Black Friday & Cyber Monday Dates

When exactly should brands fire up their holiday campaigns in 2025—and how much time will they really have before Christmas? With Cyber Monday falling on December 1, this year’s shopping calendar compresses the most lucrative retail window into just 24 days, tightening everything from ad pacing to fulfillment.

Consumers are shopping earlier, shipping carriers are warning of cutoffs before December 20, and Amazon sellers face inbound deadlines weeks ahead of peak demand. The pressure isn’t just about when sales start—it’s about how quickly brands can promise, ship, and deliver.

This guide breaks down the 2025 Black Friday and Cyber Monday schedule, carrier-by-carrier shipping deadlines, and Amazon’s inbound cutoffs so marketers can plan confidently.

Whether you’re running paid campaigns, managing inventory, or setting “order-by” dates, every day on this year’s condensed holiday calendar matters.

Core Holiday Dates & Seasonal Window

The holiday season for retailers in the U.S. essentially pivots around Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Understanding those dates is the first step for marketers planning campaigns, logistics, inventory, and promotions.

Key Dates for 2025: Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday

• Thanksgiving 2025 falls on Thursday, November 27 (by U.S. tradition, the fourth Thursday in November).
• Consequently, Black Friday will be Friday, November 28, 2025.
• Cyber Monday in 2025 lands on Monday, December 1 (the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend).

(Because Thanksgiving is late in November, Cyber Monday occurs in December this year, which compresses the post–Cyber Monday window slightly.)

These dates are confirmed by standard U.S. calendar structures and widely cited retail calendars.

The Promotional & Shipping Window: Cyber Monday → December 25

Once Cyber Monday passes, retailers move full throttle into the final stretch toward Christmas. In 2025, Christmas Day is on Thursday, December 25. That means there are 24 days between December 1 (Cyber Monday) and December 25, inclusive of the end dates.

This 24-day window is critical. It’s often the timeframe in which brands ramp up “last-chance” promotions, flash deals, expedited shipping pushes, and inventory safety stock. Retailers must manage not just marketing but logistics carefully in this compressed period.

To put this in perspective: If a brand runs a “12 Days of Deals” from December 13–24, it still captures only half the available days before Christmas. Some brands backload deals to the last half, others prefer to spread them more evenly.

Why the Date Shift Really Matters (Cyber Monday in December)

Because Cyber Monday in 2025 occurs on December 1, the post-Cyber Monday period is shorter than in years when Cyber Monday is in November. That means:

• Less buffer time for shipping delays
• Tighter windows for last-minute campaigns
• More pressure on carriers and fulfillment to perform in a shorter span

In years when Cyber Monday is in November (more common), brands might have 25–30 days post-Cyber Monday; in 2025, only 24.

In recent years, some national retailers have adapted by front-loading deals earlier in November (e.g., “Black November”) to avoid being squeezed by tighter December calendars. For example, Target and Walmart have launched Black Friday–level deals in recent holiday seasons, well before Thanksgiving week, to capture early sales and ease fulfillment strain.

Another documented strategy: Amazon historically begins its “Holiday deals” and “Prime Early Access” sales well before November to reduce the pressure in mid–December. This kind of early promotion helps brands avoid bottlenecks that might occur in that compressed 24-day window.

USPS Holiday Shipping Cutoffs & Recommendations (2025)

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has released its official 2025 holiday mailing deadlines to ensure gifts arrive by Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25). These deadlines apply to shipments within the contiguous U.S., with earlier dates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories. The full reference list is available on.

2025 USPS Recommended Send-By Dates (Domestic U.S.)

Best-Practice Considerations

These dates reflect the recommended latest mailing days, not hard guarantees. Weather disruptions, surging volume, and local facility slowdowns can still affect transit times. USPS strongly advises customers and businesses to ship early to avoid congestion during the final week before Christmas.

Retailers relying on USPS Ground Advantage—such as Etsy sellers and small DTC brands—should build cutoff buffers into their storefront notices. In 2024, Etsy sellers reported a measurable lift in on-time delivery ratings by promoting “order-by Dec 15” messaging, even though USPS’s official cutoff was later.

Additionally, the Postal Service announced a temporary peak-season price adjustment beginning October 5, 2025, affecting Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, and parcel services. This surcharge underscores the importance of scheduling shipments earlier to balance cost and reliability.

