When's It Too Late to Send Holiday Packages?

Next week's Thanksgiving celebration precedes Black Friday and thus the holiday gift grab. Local stores already are rolling out their specials targeted for the Christmas season. Similarly, the shipping companies have laid out their parameters on when the last-minute deadlines are.

Below are deadlines and policies for the United States Postal Service, UPS and FedEx. You may check out one of these local offices or visit their websites.

United States Post Office

Locations

• —326 Conshohocken State Road, Gladwyne. 610-649-3518
• —16 North Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr. 610-525-2374
• —775 East Lancaster Ave., Villanova. 800-275-8777

Deadlines for domestic shipping:

• Parcel Post: Dec. 15
• First-class mail: Dec. 20
• Priority Mail: Dec. 21
• Express Mail: Dec. 22

Extras: The USPS website details further info on shipping internationally and to military personnel. The site also has a store for packaging needs—including evergreen stamps—with operating hours for stores, with most open Dec. 24.

FedEx

Locations

• : 795 East Lancaster Ave., Villanova. 610-527-0699
• : 292 East Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood. 610-896-2360  

Deadlines for domestic shipping:

• FedEx Ground/Home Delivery: Dec. 17
• FedEx Express Saver: Dec. 21
• FedEx Overnight: Dec. 23
• FedEx Same Day: Dec. 25

Extras: The FedEx site shares location info and further packing tips for the holiday. Also, it outlines a suspension of certain money-back guarantees for services after Dec. 19 through the Christmas season.

UPS

Locations:

• —24 North Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr. 610-525-8623
• —333 East Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood. 610-642-8660

Extras: Though rush service exists for next-day shipping Dec. 23, the deadline for nearly all holiday packages is Dec. 22—fairly cut-and-dry. The UPS website also breaks down international shipping. For more info, UPS will host Twitter chats leading up to the holidays for last minute questions.