Last-Minute Ups Shipping Guide For Christmas Cheer

Christmas is a busy time of year for shipping companies, and UPS has its own set of deadlines for the holiday season. If you're hoping to have your gifts delivered by Christmas, it's important to plan ahead and be aware of the shipping deadlines. UPS typically announces its holiday deadlines ahead of time, giving customers a chance to prepare and avoid any last-minute surprises. By staying informed, you can ensure your packages arrive on time and make the most of the holiday season.

UPS shipping deadlines for 25 December 2023

To ensure your packages are delivered by 25 December 2023, UPS recommends the following deadlines:

• UPS 3 Day Select: Tuesday, 19 December
• UPS 2nd Day Air: Wednesday, 20 December (or Thursday, 21 December with Saturday delivery options)
• UPS Next Day Air: Thursday, 21 December (or Friday, 22 December with Saturday delivery options)

UPS will not be operating a pickup or delivery service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but UPS Express Critical service is available.

It's important to note that shipping costs increase the closer it gets to the deadline, and that delivering packages may take longer than expected.

UPS Ground Shipping deadline

The UPS Ground Shipping deadline is an important date to keep in mind if you're planning to ship gifts for Christmas. UPS, one of the major shipping carriers in the US, has provided specific deadlines to ensure timely delivery during the busy holiday season.

For the 2023 holiday season, UPS recommended that packages be shipped via UPS Ground Shipping by December 18 to guarantee delivery by Christmas. This deadline is earlier than previous years, likely due to labour and product shortages that can cause unexpected delays. It's important to plan ahead and not leave shipping to the last minute, especially during the hectic holiday rush.

UPS also provides a range of expedited shipping options for last-minute gifts. These include UPS 3-Day Select, UPS 2nd Day Air, and UPS Next Day Air services. The deadlines for these options vary, with UPS 3-Day Select packages needing to be shipped by December 19, UPS 2nd Day Air by December 20 or 21 with Saturday delivery, and UPS Next Day Air by December 21 or 22 with Saturday delivery.

It's worth noting that UPS will not be providing pickup or delivery services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. However, they do offer the UPS Express Critical service for urgent shipments during the holidays.

To ensure your packages arrive on time, it's always best to refer to the official UPS website for the most up-to-date information and to use their shipping calculator to estimate delivery times.

UPS Saturday delivery options

UPS Saturday delivery is a special service that is provided to business owners who require it. This service is available for a handful of UPS delivery services, including:

• UPS Next Day Air® Early
• UPS Worldwide Express Plus®
• UPS Worldwide Express®
• UPS Worldwide Express Freight®

These Saturday delivery services operate in major US metropolitan areas, and from international areas via UPS Worldwide Express® shipments into the US. International services shipping to the US from overseas must include a Saturday Delivery sticker.

UPS Stores keep normal 9 AM - 5 PM business hours on Saturday. However, they are franchises, meaning their hours may vary, so it is best to confirm the hours of operation at your local UPS Store before heading over on a Saturday.

Saturday delivery for UPS is a value-added feature. The added fee for Saturday delivery is $4 per package for ground commercial delivery packages (on top of the typical rate for your package). If you choose a non-ground residential service like UPS 2nd Day Air®, you'll pay $16 as a delivery fee.

UPS Saturday pickup services are now available in 122 countries.

UPS Express Critical service

UPS Express Critical® is the company's fastest freight service for urgent, time-sensitive, emergency, or high-value goods. This service is available 24/7/365 and is ideal for customers with time-critical needs.

UPS Express Critical® provides access to a comprehensive portfolio of expedited services, including Next-Flight-Out, Secure, Expedited Ground, Charter, Hand Carry, and Inside Precision services. This service is suitable for shipping aircraft on the ground or out-of-stock parts needed to repair a production line, human organs or tissues, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, or critical deliveries to patients at home.

UPS Express Critical® offers global access to a wide range of aircraft or vehicles to meet your shipping needs. They can provide direct shipment routing, bypassing hub and gateway locations, ensuring that shipments reach their final destination quickly and efficiently.

UPS Express Critical® Hand Carry is particularly noteworthy for its dedication to timely deliveries. This service assigns a courier to maintain physical possession of your package throughout the delivery journey, making it one of the fastest international services available.

To get started with UPS Express Critical®, you can send a message to [email protected] or call 1 (800) 714-8779.

UPS delivery and pickup on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

UPS will be operating a modified service on Christmas Eve, with limited store locations operating with reduced hours. You can expect delivery and pickup services for Air and International Air services, but only if they have been prearranged by 19 December. There will be no UPS Ground service pickup or delivery. UPS Express Critical® will be available 24/7.

On Christmas Day, UPS will not be operating a service. There will be no pickup or delivery services, and all UPS store locations will be closed. UPS Express Critical® will be available 24/7.

If you want to ensure your package arrives by Christmas Eve, you will need to ship by the following deadlines:

• UPS 2nd Day Air services: 20 December (21 December with Saturday Delivery options)
• UPS Next Day Air services: 22 December (23 December with Saturday Delivery options)

Frequently asked questions