Here’s the latest you can mail gifts from SC and have them arrive by Christmas Day
About 6.3 billion of pieces of mail and packages have been received by the U.S. Postal Service so far this holiday season and that number only stands to grow.
That means the clock is ticking for South Carolinians to get their holiday cards and other gifts in the mail.
The week of Dec. 15 kicks off what’s expected to be “the busiest week” of the year for local post offices across the nation and marks the last week to get items in the mail to ensure they arrive ahead of Christmas.
So, how late can you mail holiday packages in South Carolina? What about shipping deadlines for other carriers like UPS and FedEx?
Here’s how to ensure your holiday packages are delivered on time and recommended send-by dates.
Shipping deadlines for USPS
If you plan on sending your holiday gifts through USPS this year, here are the suggested send-by dates for expected delivery before Dec. 25. These dates reflect send-by dates for locations in the contiguous U.S.
- Dec. 17 — USPS Ground Advantage Service
- Dec. 17 — First-Class Mail
- Dec. 18 — Priority Mail
- Dec. 20 — Priority Mail Express
If you plan to send a package to Alaska, Hawaii or internationally, click here to view the recommended send-by dates.
USPS says local office branches will be open on Wednesday, Dec. 24, but customers should check their individual locations for specific hours. Blue collection boxes will be serviced at their scheduled pickup times, and mail carriers will deliver regular mail as well as Priority Mail Express.
All Post Office locations nationwide will close on Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, with normal retail operations and regular mail delivery resuming on Friday, Dec. 26.
Shipping deadlines for UPS
If you plan to ship with UPS this holiday season, the company says send-by dates vary based on a package’s origin and destination.
Customers are encouraged to use the UPS online time-and-cost calculator to confirm delivery estimates, or follow these send-by deadlines for domestic packages:
- Varies by origin/destination — UPS Ground (click here to check)
- Dec. 19 — UPS 3-day Select
- Dec. 22 — UPS 2nd Day Air
- Dec. 23 — UPS Next Day Air
UPS will operate with normal delivery service on Wednesday, Dec. 24, though pickup will be limited to Air and International Air packages arranged in advance by Dec. 18. UPS says Next Day Air packages collected on Christmas Eve will be delivered Friday, Dec. 26.
No pickup and delivery operations will take place on Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, but UPS Express Critical service will still be available. Normal pickup and delivery will resume on Friday, Dec. 26.
Shipping deadlines for FedEx
FedEx’s 2025 deadlines for shipping holiday packages are:
- Dec. 15 — FedEx Ground Economy
- Dec. 17-19 & Dec. 22-23 — FedEx Ground & FedEx Home Delivery
- Dec. 20 — FedEx Express Saver
- Dec. 22 — FedEx 2Day & FedEx 2Day AM
- Dec. 23 — FedEx First Overnight, Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight & Extra Hours
- Dec. 24 — FedEx Same Day
FedEx says early on-call and drop box pickups will be available in some areas on Wednesday, Dec. 24, for expedited parcel and air-freight shipments. FedEx Office locations will operate on modified hours on Dec. 24, with most closing early.
On Christmas Day, Thursday, Dec. 25, only FedEx Custom Critical will remain in service. All other operations and locations close for the holiday and resume normal service on Dec. 26.
