – Priority Mail Express
Fastest domestic service, guaranteed overnight scheduled delivery to most locations. Some restrictions and exceptions apply. Please note Priority Mail Express postage refund eligibility is adjusted for shipments mailed between Dec. 22 and Dec. 25.
Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days
In 2023, starting the week of December 11, customer traffic was expected to increase, delivering nearly 200 million packages per week. Last year, Dec. 17-23 was the busiest week for mailing, shipping, and delivery. During this week, USPS saw nearly 3.5 billion pieces of First-Class Mail. USPS will deliver packages through December 23. The USPS holiday shipping deadlines will approach faster than normal, so get your shipments out early.
What does Refund Retriever do?
Since 2006, Refund Retriever has audited FedEx and UPS invoices for large and small shippers to identify and submit refunds for late deliveries. Holiday money-back guarantees and shipping deadlines are confusing, nevertheless. Reach out if you need help. Contact Refund Retriever to see a direct recovery on your late shipments. Even when carriers don’t allow refunds, our client interface still provides a full suite of reports and analytics to help make your shipping process more efficient.
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