Sending Christmas presents in the post

Sometimes it feels as though Christmas is barely over for one year before the build-up starts again the next. We all know those amazingly organised people who are already shopping in March – and by the time September rolls around, they’re “all ready” for the next round of festivities!

Of course, not everyone is that focused on preparing for Christmas, but if you find yourself thinking early about how you’ll get the gifts to your friends and family  (or perhaps customers and suppliers) who you won’t be seeing in person this time around, you might find our information on sending Christmas presents in the post useful.

From Swansea to Stirling, Seville to Strasburg and Seoul to Soweto, with a little forward planning and preparation, you can be sure to get those lovely presents to their destination in good time, ready for putting under the tree in December.

Perfect timing

First things first, you need to think about timing your parcel correctly. Sending it as early as you possibly can is, of course, recommended – especially when sending internationally - as December will be a busy time for all mailing companies around the world. If you can send sooner rather than later then do so; that way you can rest easy about your gifts arriving.

Christmas 2018 sees the 25th fall on a Tuesday; you’ll need to consider that when planning your bookings to make sure you send before the last possible delivery day.  It's worth checking back here for the ipostparcels Christmas Parcel Delivery Schedule to see full details of your actual deadlines as soon as they’re released in November.

If you simply can’t get everything done any earlier, then you can leave it until the last minute, but try not to! While we endeavour to deliver all parcels in time, we can’t guarantee it – the best way to ensure those gifts arrive on time is to send them long before the last posting dates.

This is particularly true for international post – where delivery times are already several days from collection to delivery – so check the Christmas Parcel Delivery Schedule for last dates for overseas posting dates.

Size matters when sending Christmas gifts

While gift vouchers are pretty popular these days, especially for sending through the post, some people still like to send extravagant or large presents to their friends and family members. If you're planning on giving something on the bigger side, make sure you consider any dimension or weight restrictions that might prevent that generous gesture.

There are some variations depending on whether your parcel is staying in the UK or being shipped abroad, but in general, the tallest - or longest - item we can send will have to be contained in a box measuring 140cm x 35cm x 35cm and weigh no more than 20kg.

The heaviest we can take is 25kg – and no dimension can exceed 80cm.

There is a bit of flexibility to allow for items of different shapes too. It's possible to send parcels measuring a maximum of 75cm x 75cm x 75cm; 80cm x 80cm x 80cm; or 120cm x 50cm x 50cm.

Take a look at our parcel delivery rates for UK delivery and International parcel delivery rates for more information.

Robust packaging

Nobody wants to find a broken present under the Christmas tree, so be sure to wrap and protect your item properly before sending it. First, find a box that gives the gift enough room, and then fill the gaps with something soft to ensure it doesn't move around too much in transit.

Polystyrene, shredded paper and bits of sponge are all useful materials in this instance, so use them generously – they’re lightweight so won’t add much to your postage costs.
 
Once everything has been placed comfortably inside, use strong tape to cover all of the seals / openings. Although you can be sure your parcel will be handled with the utmost care, it may be worth reinforcing the edges for maximum protection.

Christmas is a time of giving, and if you're not close enough to hand over your presents in person, trust us to help get them to your friends and family.  

Forget lugging parcels around town and wasting time in lengthy queues - ipostparcels will make the task of getting those festive gifts delivered much easier!

Related content:

How to protect items in transit
Guide to sending large and heavy parcels
Waterproofing and packaging your parcel
Packaging parcels for international delivery

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* £2.49 from price based on a next day XS parcel size with a UK depot drop off and UK depot collection service. Delivery to British Isles, The Highlands, Ireland, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland operate on a 1-3 day delivery service and can incur further costs. £8.74 price based on a parcel weight of up to 25kg (50cm x 50cm x 50cm) on a UK depot drop off and economy delivery service to Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg or Austria. All prices quoted on content pages (outside of the quick quote and booking form) will be based on the depot drop off discounted price for UK deliveries and on a 0.5kg parcel with dimensions of 10cm x 10cm x 10cm for all international air countries. The size and weight of your parcel affects the price you’ll pay so it’s important to weigh and measure your parcel correctly to ensure your parcel arrives on time without any delays. Use our quick quote for all pricing options.
The £1 saving on every additional consignment sent in a UK order is exclusive to home collection orders only - this discount will not be added in addition to the depot drop off discount or depot collection discount. † If you do not select the "signature required" delivery option, UKMail will not be liable should your items be subsequently lost or damaged after the delivery (see clause 5.2.2 of the Terms & Conditions). We define a "Parcel" as a package with dimensions up to 80cm x 80cm x 80cm or up to 120cm x 50cm x 50cm or up to 140cm x 35cm x 35cm. **’Was’ pricing based on the previous fixed collection and signature price for XS and collection price for small. ‘Now from’ pricing based on the new prices for XS and Small with the depot drop off discount applied.

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