Holiday Shipping Giveaways: How to Enter Before Deadlines Pass
Enter three open holiday drawings before Dec. 22 and Dec. 31, and mail paper entries before mid-December cutoffs.
To beat holiday shipping giveaway deadlines, enter each drawing before its end date and mail paper entries early. A sweepstakes is a chance-based drawing with free entry and no assured prize. Three current drawings run through late December, with different age, location, and entry rules.
Paper entries and mailed gifts also face mid-December carrier cutoffs.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 04, 2026.
When does mail need to go out?
The U.S. Postal Service recommends Dec. 17 for Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail.
It recommends Dec. 18 for Priority Mail and Dec. 19 for Priority Mail Express.
These dates target lower-48 delivery before Dec. 25, according to the U.S. Postal Service in the Postal Service holiday shipping dates.
FedEx targets Dec. 24 arrival. Last-ship dates are Dec.
15 for Ground Economy, Dec. 21 for Express Saver, Dec. 22 for 2Day, and Dec.
23 for overnight. Ground and Home Delivery fall Dec. 17–23 by transit time, according to FedEx in the FedEx peak shipping deadlines.
UPS lists Dec. 24–25 as a Christmas holiday with no regular pickup or delivery on Dec. 25.
Dec. 24 air pickup needs prearrangement by Dec. 18, with no Ground pickup.
The Postal Service and FedEx note these are estimates that vary by ZIP, acceptance time, and conditions.
Which holiday drawings are still open?
University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union's Holiday Shopping Sweepstakes runs Nov. 1–Dec. 31, 2026.
Entries come from $1,000 in qualifying credit-card purchases per month, plus a free mail-in entry choice. The University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union posts details on the credit union contests page. Cross Creek Mall's Santa's Stocking Giveaway runs Nov.
1–Dec. 22, 2026, with no purchase necessary. Entrants text the keyword from in-mall signage to (910)312-2650 or use the website or QR entry.
Cross Creek Mall describes entry in the mall giveaway rules. Santa Margherita Wines rules put the Uncork Extraordinary Moments Holiday Sweepstakes at Sept. 1–Dec.
31, 2026. Entry needs no purchase, requires age 21 or older, and is open only to listed states plus D.C. Rhode Island winners are capped at six.
How do you enter without paying?
All three drawings offer a way to enter without buying. The mall drawing needs only the posted keyword and a text or online form. The credit-union drawing allows a free mail-in entry instead of card spending.
Free means you can enter without payment, not that you receive a gift. Each entry gives a chance to win, not a promised prize. Read the age, location, purchase, and redemption limits beside each benefit.
How do you avoid fake prize notices?
The Federal Trade Commission says legitimate U.S. sweepstakes are free and chance-based. It is illegal to require payment or purchase to enter or improve odds.
A demand for taxes, shipping, or fees to release a prize signals a fake offer. Pause on any message that asks for money before delivery. Compare the notice with the sponsor's rules page and entry dates.
Enter only through the address, number, or site the sponsor lists.