The USPS date: Thursday, December 17

For delivery before December 25, USPS recommends that you send First-Class Mail by Thursday, December 17, 2026. Christmas cards go by First-Class Mail. The date is the same for the lower 48 states, Alaska and Hawaii (USPS: 2026 Holiday Shipping Deadlines).

USPS adds a caveat: "Actual delivery date may vary and is based on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance time, and other conditions." December 17 is the last recommended day, not a guarantee. If a card really matters, mail it earlier.

Our date: order by Monday, December 14

If you make your cards with us, order by Monday, December 14, 2026 for your cards to reach your recipients in time for Christmas, in most cases. This is our estimate. We work it out from the time that a card usually takes:

• In the weeks before Christmas, we usually mail a card 2 business days after your order. A card ordered on Monday, December 14 usually goes to the post on Wednesday, December 16: one business day before the USPS date.
• USPS First-Class Mail usually takes 1–5 days. In the Christmas rush we plan with 4 business days, so that card usually arrives by Tuesday, December 22.

A card that you order after December 14 can arrive after Christmas. We measure our real times with the first cards we send. If they show that we need more time, we move the date earlier and update this page.

Two dates on every card: "usually" and "at the latest"

Before you approve, the preview of your cards shows two dates:

• "Usually arrives by …" is our estimate, for planning.
• "Arrives by … at the latest" is our promise: each card reaches its recipient by then.

The latest date includes a buffer, so it is later than the usual one. Close to Christmas, it can fall after December 25 even when the usual date is before it. With today's schedule, a card ordered on December 14 usually arrives by December 22, and at the latest by December 30. If you want the "at the latest" date before Christmas too, order early in December: with today's schedule, a card ordered by Wednesday, December 9 has a latest date of December 24 or earlier. The dates on your preview are the ones that count.

If your card is for another day, such as a birthday on December 20, tell your AI app the date. The preview then says whether the card arrives in time.

Our promises if something goes wrong

• We mail by the date on your order. Each order page states the day by which we mail your cards ("mailed by"). If we cannot mail a card by that day, we cancel it, refund it in full within 7 working days, and tell you. If its printing has already started, a person checks it, and you can still ask for a full refund.
• A lost card is ours to fix. Until a card reaches its recipient, the risk of loss is ours. If a card is lost on its way, we print it again free of charge or refund it, as you choose. If a card has not arrived after the latest delivery day, tell us.
• You can cancel each card free of charge until its printing starts.
• A wrong address is the exception. If the post cannot deliver a card because of a wrong address that you gave, there is no refund. We check each address before you approve and tell you when something looks wrong.

Tips for an easy Christmas mailing

• Get your list ready first. Collect each name and full postal address, with ZIP code, in one place: a note, a spreadsheet or a message to your AI app. Add the name for the greeting on each card, for example "Grandma" or "Anna".
• Send one card to everyone at once. One approval sends the same card to up to 100 people, and each card can start with the person's first name.
• Pick the picture early. Your AI app can make the front from a few personal details, or you can use a family photo. Allow time for a change or two.
• US addresses only. In 2026 we mail cards to recipients in the United States only. International cards are not available yet.
• Alaska and Hawaii. The latest date in your preview applies to Alaska and Hawaii too. USPS mail there can take longer, so order a few days earlier if you can.
• Late? Send a New Year card. If Christmas is too close, send a New Year card instead. Ordered by December 22, it usually arrives by December 31 (our estimate), and it still says "I thought of you."

Related

• What to write in a Christmas card