USPS holiday shipping deadlines 2026: last days to ship for Christmas

For expected delivery before Dec 25 in the lower 48 states, USPS says to send Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Thursday, Dec 17, Priority Mail by Friday, Dec 18 and Priority Mail Express by Saturday, Dec 19 (USPS, Sep 22, 2026). The earliest 2026 date is Wednesday, Nov 4, for Ground Advantage to APO/FPO/DPO. Media Mail has no USPS date.

These are USPS recommended dates, not guaranteed delivery dates. USPS's holiday prices also stay in place until 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027.

Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026

Every 2026 USPS holiday deadline, in date order

Last day to send for expected delivery before Dec 25, 2026, across the domestic, military and international tables USPS published.

USPS recommended send-by dates, not guarantees. Sources: USPS newsroom, Sep 22, 2026 and USPS holiday shipping page, checked Oct 19, 2026.
Send by	Days before Dec 25	Service and destination
Wednesday, Nov 4	51	Military: USPS Ground Advantage to APO/FPO/DPO
Wednesday, Dec 9	16	Military: First-Class Mail to APO/FPO/DPO Military: Priority Mail to APO/FPO/DPO International: First-Class Package International Service, every region USPS lists International: Priority Mail International, every region USPS lists
Wednesday, Dec 16	9	Military: Priority Mail Express Military (PMEMS) to APO/FPO/DPO (USPS lists N/A for ZIP 093) International: Priority Mail Express International, every region USPS lists
Thursday, Dec 17	8	Domestic: USPS Ground Advantage, lower 48 Domestic: First-Class Mail, lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories
Friday, Dec 18	7	Domestic: Priority Mail, lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories
Saturday, Dec 19	6	Domestic: Priority Mail Express, lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories

These dates are for delivery before Dec 25. USPS notes that Hanukkah (Dec 4 to Dec 12) is earlier this year and asks senders to adjust: for a Hanukkah gift, send it in time to arrive by Dec 4 rather than working back from these Dec 25 dates. USPS lists Kwanzaa as Dec 26 to Jan 1.

Domestic: lower 48, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories

Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec 25, 2026. Source: USPS; the same dates are in the Sep 22, 2026 release.
Service	Lower 48 states	Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories
USPS Ground Advantage	Thursday, Dec 17	No single date: 10 days or more
First-Class Mail	Thursday, Dec 17	Thursday, Dec 17
Priority Mail	Friday, Dec 18	Friday, Dec 18
Priority Mail Express	Saturday, Dec 19	Saturday, Dec 19

Ground Advantage between the lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands or the Freely Associated States has a service expectation of 10 days or more, and the days vary with distance. USPS says to look up your ZIP Codes and mailing date in its Service Commitments tool.
The holiday dates leave 8 calendar days to Dec 25 for Ground Advantage, which USPS quotes at 2-5 days, and 7 for Priority Mail, quoted at 2-3 days (USPS).
First-Class Mail covers letters (up to 3.5 oz) and flat large envelopes (up to 13 oz). Packages go by Ground Advantage, Priority Mail or, for eligible media, Media Mail.

Military and diplomatic mail (APO/FPO/DPO)

The Ground Advantage date to APO/FPO/DPO addresses, Wednesday, Nov 4, is the earliest of the season: 43 days before the domestic Ground Advantage date.

By the first three digits of the APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Code. "N/A" is USPS's own entry: it gives no date for that service and ZIP. Source: USPS holiday shipping page, checked Oct 19, 2026.
ZIP Code starts with	USPS Ground Advantage	First-Class Mail	Priority Mail	Priority Mail Express Military (PMEMS)
090-092	Wed, Nov 4	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
093	Wed, Nov 4	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	N/A (no USPS date)
094-099	Wed, Nov 4	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
340	Wed, Nov 4	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
962-966	Wed, Nov 4	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16

USPS says Priority Mail Express Military is available only at selected military and diplomatic Post Offices; check with your Post Office before you count on it.

International

USPS gives the same dates for every region it lists: Wednesday, Dec 9 for First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International, Wednesday, Dec 16 for Priority Mail Express International. Before you ship abroad, check USPS's list of countries where it has suspended mail acceptance (updated Oct 2, 2026).

Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec 25, 2026. Source: USPS holiday shipping page, checked Oct 19, 2026.
Destination	First-Class Package International Service	Priority Mail International	Priority Mail Express International
Africa	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Asia/Pacific Rim	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Australia/New Zealand	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Canada	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Caribbean	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Central & South America	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Europe	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Mexico	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16
Middle East	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 9	Wed, Dec 16

For resellers: setting cutoffs around these dates

The USPS dates are ship dates. Your buyers order earlier, by however long your handling time is, and Media Mail isn't on USPS's list at all.

Last order day by handling time

Handling time is the time between the order and the day the package goes out. If you take your full handling time, an order placed after the day in this table ships after USPS's lower-48 date.

Last order day for which the last day of handling still falls on or before the USPS date. Business days are Monday to Friday, counted from the day after the order; an order placed on a weekend starts counting on Monday. Check how your marketplace counts handling time.
Handling time	USPS Ground Advantage or First-Class Mail (ship by Thu, Dec 17)	Priority Mail (ship by Fri, Dec 18)
1 business day	Wed, Dec 16	Thu, Dec 17
2 business days	Tue, Dec 15	Wed, Dec 16
3 business days	Mon, Dec 14	Tue, Dec 15
4 business days	Sun, Dec 13	Mon, Dec 14
5 business days	Thu, Dec 10	Sun, Dec 13

Same-day handling: an order placed and shipped on the USPS date itself still meets it. USPS says actual delivery depends on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance time and other conditions, so a late drop-off on the last day is the riskiest case.
Shortening your handling time for the last week, or posting your own last order date for Christmas delivery in your listings or store page, keeps buyers' expectations in line with what you can ship.
To APO/FPO/DPO addresses by Ground Advantage, the same arithmetic runs back from Wed, Nov 4: with 2 business days of handling, the last order day is Mon, Nov 2.

Media Mail: no USPS date, so ship it first

USPS quotes Media Mail at 2-8 days, 3 days more at the top of the range than Ground Advantage (2-5 days), and publishes no holiday send-by date for it (USPS). A book, CD or DVD sent by Media Mail on Dec 17 has less margin than a Ground Advantage package sent the same day. For a buyer who needs it by Dec 25, ship Media Mail orders earlier or move late ones to a faster service. Video games don't qualify for Media Mail (how to ship video games).

Holiday-season prices, in effect from Oct 4, 2026 until 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027, holiday add-ons included (USPS Notice 123, edition effective Oct 4, 2026). Ground Advantage and Priority Mail at published commercial prices, which USPS offers through Click-N-Ship (USPS); platform and label-service prices can differ. Media Mail is one price nationwide.
Package	Media Mail (no USPS date)	Ground Advantage, Zone 4 (by Dec 17)	Priority Mail, Zone 4 (by Dec 18)	Ground Advantage, Zone 8	Priority Mail, Zone 8
1 lb	$4.39	$8.55	$10.80	$11.22	$16.07
2 lb	$5.13	$8.91	$11.19	$13.42	$17.22
5 lb	$7.34	$11.67	$16.37	$20.24	$30.93

Moving a 2 lb book from Media Mail to Ground Advantage costs $3.78 more to Zone 4 and $8.29 more to Zone 8; sending Priority Mail, whose USPS date is a day later (Dec 18), costs another $2.28 over Ground Advantage to Zone 4. Zone 1 is nearest, Zone 8 is cross-country. Your exact weight and zone: postage calculator · full tables: Media Mail, Ground Advantage

What the holiday price increase adds, until Jan 17, 2027

The deadlines fall inside USPS's temporary holiday prices, which run from 12 a.m. CT on Oct 4, 2026 to 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027 on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select (USPS, Aug 25, 2026). Every commercial Ground Advantage label costs $0.40 to $7.70 more, set by weight and zone: $0.40 for 0-3 lb to Zones 1-4 and $0.55 to Zones 5-9; at the Post Office counter, $0.50 and $0.75. Commercial Priority Mail adds $0.40 and $0.85 for 0-3 lb. Media Mail and First-Class Mail are not affected.

If you offer free shipping, the add-on comes out of your margin at any sale price: $0.40 is 4% of a $10 sale, 1.6% of a $25 sale and 0.8% of a $50 sale. The prices don't drop after Christmas: they stay in place until 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027, so post-holiday orders pay them too.

