Last Posting Dates For Christmas 2025
Here’s everything you need to know about last orders for Christmas.
The last posting dates for Christmas are in. Whether you’re sending them directly to your loved ones or to wrap up yourself, last-minute shoppers beware… Don’t assume you can always get next-day delivery! Some shops have last order dates for Christmas as early as the 15th of December. And closer to the big day, the demand will be high, so you’ll want to be prepared.
Here’s our list of major Christmas shops and their last order dates for Christmas 2025. Plus we’ve got the details on Christmas delivery costs to watch out for and Royal Mail’s final posting dates for 2025.
Last updated: 7th November 2024
In this article:
How to find Christmas last post dates and keeping the costs down
Search the retailer
Shops will often have a dedicated “last Christmas delivery” section on their site, Alternatively, you could slide into their DMs on Instagram or X and ask the question directly.
Double check time and cost for Christmas Delivery
There can be big differences between the cost of Next Day Delivery and a cheaper rate. But if you’re in a hurry, you need to weigh up what you want to do. Check for things like local postal strikes in the area that could affect your mail provider. If it’s important, it’s probably not worth the risk. So checking out alternative couriers or options is a good plan so you can get your gifts sent in time for Christmas.
Try click and collect
If you time it right, you can pick up your Christmas presents instead. Click and collect is also a great way to save money when shopping for Christmas gifts. But make sure you check the delivery dates and items so you don’t miss the cut-off.
Look out for discount codes
Download the Student Beans app today and you will have access to discount codes for ALL your favourite brands. Perfect for saving money when you’re Christmas shopping. We’ve got lots of cheap Christmas gift ideas for students so you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank this festive season.
Last Royal Mail dates for Christmas
The Royal Mail’s last order date for Christmas delivery is slightly earlier than most shops, depending on the service you use to post cards and gifts.
You can send items via special delivery up until the 23rd of December, so you can still grab a last-minute gift. It’ll cost you more though, so bear that in mind.
| Date | Post service |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 18th December | 2nd Class 2nd Class signed for |
| Friday 20th December | 1st Class 1st Class signed for Royal Mail Tracked 48 |
| Saturday 21st December | Royal Mail Tracked 24 |
| Monday 23rd December | Special Delivery Guaranteed |
Keep an eye on the Royal Mail website in case anything changes.
Last order dates for Christmas
We’ve gathered the last order dates from all the major shops so you can plan your Christmas shopping this year.
| Shop | Last order for cheapest delivery | Delivery cost | Christmas last delivery date | Student discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Varies depending on seller | Free (with £20+ spend) | 23rd December (free with Prime) | Amazon student discount |
| Ann Summers | 19th December | Free (£40+ spend) | 21st December (£5.95) | Ann Summers student discount |
| Apple | 22nd December | Free | N/A | Apple student discount |
| ASOS | 20th December | Free (£40+ spend) | 23rd December (£5.95) | ASOS student discount |
| boohoo | 19th December | £3.99 | 22nd December (£5.99) | boohoo student discount |
| Boots | 19th December | Free (£25+ spend) | 21st December (£4.95) | Boots student discount |
| Burton | 18th December | Free (£60+ spend) | 22nd December (£5.49) | Burton student discount |
| Buyagift.com | N/A | Free e-voucher | 25th December (e-voucher) | Buyagift student discount |
| Firebox | 19th December | Free (£50+ spend) | N/A | Firebox student discount |
| Footasylum | 20th December | Free (£70+ spend) | 21st December (£5.99) | Footasylum student discount |
| French Connection | 20th December | Free (£75+ spend) | 21st December (£5.95) | French Connection student discount |
| GAME | 15th December | £4.99 | 21st December (£9.99) | GAME student discount |
| H. Samuel | 18th December | Free (£20+ spend) | 22nd December (£4.95) | H.Samuel student discount |
| Hotel Chocolat | 20th December | From £3.95 | 22nd December (from £4.95) | Hotel Chocolat student discount |
| House of Fraser | 19th December | £4.99 | 22rd December (£9.99) | House of Fraser student discount |
| Interflora | 23rd December | £7 | 24th December (£10) | Interflora student discount |
| IWOOT | 20th December | £3.99 | N/A | IWOOT student discount |
| JD Sports | 19th December | Free (£70+ spend) | 21st December (£4.99) | JD Sports student discount |
| John Lewis | 19th December | Free (£50+ spend) | 22nd December (£7.50) | John Lewis student discount |
| LOOKFANTASTIC | 20th December | Free (£25+ spend) | 22nd December (£5.95) | LOOKFANTASTIC student discount |
| M&S | 17th December | Free (£60+ spend) | 23rd December (£5.99) | Marks and Spencer student discount |
| Myprotein | 20th December | Free (£45+ spend) | 22nd December (£7.99) | Myprotein student discount |
| New Look | 17th December | Free (£50+ spend) | 21st December (£5.99) | New Look student discount |
| PrettyLittleThing | 20th December | £3.99 | 22nd December (£5.99) | PrettyLittleThing student discount |
| River Island | 20th December | Free (£50+ spend) | 22nd December (£6) | River Island student discount |
| Schuh | 18th December | Free (£25+ spend) | 21st December (£4.99) | schuh student discount |
| Superdrug | 16th December | Free (£25+ spend) | 21st December (£4.90) | Superdrug student discount |
| The Body Shop | 18th December | Free (£35+ spend) | 21st December (£4.99) | The Body Shop student discount |
| The Fragrance Shop | 20th December | Free | 22nd December (£4.99) | The Fragrance Shop student discount |
| The Hut | 20th December | Free (£100+ spend) | 22nd December (£6.49) | The Hut student discount |
| Thorntons | 18th December | Free (£40+ spend) | 21st December (£5.95) | Thortons student discount |
| Urban Outfitters | 20th December | Free (£30+ spend) | 21st December (£5.99) | Urban Outfitters student discount |
| WHSmith | 20th December | Free (£25+ spend) | 21st December (£5.99) | WHSmith student discount |
| Zavvi | 20th December | £1.99 (£10+ spend) | N/A | Zavvi student discount |
Can you get a delivery Christmas Eve?
The latest you can get delivery is the 23rd of December 2025 for most retailers. However, retailers like Amazon have been known to deliver on Christmas Eve in the past. Personally, we wouldn’t chance it — get ahead this Christmas with Student Beans discounts.
If you’re really stuck and need a last minute gift then you can’t go wrong with a gift card, experience or voucher for a loved one. These are often available to get as e-gift vouchers, so you could even buy it on Christmas morning!
But if the countdown to Christmas is on but you’re still not sure if you can afford gifts this year, then we’ve got some alternatives too.
