A Few Tips for Holiday Shipping in 2023
Most people have family and friends who don’t live near them, so they have to rely on postal services to get cards and gifts delivered to their loved ones in time for holidays. The Christmas and holiday season is a busy time for carriers, so you should do everything you can to ensure that your gift arrives on time and in one piece. Here are a few tips for holiday shipping that you may find helpful this 2023 holiday season.
Look Up Holiday Shipping Deadlines
Most postal and courier companies make their holiday shipping dates known at least a couple of months before the holiday season so that customers can plan accordingly. These deadlines may vary depending on the carrier, shipping service, and destination. They also may vary year to year depending on how busy carriers expect the coming holiday season to be, so make sure to look up this year’s shipping deadlines.
2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines: USPS (expected delivery before December 25)
Contiguous United States: December 16 for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail (including greeting cards), December 18 for Priority Mail, December 20 for Priority Mail Express.
Alaska and Hawaii: December 16 for USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail (including greeting cards), December 16 for Priority Mail (Hawaii), December 18 for Priority Mail (Alaska), December 20 for Priority Mail Express..
International Mail: November 29 for First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International and December 6 for Priority Mail Express International to Africa and Central & South America; December 6 for First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International and December 13 for Priority Mail Express International to Asia & the Pacific Rim, Australia & New Zealand, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and the Middle East.
International Mail – Global Express Guaranteed: December 15 to all destinations.
2023 Holiday Shipping Deadlines: UPS (expected delivery before December 23)
Within the United States: December 19 for UPS 3 Day Select, December 20 for UPS 2nd Day Air (December 21 with Saturday Delivery options), December 21 for UPS Next Day Air (December 22 with Saturday Delivery options); for UPS Ground Shipping, please use UPS Time and Cost Calculator.
From the United States to Canada: December 19 for UPS Worldwide Expedited, December 20 for UPS Worldwide Express; for UPS Standard, please use UPS Time and Cost Calculator.
From the United States to Mexico: December 19 for UPS Worldwide Expedited, December 20 for UPS Worldwide Express; for UPS Standard, please use UPS Time and Cost Calculator.
From the United States to other destinations: please use UPS Time and Cost Calculator.
Pack Your Parcel Appropriately
Although carriers try to handle packages as carefully as possible, sometimes accidents happen, especially during the busy holiday season when there is a massive influx of parcels. Because of this, you need to pack your Christmas gifts really well, especially if you’re shipping homemade cookies or fragile items. We’ve already posted a detailed packing guide, but their key points are worth reiterating:
- Make sure the box is sturdy and just the right size for its contents (you should be able to fit the items in the box and still have a couple of inches left for protective cushioning).
- When shipping several items, pack each one individually before placing them inside the box.
- Use whatever cushioning material you find the most appropriate (crumpled paper, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.).
- Before sealing the box, shake it a little to make sure the contents don’t move around. If there is too much movement, either add more cushioning or find a smaller box.
- Use strong packing tape to seal the box.
Print Your Own Shipping Labels
There are several benefits to printing your own shipping labels, especially as the holiday season approaches. First of all, you can comfortably pack and label your packages at home instead of wasting your time in a crowded post office (and post offices will get more and more crowded closer to the holiday shipping deadlines).
Second, printing your shipping labels yourself will help you to save money on holiday shipping. For example, PostageMaker offers discounted shipping labels that allow to save up to 25% on domestic and international shipping with the USPS and UPS; this is a chance you shouldn’t pass up, especially if your holiday budget is already stretched.