Every add-on by weight and zone, before-and-after label prices, and what to add to free-shipping prices: USPS holiday prices 2026. What happens after Jan 17: USPS prices for 2027.

Common questions

What is the last day to ship with USPS for Christmas 2026?

For the lower 48 states, USPS recommends sending Priority Mail Express by Saturday, Dec 19, Priority Mail by Friday, Dec 18, and USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail by Thursday, Dec 17, for expected delivery before Dec 25. The same First-Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express dates apply to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories. These are USPS recommendations, not guarantees.

When is the USPS Ground Advantage holiday deadline?

Thursday, Dec 17, 2026, within the lower 48 states. Between the lower 48 and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. territories or the Freely Associated States, USPS gives no single date: Ground Advantage there has a service expectation of 10 days or more, and USPS points to its Service Commitments tool for each pair of ZIP Codes. To APO/FPO/DPO addresses, the Ground Advantage date is Wednesday, Nov 4.

Is there a Media Mail deadline for Christmas?

USPS doesn't publish one. It quotes Media Mail at 2-8 days, against 2-5 days for Ground Advantage, whose lower-48 date is Dec 17. Send Media Mail earlier than that, or switch a late order to a faster service: a 2 lb package to Zone 4 costs $5.13 by Media Mail and $8.91 by commercial Ground Advantage, or $11.19 by commercial Priority Mail, at the USPS prices in effect from Oct 4, 2026 until 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027, holiday add-ons included.

When should I mail to APO, FPO and DPO addresses for Christmas?

USPS recommends Wednesday, Nov 4 for Ground Advantage, Wednesday, Dec 9 for First-Class Mail and Priority Mail, and Wednesday, Dec 16 for Priority Mail Express Military (USPS lists N/A, with no date, for ZIP 093). Priority Mail Express Military is offered only at selected military and diplomatic Post Offices.

What are the USPS international holiday shipping deadlines for 2026?

Wednesday, Dec 9 for First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International, and Wednesday, Dec 16 for Priority Mail Express International, for every region USPS lists (Africa, Asia/Pacific Rim, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, Mexico and Middle East). USPS also keeps a list of countries where it has suspended mail acceptance (updated Oct 2, 2026).

Are USPS holiday shipping dates guaranteed?

No. USPS calls them recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec 25, and says actual delivery can vary with origin, destination, Post Office acceptance time and other conditions.

What handling time still gets an order shipped by the USPS date?

Counting Monday to Friday as business days, starting the day after the order: for Ground Advantage in the lower 48 (ship by Thu, Dec 17), the last order day is Wed, Dec 16 with 1 business day of handling, Tue, Dec 15 with 2 and Mon, Dec 14 with 3. For Priority Mail (ship by Fri, Dec 18), it is Thu, Dec 17 with 1 business day. Check how your marketplace counts handling time.

Do USPS holiday prices end at Christmas?

No. Temporary holiday prices on Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage and Parcel Select run from 12 a.m. CT on Oct 4, 2026 to 12 a.m. CT on Jan 17, 2027, 23 days after Christmas. A 0-3 lb commercial Ground Advantage label costs $0.40 more to Zones 1-4 and $0.55 more to Zones 5-9. Media Mail and First-Class Mail are not affected.

In the change tracker

USPS holiday ship-by dates: Ground Advantage Dec. 17, Priority Mail Dec. 18, international Dec. 9 (announced Sep 22, 2026)
USPS holiday prices: Ground Advantage up $0.40 to $0.75 on 0-3 lb parcels (effective Oct 4, 2026)
Media Mail got cheaper: 1 lb is now $4.39 (was $4.47) (effective Jul 12, 2026)

USPS holiday prices, Oct 4, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027: add-ons by weight and zone
USPS holidays 2026-2027: the days USPS lists with no regular mail service
Cheapest way to ship books: Media Mail rules and prices
Media Mail rates: full 1-70 lb table
Ground Advantage rates: commercial and retail, Zones 1-9
Postage calculator: Media Mail vs Ground Advantage for your weight

Sources

Rates verified on Oct 19, 2026 from each official page below.

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