When you are an ecommerce retailer, it is important to provide as much detail as possible for customers. And during the holiday season, the main piece of information that your customers want to know is this: Will my purchase get here by Christmas?

The good news is that you can figure out whether the merchandise you sell will reach your customers in time. And that means you can also post “last call” dates for holiday shipping on your Web site. Keep in mind that this year, with Christmas on a Tuesday (close to the previous weekend), and with heavy shipping days delaying delivery, customers may have to order — and you’ll have to send out packages — earlier. Here are some of those last call holiday shipping dates for destinations in the U.S. For international destinations, click on the links provided to find the proper information from the source.

U.S. Postal Service: First class cards and letters (for special business associates and customers), as well as Priority Mail, need to be out by Dec. 20. Express Mail’s last call is Dec. 22, and you only have until the end of this week (Dec. 15) if you want your Parcel Post to get there in time.

UPS: UPS offers 3-Day Select as late as Dec. 19 to get there in time for Christmas Eve. UPS 2nd Day Air has to be in by Dec. 20, and Next Day Air requires that you have your order in by the 21st. For an additional fee, you can squeeze in Next Day Air on the 22nd.

FedEx: FedEx offers a rather handy chart that provides an easy visual as to when it’s too last for your holiday shipping. Dec. 17 is the last day for FedEx Ground and Home Delivery. The dates move closer to Christmas as one progresses from Dec. 19 (FedEx Express Saver) to Dec. 22 (FedEx Overnight options). FedEx SameDay does, in fact, offer Christmas Day service. But I imagine it’s rather pricey.

DHL: DHL offers a rather comprehensive list of when it will be accepting packages and making deliveries. But if it’s last call holiday shipping you want, ground delivery has to be in by Dec. 14, 2nd day by the 19th, and next day by the 21st.

The last call for holiday shipping on your orders will depend on what shipping service you use. Figure out when things need to be sent now (if you haven’t already), and how much it will cost. Expedited shipping during the holidays can be more expensive. And make sure that the last call holiday shipping and price information can be easily located on your Web site, so that customers can find it quickly.

Tags: last call holiday shipping, holiday shipping, ecommerce, ecommerce retailer,
ecommerce holiday season, shipping by Christmas