For marketers planning email or paid campaigns tied to “last-day-to-ship” messaging, the USPS calendar should anchor those timelines. Coordinating promotional cutoffs around Dec 17–18 ensures customers still have a realistic path to Christmas delivery—without the panic of last-minute express upgrades.

UPS Holiday Shipping Deadlines & Cutoffs for 2025

As the holiday season intensifies, UPS provides recommended last ship dates to ensure delivery before Christmas (often December 24 or earlier, depending on service). Below is a summary of key cutoffs for U.S. domestic services, based on recent published estimates and reports. 

UPS 2025 Recommended Last Ship Dates (for U.S. Domestic)

These cutoffs reflect when a parcel must be tendered to UPS to reliably reach its destination by December 24 under standard holiday conditions. UPS also publishes a Holiday Operations Schedule indicating that on December 24 and December 31, many UPS shipping centers and operations run at half-day capacity.

Additional Considerations & Service Guarantee

• UPS may temporarily suspend the guarantee for some services during high-volume holiday windows—check the UPS Terms & Conditions for exception clauses.
• For ground service, because transit times vary by origin/destination, the cutoff is not publicly uniform; brands should use UPS’s transit calculator or historical averages to estimate safe last-in dates.
• The holiday surcharge/peak season surcharges typically kick in late October or November, impacting cost structures for heavier or oversized parcels. 

FedEx Holiday Shipping Deadlines & Cutoffs for 2025

FedEx publishes a Holiday Service Schedule and “last-days-to-ship” guidance to help shippers plan for Christmas delivery. The following table synthesizes the most up-to-date estimates for U.S. domestic services in 2025, based primarily on 3PLCenter’s deadline summary.

2025 FedEx Last Ship Dates (Domestic U.S.)

Additional Notes & Considerations

• Saturday pick-up option: Some FedEx Express Saver shipments can use Saturday pickup to push the cutoff from Dec 19 to Dec 20 (with surcharge) in select areas.
• Peak season surcharges: FedEx applies demand surcharges during the holiday period (Sept 29 → Jan 18, 2026) for many domestic services, which can affect shipping cost calculations. 
• Holiday operations: On December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 25 (Christmas Day), services operate in modified or suspended modes. 
• Guarantees & exceptions: In past holiday seasons, FedEx has adjusted or suspended delivery guarantees in peak windows; shippers should review the current FedEx Service Guide for clause details. 
• Transit dependence: Particularly for Ground and Home Delivery, the safe last ship date is strongly dependent on the origin and destination ZIP codes. The Dec 16 date is a general rule for much of the U.S., but for longer routes, even earlier cutoffs may be prudent.

DHL Holiday Operations & Shipping Cutoffs (2025)

DHL offers multiple parcel services—DHL Express (time-definite, premium) and DHL eCommerce/parcel/economy—each with its own schedule and holiday constraints. Their published holiday schedules and service guides provide the backbone for deadline planning, especially for international shipments.

U.S. Holiday Schedule & Operational Closures

In the U.S., DHL’s corporate holiday schedule confirms that Christmas Day (December 25, 2025) will be observed (no service). Christmas Eve (December 24) is generally a discretionary operating day: pickup and delivery capacity may be limited or localized depending on site. 

DHL’s 2025 U.S. holiday calendar lists Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve as optional/observed depending on facility manager's discretion. Their DHL Express USA Service & Rate Guide 2025 confirms domestic service offerings and time-definite options, but does not publicly list a definitive “last ship by” date for Christmas in the U.S. 

International/Cross-Border Cutoffs

Because much of DHL’s business revolves around cross-border and international shipping, more concrete guidance is available for global lanes. Below is a summary:

For instance, a cross-border e-commerce seller shipping from Europe to the U.S. via DHL Express might aim to tender by December 22 to reach U.S. addresses by December 24 or 25, depending on customs delays and carrier routing. For economy services (eCommerce parcel), December 15 is often treated as the practical cutoff to avoid high risk of delays.

Caveats, Guarantees & Best Practices

• Unlike UPS/FedEx, DHL’s published guarantees during holiday windows may be more limited or dependent on route specifics.
• International packages face customs clearance delays, which can shift arrival dates unpredictably—padding is essential.
• In markets outside the U.S., DHL often publishes more precise local cutoffs; for example, in the UK DHL’s last posting dates for Christmas are publicly shown on regional DHL parcel sites. 
• Because DHL Express’s U.S. operations are less publicly deadline-driven, many brands treat UPS/FedEx as backups or combine them with DHL for international reach.

