If you’re still doing some last-minute holiday shopping online, Amazon has extended its order window to have packages delivered in time for Christmas. For non-Prime customers, Amazon’s original cutoff for Christmas delivery was December 18, but the online retailer extended that deadline to Wednesday, December 19. With Amazon’s holiday shipping promotion, non-Prime members can get free shipping with no minimum order amount.
Fortunately, Prime members have a little bit of time to procrastinate their holiday shopping. Depending on where you live, if you pay Amazon’s $119 annual fee for free two-day shipping, among other benefits, you’ll have up until December 22 for free two-day shipping. If you opt for one-day shipping, the cutoff is Sunday, December 23. If you have it in you to procrastinate to the absolute final second, Amazon has a 9:30 a.m. local time cutoff for same-day delivery. Prime Now customers will have up until 9:15 p.m. local time to order.
If you miss Amazon’s cutoff, you can still get free shipping in time for Christmas Eve delivery through Target. “New this year, place a Target.com order by 11:55 p.m. CT on Thursday, Dec. 20, and choose ‘Free Holiday Shipping’ to get guaranteed delivery of eligible items by Monday, Dec. 24,” Target said in a press release. Like Amazon, there is no minimum at Target for free delivery for the holidays. If you miss that deadline, you’ll have up until Friday, December 21, to pay for express one-day shipping to have orders arrive on December 24.
If you’re shopping elsewhere, order cutoff times for delivery in time for Christmas may vary. If you’re doing the shipping yourself, however, inexpensive ground delivery options for delivery by Christmas from FedEx, UPS, and the United States Postal Service have already passed. You can still upgrade to faster service, but it will be a bit more expensive.
In total, for this holiday season, a new study reveals that 2.5 billion packages are expected to be shipped and delivered, USA Today reported. Like Target, FedEx and UPS offer overnight options if you ship by December 21. If you go with the United States Postal Service instead, you’ll have up until December 22 for Priority Mail Express. Keep in mind that if you cut it close to the deadline, unexpected delays can occur, which could mean that your package may not arrive in time for Christmas.
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