Holiday Season Resources for Printful Merchants

To prepare your store for the holidays, check the order deadlines, set up your billing for higher order volumes, and know how to contact Support if you need help. This article covers the US shipping surcharge, live chat hours, and tips for last-minute orders, so your store runs smoothly through the peak season.

Check holiday order deadlines and set customer expectations

Holiday order deadlines (also called order-by dates) are the suggested dates to place orders so they have the best chance of arriving before the holidays. See the full list of order-by dates by destination country, product category, and shipping method. Each deadline ends at the end of the day, Pacific Time (PT)

Note

Orders placed after the deadline are unlikely to arrive in time for the holiday. If an order includes products from different categories, submit it before the earliest deadline.

Deadlines differ by region because carrier delivery times, product availability, and stock levels vary between fulfillment centers. Some product categories, such as apparel, also take longer to produce

Fulfillment times can change during peak season, so check the current fulfillment times regularly.

To share deadlines with your end customers:

Check which deadlines apply to the products you sell.
Plan your marketing so the products with the earliest deadlines are promoted first. Find ideas in the holiday marketing guide.
Add the order-by dates to each product description.

Understand the temporary holiday shipping surcharge

During the holiday season, major US carriers apply temporary surcharges to manage increased order volumes.

From Oct 15, 2026 to Jan 17, 2027, all orders with a US destination address will include a USD 0.40 surcharge across all shipping methods.

If you sell to US customers, you may want to adjust your product or shipping prices to protect your margins. Learn more about the holiday shipping surcharge and how it affects your orders.

Prepare your billing to avoid order delays

The holiday rush means more orders and more payments. To avoid failed transactions and keep orders moving:

Raise your card’s daily limits, or enable auto-recharge for your Printful Wallet.
Make sure the payment method for your Printful Growth membership is active and funded.
Top up your Printful Wallet with Klarna or PayPal buy now, pay later.

For a full checklist, see how to get your billing ready for the holiday season.

Note

Manage your business wherever you are with the Printful mobile app, available for iOS and Android. Use the app to manage orders when you’re away from your computer.

Help last-minute holiday orders arrive on time

Double-check delivery addresses. Make sure names, address details, and zip codes are accurate.
Add the recipient’s email and phone number. Couriers are more likely to deliver on the first try, recipients get delivery updates, and packages are less likely to get stuck.
Offer express shipping once standard shipping can no longer arrive in time. It’s available for stores using live shipping rates, and for Shopify stores eligible for US domestic express shipping, including stores using flat rates.
Ordering for yourself? Place a manual order and select express shipping at checkout.

Get support during the holidays

If you need help with an order during the holidays, these steps help us review your request:

Keep related questions in one thread. If you already have an open support request and ask Sparky, our chatbot, about something related, Sparky adds your new details to that request. We’ll answer all your questions on that topic in one place.
Attach the right evidence the first time. When you submit a problem report, you’ll see instructions for the reason you select, including which photos or videos we need. You can submit a problem report within 30 days of delivery.

Live chat availability over the holidays

Holiday	Live chat closed	Closure starts
Christmas	All day Dec 24 and Dec 25 (ET)	Dec 24, 12:00 AM ET (Dec 23, 9:00 PM PT)
New Year	Dec 31 until Jan 1, 8:00 AM ET	Dec 31, 12:00 AM ET (Dec 30, 9:00 PM PT)

While chat is closed, you can browse the Help Center or message us through the contact form, and we’ll reply when we’re back. If you need to submit a problem report, file it with evidence attached before the break so we have the details we need when we return.

Find more holiday resources

Holiday guide: Find checklists, product picks, and shipping tips in the eCommerce holiday readiness guide.
Blog: How to prepare for eCommerce holidays 2026: Your ultimate 6-step guide.
Video: Quick wins for a profitable end of the year.
Community: Meet and swap tips with fellow Printful sellers in the Printful Insiders Facebook community.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact our Support Team.