Last Day to Mail Christmas Cards in 2026: USPS Dates for Every Destination

By Sophia · Updated November 2026 · Dates come straight from the USPS 2026 holiday release and its holiday shipping page, checked the week I wrote this; nothing here is sponsored.

The last day to mail Christmas cards in 2026 is Thursday, December 17, if they’re going by First-Class Mail anywhere in the U.S., Alaska and Hawaii included. Cards headed overseas or to a military address need to leave much earlier, around Wednesday, December 9.

That’s the short version. The longer version matters if your list includes a cousin in Germany, a friend stationed abroad, or a stack of square envelopes you fell in love with at the stationery store.

USPS dates for the last day to mail Christmas cards

The Postal Service published its recommended 2026 holiday send-by dates on September 22. A greeting card in a regular envelope with a stamp on it travels as First-Class Mail, so that’s the row you care about. I’ve added the package services too, since half of us tuck a gift card or a small present into the same trip to the post office.

USPS Ground Advantage, the cheaper package option, has the same Dec. 17 date as cards in the lower 48. To Alaska, Hawaii and the territories, USPS doesn’t give it a date at all; the footnote says to expect 10 or more days. So if you’re mailing a box to Honolulu by ground, aim for early December and don’t cut it close.

One honest caveat from USPS itself: its holiday shipping page says actual delivery “may vary” depending on where it starts, where it’s going and what time the post office accepts it. USPS treats these as recommendations. It doesn’t promise them.

Cards going abroad

Here’s the slightly annoying part. The 2026 holiday page lists international dates for First-Class Package International, Priority Mail International and Priority Mail Express International. It doesn’t list a separate date for First-Class Mail International, which is how a normal card with an international stamp travels.

My take? Treat Wednesday, December 9 as your deadline. That’s the date USPS gives for its lighter international services to every region on the list (Europe, Canada, Mexico, Asia/Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Central and South America). I wouldn’t count on a letter beating a small package on the same route.

Postage changed this year, too. CBS News reported that international postcards and letters went to $1.75 on July 12, up from $1.70.

Military addresses: earlier than you’d guess

For APO, FPO and DPO addresses in the AE ZIP ranges USPS lists, First-Class Mail and Priority Mail both need to go by Wednesday, December 9. Priority Mail Express Military gets you to Dec. 16 for most of those ZIPs, but USPS notes it’s only offered at selected military and diplomatic post offices, so call ahead.

If you planned to send a care package by Ground Advantage to an AE address, that date was November 4. It’s gone. Priority Mail by Dec. 9 is the backup.

What postage a Christmas card needs in 2026

Since July 12, a Forever stamp costs 82 cents, up from 78, according to the same CBS report. Domestic postcards went from 61 to 65 cents. Forever stamps you bought at the old price still work. Dig out that half-used book from last year.

Where people get caught is the envelope. USPS calls some letters “nonmachinable,” meaning the sorting machines can’t handle them, and those need extra postage. According to the USPS FAQ on the nonmachinable surcharge, a letter falls into that group if:

• its length divided by its height is less than 1.3 or more than 2.5 (this is what catches square cards)
• it has a clasp, string, button or similar closure
• it’s too rigid, or something inside like a coin or a pen makes it lumpy
• it’s wrapped or bagged in plastic
• the address runs parallel to the short side

So a 5.5-inch square card? Nonmachinable. A card with a wax seal that leaves a bump might be too. USPS points you to its Postal Price Calculator for the exact surcharge, and I’d check it before buying a hundred square envelopes, because the extra cost adds up across a long list.

Mistakes that make cards late

Plenty of late cards started late. The box sat on the counter for a week, and then it was the 19th.

Ordering photo cards too late. If you’re using an online printer, the cards themselves need to be in the mailbox by Dec. 17, and clicking “order” on the 15th won’t get you there. Printing and shipping to you takes its own time, so check your printer’s production estimate and work backward.

Dropping cards in a blue box after the last pickup. A card dropped in on the evening of Dec. 17 may not get collected until Dec. 18. Hand them over at the counter during the day, or look at the pickup time printed on the box.

Forgetting Hanukkah is early. USPS flags this on its holiday page: Hanukkah runs December 4 to December 12 this year. If you’re sending Hanukkah cards, the Christmas dates don’t apply to you. I’d get them in the mail by late November.

Assuming square cards are fine. Covered above, but it’s an easy one to miss. Annoying. Avoidable.

Mailing gifts with the cards and forgetting about returns. If you’re tucking gift cards in, fine. If you’re shipping actual presents, keep the receipts and check each store’s holiday return deadlines so the recipient can swap a wrong size in January.

What if you miss December 17?

Send them anyway. Honestly, this is the easiest problem on the whole list.

The Emily Post Institute’s take on holiday card etiquette is that you should try to have a card arrive ahead of the holiday you’re celebrating, but if it’s late, “the sentiment will still be warm and welcoming when the card is received.” They also point out that Happy New Year cards can go out the latest in the season and work for everyone, whatever they celebrate. If you’re behind, I’d switch the wording to New Year and mail them the week after Christmas. Nobody will be keeping score.

They also say you get to decide each year whether you send cards at all, and to whom. If the list has gotten out of hand, trimming it is allowed.

If the card is carrying a gift

A lot of cards double as a small present. A few things fit in a standard envelope without making it lumpy: a gift card in a flat sleeve, a photo, a pressed bookmark. Anything chunkier and you’re into package territory with the Dec. 18 Priority Mail date.

If you’re sending something small and still deciding what, my stocking stuffer ideas list has plenty that ships in a padded mailer, and the Secret Santa gifts under $25 post works for coworkers you’ll see after the holidays anyway. Totally out of time? Last-minute gift ideas can save you the trip to the post office entirely.

FAQ

What is the last day to mail Christmas cards in 2026?

For First-Class Mail within the U.S., USPS recommends mailing by Thursday, December 17, 2026. That date also covers Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. territories. International and military cards should go out by December 9.

Will a Christmas card mailed on December 18 arrive in time?

It might, especially for short distances, but USPS doesn’t recommend it. If you’re past Dec. 17 and it has to arrive by the 25th, Priority Mail (by Dec. 18) or Priority Mail Express (by Dec. 19) are the safer options. Otherwise, mail it anyway and let it be a New Year card.

How much postage does a Christmas card need in 2026?

A standard one-ounce card in a rectangular envelope needs one Forever stamp, which costs 82 cents since July 12, 2026. Square, rigid or lumpy cards are nonmachinable and need extra postage. International postcards and letters cost $1.75.

When should I mail Christmas cards to Europe or Canada?

USPS lists December 9 for First-Class Package International and Priority Mail International to every international region, Europe and Canada included. It doesn’t give a separate date for international letters, so December 9 is the sensible deadline for cards too.

Do old Forever stamps still work after the price increase?

Yes. A Forever stamp is good for the one-ounce First-Class letter rate whenever you use it, so the ones you bought at 78 cents still mail a standard card. That’s the main reason to keep a book in the drawer.

Mail them on the 16th and feel smug about it for a week. — Sophia