Christmas 2023 shipping guidelines: The USPS shipping deadline is today

Christmas is just around the corner, which means you should wrap up your holiday shopping and holiday mailing. Time is running out if you plan on shipping gifts to family and friends via USPS. Today is actually the last day for Priority Mail, so you'll want to wrap up those final gifts and run over to the post office before it closes today.

However, there is still time to get your last-minute gifts sent out via other channels if you haven't quite wrapped up your holiday shopping. One last-minute gifting solution is Walmart. The company offers free two-day shipping, plus even faster same-day delivery from local stores where available with Walmart+. There is also still plenty of time to take advantage of Amazon Prime two-day shipping and get your gifts where they need to be buy Christmas. (Last-minute pro gifting tip: Ship your gifts direct from the retailer to the recipient, instead of to yourself, with an included gift message.) And, of course, you can always gift an e-gift card at the literal last minute.

What is the USPS shipping deadline for Christmas 2023?

If you want to ship gifts to loved ones and have them arrive by Christmas, you still have time to ship via USPS.  

• To ship a package via USPS to arrive before Dec. 25, the last day to ship is Dec. 21 using Priority Mail one-day delivery.
• The last day to mail a card or envelope via USPS was Dec. 20 using First Class mail.
• For Alaska and Hawaii, Dec. 20 was the last shipping day to get packages or mail to loved ones by Christmas using Priority Mail Express.
• International shippers had until Dec. 15 using USPS Global Express Guaranteed Service. Packages sent out now will likely arrive after Christmas.

USPS Alternative: Amazon Prime two-day shipping for Christmas 2023

Amazon Prime members have until Dec. 22, 2023 to take advantage of the retailer's two-day shipping. However, most retailers count two-day shipping from the date an item ships, not the date it's ordered. Check actual delivery dates before you confirm your purchase on Amazon.

Amazon Prime members not only get free two-day shipping, members get exclusive Prime Day pricing and early access to some Black Friday deals.

Right now, Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime. After that, Amazon Prime is $14.99/month or $139 per year.

How to order USPS stamps online

We love the charm of sending Christmas cards, gifts and checks through the regular mail service, but we turn into a major Grinch standing in a long line at the post office.

Avoid the lines and order your holiday stamps from the USPS on Amazon. They'll be delivered to your home. Note that depending on what you order, per-stamp pricing might be higher than purchasing directly from your local post office.

One source of discounted stamps you might not be thinking of this holiday season: Sam's Club. We spotted a 20-pack of forever holiday stamps for $13.15, which is even less than you'd pay at the post office. The only catch: You can't get them delivered. You'll need to select in-store pickup.

Note that forever stamp prices will be increasing from 66 cents to 68 cents effective Jan. 21, 2024, so now is a great time to stock up on forever stamps for next year's Christmas cards.

Amazon e-gift card

An Amazon e-gift card is a simple and easy way to ensure your loved ones get the gift they want (because they get to pick it out themselves) on time for Christmas. Choose a holiday design of your choice, choose a dollar amount you're comfortable with and select a delivery date and time you want your e-gift card sent. No lines, no deadlines, no returns.

Our favorite part about this gift? Since its delivered by e-mail, you really can buy it for someone as a gift at the literal last minute.