For example, a U.S. brand selling globally might require international orders via DHL Express to be placed by December 20–22, but require economy international (DHL eCommerce) orders to close by December 10–15, with messaging about “cutoff for overseas delivery” accordingly.

Amazon FBA & Last “Guaranteed” Shipping Days for Holiday 2025

For Amazon sellers, timing is critical. Knowing when inventory must hit Amazon’s fulfillment centers—and when end consumers must place orders to get standard or expedited delivery before Christmas—is essential.

FBA Inbound Deadline: Getting Inventory into Amazon

Amazon’s published 2025 FBA holiday deadlines set arrival dates (not shipment dates) for inventory to be eligible for Black Friday/Cyber Monday and holiday sales. According to audits of Amazon’s announcements:

• For Black Friday/Cyber Monday week, Amazon requires inbound inventory (minimum-split) to arrive by October 20, 2025; for distributed/optimized splits, the deadline is October 30, 2025. 
• Amazon also uses AWD (Amazon Warehousing & Distribution) as overflow inventory. The AWD cutoff is October 9, 2025.
• For holiday/general inventory (for Christmas shopping), Amazon recommends shipments arrive by December 1 at Amazon fulfillment centers to ensure availability during the final shopping stretch. 
• Be aware: seasonal FBA fees and surcharges begin October 15, 2025 and run through January 14, 2026.

Because these are arrival requirements (not ship-by dates), brands must back-calculate shipping and transit lead times—ideally leaving buffer days for delays.

Standard vs. Expedited: Consumer-Facing Last Shipping Days

While Amazon does not publish a “last guaranteed delivery date” for consumer orders (that is handled by the Amazon retail/Prime infrastructure), brands and merchants commonly adopt internal cutoffs based on carrier guarantees and transit maps:

• Standard delivery (non-expedited): Many DTC brands set last-order dates around December 17–20 for standard carrier services (3–5 day). This aligns with carrier cutoffs from USPS, UPS, and FedEx to maximize the chance of delivery by Christmas.
• Expedited/express delivery (2-day, next-day, same day): For customers willing to pay a premium, merchants often push cutoffs to December 22 or 23, assuming that overnight/two-day services will still function. In peak seasons, carriers sometimes suspend guarantees, so these dates carry more risk.
• For marketplaces, some sellers list “order by Dec 22 for delivery by Dec 24 (expedited)” disclaimers.

Suppose a seller has inventory arriving at their own warehouse and needs to route it to Amazon FBA. They might plan:

• Ship to Amazon so inventory arrives by Oct 20 to qualify for Black Friday/Cyber Monday period.
• then for holiday reorders or restocks, use December 1 arrival as a hard cutoff before the Christmas demand window.
• In customer messaging, they might say: “Order by Dec 18 for standard shipping; by Dec 23 for expedited delivery” (though actual delivery depends on carrier performance).

Because Amazon’s delivery infrastructure is internal (Prime, last-mile logistics), brands should cross-reference carrier guarantees when defining “last shipping days” for standard vs expedited.

Countdown to Christmas: Your 2025 Holiday Shipping Game Plan

Black Friday and Cyber Monday aren’t just shopping milestones—they mark the beginning of a 24-day sprint to Christmas where timing determines everything. With 2025’s Cyber Monday landing on December 1, marketers and brands face one of the tightest fulfillment windows in recent memory.

From USPS Ground Advantage’s December 17 cutoff to FedEx’s overnight deadline on December 23 and Amazon’s FBA inbound arrivals due by December 1, every day counts. The brands that win this season will be those who blend marketing urgency with logistical precision—turning “order by” messages into conversion tools, not apologies.

The takeaway is clear: build buffers, publish cutoffs early, and don’t gamble on last-minute shipping miracles. Consumers increasingly reward brands that communicate realistic expectations and provide reliable delivery over flashy discounts.

Whether you’re shipping from a warehouse, a creator storefront, or through FBA, the clock starts ticking on November 28—and doesn’t stop until the last package lands under the tree.

About the Author

Kalin Anastasov

Writer

Kalin Anastasov plays a pivotal role as an content manager and editor at Influencer Marketing Hub. He expertly applies his SEO and content writing experience to enhance each piece, ensuring it aligns with our guidelines and delivers unmatched quality to our readers.