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Place Your Amazon Orders By These Dates to Get Them by Christmas

By: Brad Tuttle
Brad Tuttle, expert in Personal finance, shopping, consumer trends, and Senior Editor at Money
Brad Tuttle
Senior Editor | Joined January 2014
Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals.
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Published: Dec 14, 2017 3 min read
Christmas Shopping Online - Amazon boxes in Red Santa's Sack
Antwerpen, Belgium - February 25, 2014: Santa's bag filled with Amazon.eu boxes. Amazon is the world's largest online retailer.
JurgaR—Getty Images

The clock is ticking for holiday shoppers seeking free shipping for Amazon orders guaranteed to be delivered by December 24.

Unsurprisingly, free shipping is incredibly popular with shoppers. According to a 2017 survey by Deloitte, three-quarters of American consumers will take advantage of free shipping deals during the holiday season, and 90% consider free shipping to be important than fast shipping.

Also unsurprisingly, a huge portion of shoppers make online purchases with Amazon during the holiday season. One source estimates that Amazon accounted for 45% of online purchases on Thanksgiving Day, as well as a staggering 55% of online sales on Black Friday 2017.

So what are the deadlines for placing orders with Amazon, so that gifts are sure to arrive in time to be placed under the tree on Christmas morning?

Amazon spells out all the holiday ordering deadlines on its site. Here are the big dates that online shoppers need to know about, whether you're a member of Amazon Prime or not:

Friday, Dec. 15: Last day for free shipping for non-Prime members.

Friday, Dec. 22: Last day for free two-day shipping for Prime members.

Saturday, Dec. 23: Last day for free one-day shipping for Prime members in select cities.

Sunday, Dec. 24: 9:30 a.m. is generally the deadline for free same-day delivery for Prime members in select cities.

The above dates are valid for shipping within the contiguous United States. Orders being shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico may require more time, so cutoff dates may be earlier.

If you've missed any of the deadlines, or even if it's Christmas Day and you forgot to buy someone a present, it's not too late: You can always order an electronic Amazon gift card on the spot.

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