2025 Holiday Shipping Deadlines & Rate Changes: What You Should Know

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you're anything like most Postsale merchants, you're already planning how to get your customers’ orders delivered on time without breaking the bank.

To help you stay ahead of the holiday rush, we’ve gathered domestic and international shipping deadlines from USPS, UPS, and FedEx, along with important info about temporary rate increases and peak season surcharges.

Use this guide to plan ahead, update your store’s shipping cutoff dates, and deliver those holiday miracles right on schedule.

USPS: Domestic & International Deadlines + Rate Increases

✅ Domestic Shipping Deadlines (Lower 48 + AK/HI)

🌍 International Shipping Deadlines (for Delivery by Dec 25)

 💸 USPS® Rate Increases

Shipments to Canada, Europe, Mexico, and Australia/New Zealand:

• When: Oct 5, 2025 – Jan 18, 2026

• Affected Services: Ground Advantage®, Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, Parcel Select®

• Impact: Rate hikes ranging from ~$0.30 to $16+ depending on package weight and zone.

UPS: Deadlines & Peak Season Pricing

✅ Domestic Shipping Deadlines

🌍 International Shipping Deadlines

📌 For other international destinations (e.g., Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa), UPS suggests using the UPS Calculate Time and Cost (CTC) tool to find the specific send‑by date that will get your shipment delivered before Christmas. Transit times can vary by region and service class.

💸 UPS Rate Increases

• General Rate Increase: ~5.9% average across most services

• Holiday Surcharges: Applied to residential, large, and additional handling packages throughout peak season

• When: Typically late Nov through late Dec

✈️ FedEx: Cutoffs & Demand-Based Surcharges

✅ Domestic Shipping Deadlines

🌍 International Shipping Deadlines

💸 FedEx Rate Increases

• Peak Surcharges: Applied during November–December on high-volume and express shipments

• Timing: Typically mid-Nov through Dec 24

Tips for International Holiday Shipping

• Plan early: International transit times are longer and more variable than domestic.

• Use carrier transit tools: Especially for UPS and FedEx, enter origin and destination ZIP/postal codes to get exact cutoffs.

• Watch customs deadlines: Many international delays happen at customs — proper labeling and paperwork help avoid holdups.

• Promote clear deadlines to customers: In blog posts or store banners, put your own earlier send‑by dates that factor in these carrier deadlines plus buffer time.

• Set your store’s cutoff dates earlier than the carrier deadlines

• Use banners, popups, and emails to notify customers

• Group shipments to reduce surcharge exposure

• Use Postsale Automations to send delivery updates and reduce support volume