SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Do not wait if you still need to ship something. Get in the mail. December 23 is the last day to ship an item through most major carriers.
You will need to choose next day or overnight shipping. Be prepared to pay a premium for express shipping. The amount will of course depend on the weight of your item.
You can use UPS Next Day Air. You must ship by December 23.
At the post office, you will want to send items Priority Mail Express. That cost starts at $26.60.
The good news is shipping delays are fewer than expected this year.
“We don't have any delays at all,” said Christina Moreno with USPS. “Everything is first in, first out. All mail is being delivered on time. Nothing has been delayed. Nothing is sitting in the back. First in, first out. We are making sure to get all our parcels there on time for Christmas. We prepare for this moment all year long. We prepare for this volume to make sure that we meet the deadlines for Christmas.”
Most post office branches will be open Friday, Christmas Eve until noon. A few locations will be open until 5:30 p.m. including Heritage Post Office at 702 Richland Hills Drive and the General Mail Facility at 10410 Perrin Beitel Road. The AMF Post Office at 10250 John Saunders Road will stay open until 10 p.m. You can still ship Priority Mail Express at the post office on Friday. Most packages will arrive by Christmas, but there will be no delivery guarantees.
If you are really last minute this year, FedEx is offering same-day service to some locations. You will need to ship items by Friday, December 24 so they make it by Christmas.