The last day to mail Christmas cards in 2026
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We took eight envelope sizes that stationers sell and ran each one through the Postal Service’s shape rule. All three square ones failed, so a square card needs 49 cents on top of the stamp. The small A2, the envelope for a 4¼ × 5½ card, passes by a sixteenth of an inch. Most people find this out at the counter. Tell the checker where your card is going and what it’s in, and it gives you USPS’s last day to mail it for Christmas 2026, the days you have left and the postage for the whole stack. The dates and prices are USPS’s own, with links at the bottom of the page. We make photo cards you send as a link, so we have no stamps to sell you. And when the mail runs out of days, a link doesn’t.
USPS’s 2026 dates for a card to arrive before Christmas
| Going to | First-Class | Priority | Priority Express |
|---|---|---|---|
| The lower 48 states | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Friday, Dec. 18 | Saturday, Dec. 19 |
| Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or a U.S. territory | Thursday, Dec. 17 | Friday, Dec. 18 | Saturday, Dec. 19 |
| Canada | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 16 |
| Mexico | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 16 |
| Any other country | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 16 |
| An APO, FPO or DPO address | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Wednesday, Dec. 16 |
What one card costs to mail
| Going to | Up to 1 oz | Up to 2 oz | Postcard |
|---|---|---|---|
| The U.S., its territories and APO/FPO/DPO | $0.82 | $1.11 | $0.65 |
| Canada | $1.75 | $2.35 | $1.75 |
| Mexico | $1.75 | $2.60 | $1.75 |
| Every other country | $1.75 | $3.50 | $1.75 |
A letter USPS’s machines can’t sort, like one in a square envelope, costs 49¢ more. A postcard never does.
Our test: 8 envelope sizes against USPS’s shape rule
| Envelope | Size (inches) | Length ÷ height | Extra postage? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A2, for 4¼ × 5½ cards | 5¾ × 4⅜ | 1.31 | No |
| A6, for 4½ × 6¼ cards | 6½ × 4¾ | 1.37 | No |
| A7, for 5 × 7 cards | 7¼ × 5¼ | 1.38 | No |
| A9, for 5½ × 8½ cards | 8¾ × 5¾ | 1.52 | No |
| No. 10, the business size | 9½ × 4⅛ | 2.30 | No |
| 5½-inch square, for square cards | 5½ × 5½ | 1.00 | Yes, 49¢ |
| 6-inch square, for square cards | 6 × 6 | 1.00 | Yes, 49¢ |
| 6½-inch square, for square cards | 6½ × 6½ | 1.00 | Yes, 49¢ |
The dates, in one line each
These are USPS’s recommended send-by dates for delivery before December 25, 2026. They aren’t a guarantee: USPS says delivery depends on where the card starts, where it’s going and when the post office takes it in. Mailing for Hanukkah, which runs December 4 to 12 this year? Count back from there instead.
- In the lower 48, mail it First-Class by Thursday, December 17. Priority Mail buys you one more day, to Friday the 18th, and Priority Mail Express two, to Saturday the 19th.
- Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. territories get the same three dates, though USPS warns that mail to offshore ZIP Codes can take longer.
- For Canada, Mexico and every other country, the First-Class and Priority Mail International dates are both Wednesday, December 9. Priority Mail Express International runs a week longer, to Wednesday, December 16.
- Military and diplomatic addresses (APO, FPO and DPO) have until Wednesday, December 9, for First-Class and Priority Mail. Priority Mail Express Military Service runs to Wednesday, December 16, where it’s offered, and it isn’t offered to ZIP Codes starting with 093.
Christmas cards made from your photos
What a card costs to mail
One Forever stamp covers a card up to 1 ounce anywhere in the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories and military addresses. That’s $0.82 on USPS’s current price list. A card with a ribbon, a photo insert or heavy stock can go over an ounce, so put one on a kitchen scale before you buy a sheet of stamps. Over an ounce and up to two is $1.11.
Outside the U.S., a 1-ounce card is $1.75 to any country, the price of one Global Forever stamp. A flat postcard is the cheapest way to send a photo: $0.65 in the U.S., as long as it’s no bigger than 6 by 4¼ inches and no thicker than 0.016 inch.
Why a square card costs more
USPS charges 49 cents more for any letter its sorting machines can’t handle, and the first test on its list is shape. Divide the envelope’s length by its height: if the answer is under 1.3 or over 2.5, the letter goes through by hand. A square envelope comes out at 1.0, so it fails every time, whatever its size. The eight sizes we checked are in the table above.
Shape isn’t the only thing that adds the 49 cents. These do too:
- A clasp, string or button that closes the envelope.
- Something lumpy inside, like a pen, a coin or a key.
- A card too stiff to bend around the machine’s belt.
- The address written along the short side.
- A plastic envelope, or one whose outside isn’t paper.
Missed the date?
You still have two ways out. The first is to mail it anyway. A card that turns up the week after Christmas still gets opened, and if it won’t land until January, swap the greeting for a New Year wish. The second is to send one of ours. You add a photo of the person, we put them in a Christmas card, and you text or email the link, so it arrives the minute you send it.
Stuck on the words? Here are Christmas card messages for whoever’s getting the card, and your last name made plural for the sign-off.
Sources
We read each of these on November 12, 2026. If one changes, or you spot a mistake, write to support@winding.ai and we’ll fix it. The HiWith team.
- USPS’s 2026 holiday send-by dates are at usps.com/holiday/holiday-shipping-dates.htm.
- Its Notice 123 price list, in effect since October 4, 2026, is at pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm.
- Letter and postcard sizes and the nonmachinable rules are in section 101 of its Domestic Mail Manual, at pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm.
How it works
- Pick a cardPilots, mermaids, rock stars, one very surprised cake. Every one shows a real example first.
- Add their photosOne clear face each, up to 5 people. A selfie is fine. No sign-up.
- Preview it, then payOne picture of them in the card in about 20 seconds. Like it? Apple Pay or Google Pay, and four pictures arrive about 20 seconds later, the video in about 90.
What’s the last day to mail Christmas cards in 2026?
Mail it First-Class by Thursday, December 17, if it’s going anywhere in the 50 states, Puerto Rico or a U.S. territory. Priority Mail gives you until Friday the 18th and Priority Mail Express until Saturday the 19th. A card for another country or a military address has to go by Wednesday, December 9.
How much postage does a Christmas card need?
A card up to 1 ounce mailed in the U.S. needs one Forever stamp, which costs $0.82. Up to 2 ounces is $1.11, and a square envelope adds $0.49 either way. To another country, a 1-ounce card takes one Global Forever stamp, $1.75.
Do square Christmas cards need extra postage?
Yes. USPS’s machines can’t sort a square letter, so it costs 49 cents more, which makes $1.31 for a 1-ounce card in the U.S. Add 49 cents of postage to the Forever stamp, or have the post office counter print the exact amount.
Is the international date the same for a card?
USPS lists its international dates for First-Class Package International Service and Priority Mail International, and both are Wednesday, December 9. It gives no separate date for First-Class Mail International letters, which is how a card goes, so we use December 9 for cards too.
Is it too late to send a Christmas card after December 17?
First-Class Mail won’t get it there by the 25th, but the card still counts: one that shows up the week after Christmas gets opened just the same. If it has to be there on the day, send one of ours as a link instead.
By HiWith (Winding AI, Inc.) · support@winding.ai · Updated