last dates to send cards and parcels

Whether you’re sending Christmas cards or presents to loved ones, you must ensure you know the deadlines for sending them.

Every year, Royal Mail announces the final dates for when you can send letters or parcels to guarantee they arrive in time for December 25.

The deadlines are staggered based on which postal option you chose, with the date for second class soonest and the Special Delivery Guaranteed® one falling five days later.

Here are the dates for your diary:

Wednesday, December 18: 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For

Friday, December 20: 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Royal Mail Tracked 48®

Saturday, December 21: Royal Mail Tracked 24®

Monday, December 23: Special Delivery Guaranteed®

To be extra safe, Royal Mail does advise customers to send any Christmas post as early as possible rather than leaving it until the final day.

Depending on which postage option you pick, you may notice stamps are a little more expensive this year.

While a second-class stamp is still 85p, the cost of a first-class one rose to £1.65 on October 7.

Royal Mail defended the 30p increase in September, citing the “urgent” financial challenges it’s facing. These have been worsened by people sending less mail, while the number of addresses it delivers to has risen by more than four million in the past 10 years.