It’s December now, so the holidays are just around the corner, and that likely means you’ve seen an increase in delivery trucks in your neighborhood. Every year, the holiday shopping madness means the various delivery services are working around the clock to ship out gifts and packages to people all across the globe, and with online shopping as popular as it is, you’ll want to make sure your packages arrive on time.
That’s right, whether you’re ordering one of thebest Android phonesfrom Amazon to your home, or you want to send a brand newSamsung Tab S9+to a loved one, retailers and shipping services alike will have cutoff dates if you want those packages to arrive in time for Christmas. Don’t press the panic button quite yet; you still have some time; however, some dates are getting close for shipping companies, so you’ll want to get your shopping done as early as possible so you don’t run into trouble.
Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about holiday shipping deadlines from major tech retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, as well as some good information on when shipping services like FedEx and UPS will have your packages delivered.
Amazon hasn’t posted an official shipping deadline, but the company does have a handy way of highlighting whether an item will arrive before December 25. If you look at the picture above, you can see the right-hand side of the screen thisGoogle Pixel 8states that it will arrive before Christmas. That green text that Amazon provides is your best tool to know if your new tech will arrive before the big day — so if you are buying Christmas gifts, look out for that label before you click the order button! You’ll see this label start to disappear from more and more items as we get further in December. If you don’t see that green text on your item, there’s a good chance that Amazon can not guarantee that
Of course, Amazon Prime should also help you get your presents a bit faster. Although Amazon Prime offers you many benefits these days, its two-day shipping on a ton of Amazon-sold and shipped items is a great reason to shop there this holiday. Amazon also provides one-day shipping in certain markets, but remember that peak holiday time can clog up the system, so it’s best to shop as early as you can to avoid any let downs.
Amazon Prime
While Amazon Prime has a ton of perks, one of its greatest is still the two-day shipping available on a ton of products. If you plan on lots doing holiday shopping at Amazon, investing in Prime — even for just a month — is a great way to get your gifts to you sooner.
Best Buy hasn’t mentioned an official shipping deadline, so if you’re shopping at BestBuy.com, you’ll want to take note of the shipping day listed on your item at your address. These will vary based on a myriad of factors, but it should be a good indication of when you’ll receive your gifts. Of course, shopping early is the best way to ensure the lowest shipping dates on products. However, Best Buy does offer another option that might help alleviate your shipping woes — Curbside Pickup.
Available at most Best Buy locations, Curbside Pickup is a convenient way to get your tech this holiday if you live close enough to a physical Best Buy store. You can place your order online and select the Curbside Pickup option at the Best Buy location closest to you. Usually, these orders can be ready to go in just an hour, though in some cases, it can be longer. Once you’ve ordered, just proceed to your chosen Best Buy location, park at the designated Curbside Pickup spot, and let them know you’ve arrived.
While Best Buy hasn’t announced an official shipping deadline yet, you’ll want to finish your shopping early to avoid shipping diasters. Of course, if you live close enough to a store, Best Buy’s Curbside Pickup is a great way to avoid any shipping-related stress.
Walmart hasn’t released any shipping deadline dates, but it offers two-shipping on many items sold directly from Walmart — one-day shipping may be available in some areas, too. Still, you’re going to want to make sure that you take note of the shipping dates, though, especially if it comes from a third-party seller.
Some Walmart locations also offer Curbside Pickup, so if you live close enough to a store and the option is available for the item you want, you can skip the shipping anxiety and pick up your items yourself.
With no official shipping cutoff announced, our advice for holiday shopping at Walmart is to do it early. Walmart offers two-day shipping on plenty of items, but always be sure to check the shipping date so you know exactly when your gifts are expected to arrive.
Shipping deadlines for postal services
If you plan on using a postal service to send gifts across the U.S. this year, you’ll want to make sure you get your packages in the mail as soon as possible because shipping Christmas cutoffs for USPS, UPS, and FedEx are coming up fast.
