News

Sep 01, 2023

What To Know About Service Guarantees for USPS Priority Mail Express, UPS Next Day Air, and FedEx Overnight Before Christmas

With only days left before Christmas, shipping gifts to arrive before December

With only days left before Christmas, shipping gifts to arrive before December 25 will with almost certainty require sending them by an overnight-level service. Here is what you should know before sending packages this week with any of the three major carriers in the US.

USPS Priority Mail Express is the domestic overnight service by the US Postal Service, typically transported by FedEx.

The Postal Service will continue to offer its money-back guarantee throughout the holiday season but will make an exception for USPS Priority Mail shipments mailed between December 22 and December 25.

During this time, USPS will only offer its money-back guarantee if the item was not delivered or no delivery attempt was made within two business days.

Also, shippers should double-check delivery times as USPS Priority Mail Express is not necessarily a next-day service between all zip codes. Some rural zip codes and shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are a two-day service.

UPS already announced that it would continue to honor its domestic service guarantee on all Next Day Air shipments with no blackout dates. However, some time commitments may have been shifted to later or end of the day. Check the UPS service guide for more information.

The carrier is the only small package service in the US that has not suspended its service guarantee on overnight shipments during the 2022 holiday season.

All other UPS air and ground service performance guarantees are suspended.

FedEx has suspended its money-back guarantee on all its air and ground services during the holiday season, including FedEx Overnight.

Currently, no carriers are reporting widespread network delays with overnight or express services normally guaranteed.

However, with a new winter storm expected to affect large portions of the United States again this week, weather delays are possible. In such cases, carriers may suspend their service guarantees regionally.

Don't wait until the last day!

Check out our full coverage on recommended shipping deadlines for all three carriers and known USPS domestic disruptions.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

We do not sell your information.You can unsubscribe at any time.

Head over to our Facebook Group for Small Business Marketplace Sellers and interact with us and other small business owners. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to stay up to date with relevant news and business insights for your online business.