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How to make sure your holiday package arrives in time
Tom Ma, owner of Post Pack & Ship in Pasadena, California, braces for the holiday shipping madness.
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Robert Garrova
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How to make sure your holiday package arrives in time
It’s just seven days until Christmas and there's still time to get those cards and presents in the mail.
Tom Ma, at Pasadena's Post Pack & Ship, said shipping hasn't hit fever pitch.
“But I can sense it’s starting to come because people are starting to realize, ‘hey it’s Christmas,’” Ma said.
Here are a couple scenarios to guide your holiday shipping plans:
Mailing a holiday card
The U.S. Postal Service will deliver your card before Christmas if you select First-Class Mail by Dec. 19. If you want to pay more for Priority Mail, you can drop it in the mail as late as Dec. 20. FedEx and UPS can also overnight a holiday card if you're out of other options.
Shipping a package
Your cheapest bet is using USPS Priority Mail, which will deliver your package, in most cases, within three business days. If you're willing to pay more, the general cutoff date for shipping with USPS, UPS and FedEx is Dec. 22. Below you'll find a list of deadlines and places to go to calculate shipping costs.
U.S. Postal Service:
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According to the USPS website, these are the “Send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25” within the contiguous U.S.:
Dec. 19 — First-Class Mail
Dec. 20 — Priority Mail
Dec. 22 — Priority Mail Express
- Check out the USPS website for more info about deadlines and click here to calculate shipping costs.
UPS:
- According to the UPS website, Friday, Dec. 22 is the last day to mail “UPS Next Day Air packages to be delivered before Christmas Day.”
- Check out the UPS website for more info about deadlines and click here to calculate shipping costs.
FedEx:
- According to the FedEx website, Friday, Dec. 22 is the last day to mail a package using FedEx Overnight Service within the U.S. You can also use FedEx’s same day delivery service if the package is 150 pounds or less and you're willing to pay a premium.
- Check out the FedEx website for more info about deadlines and click here to calculate shipping costs.
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