Holiday shipping deadlines are looming

It’s that time of year again – the busiest season for shipping companies and holiday deadlines are right around the corner.

If you want your packages to arrive in time for Christmas, the deadlines are fast approaching.

USPS

Let’s start with the United States Postal Service.

For Ground Shipping and First Class Mail the deadline is December 16, and that includes greeting cards. 

For Priority Mail the deadline is December 18, and December 20 for Priority Express.

FedEx

If you’re shipping gifts through Federal Express, the deadlines are December 13  using FedEx Ground Economy, December 15 for Fed Ex Ground and December 19 for Express Saver. 

UPS

The deadlines for UPS are December 19 for 3-day Select, December 20 for 2-day air and December 21 for Next Day service.

Tips for speedy delivery

If you want to skip the lines, the shipping companies will come to your home to pick up your packages, but that convenience will cost you a little more.

And remember it is important to write legibly when addressing those envelopes and boxes. 

The postal service uses highly sophisticated scanners that can decipher most handwriting, but USPS says writing neatly helps prevent your card from becoming undeliverable mail.

They also recommend you avoid using red pen or ink that smears.

To speed your mail along, you should ideally include the zip-plus four code on your packages and letters to ensure smooth processing and delivery. That’s the five-digit zip with an additional four-number code.

You can find it using the Zip Code Lookup tool on the USPS website.  You can find it here.