When to order your presents so they arrive in time for Christmas
We've rounded-up the last Christmas order dates for the cheapest delivery, for the latest delivery, and for click and collect delivery
CHRISTMAS is fast approaching but there’s still plenty of time to place orders for presents, food and more in time for Christmas Day.
Of course it can be tempting to leave your shopping to the last minute to get the best deals.
But you don’t want to leave things too late or you’ll end up with nothing or you could be hit with higher delivery charges from retailers that need to deliver your orders at shorter notice.
To help ensure you don't miss out - and get slapped with costly delivery fees - we’ve put together the ultimate guide to shops last order dates, including how much it'll cost.
We cover the last order dates for the cheapest delivery, for the latest delivery, and for click and collect delivery.
Here's what you need to know.
Amazon
offers a variety of delivery options.
For standard home delivery, you’ll need to place your orders by December 21. Standard home delivery prices range between 99p and £4.49 depending on your order.
With Amazon's one-day home delivery service - which is free for Amazon Prime members and £5.99 for non-members - you can order up to December 23 and even receive your order on Christmas Eve in selected locations.
In selected locations in the UK, you can also get same-day delivery for free as an Amazon Prime member - otherwise, this costs £6.99.
Argos
Shoppers at will be able to order products online and collect in store right up until closing time on Christmas Eve (dependent on stock availability).
But if you're looking to have the gifts in the morning on December 25 and you select standard delivery, we'd advise shoppers to order a day before.
But shoppers can also order up to 1pm on Christmas Eve to receive same-day Fast Track delivery before 6pm, but keep in mind delivery slots are booked on a first-come first-served basis.
Home delivery costs from £3.95 for customers, while the click-and-collect option is free of charge.
ASOS
As with Amazon, lets you deliver up to 5pm on December 21 for standard home delivery. This delivery will be free if you spend over £25, or £3 if you spend less.
Meanwhile, its free click-and-collect service requires you to order by midnight on December 21.
Boden
provides standard home delivery up to midnight on December 20, which is free when you spend £30 or more or £3 if you spend less.
Its express delivery service can be used up to 5pm on December 23, and costs £5.75.
The online clothes catalogue also offers click-and-collect until December 23, costing no more than £3.50.
Currys PC World
Last order dates for depends on what type of product you’re buying. For Christmas deliveries of large items, such as TVs, you’ll need to order by 7pm on December 22.
For smaller items, such as coffee-makers, you can leave your order until 8pm on December 23, provided it’s a next-day delivery.
Delivery costs range from free to £10.
If your item is in stock at your local branch, you can also click and collect your order at no extra charge.
Debenhams
’ standard home delivery is free when you spend £50 or more, and you’ll need to place your order by December 17. Spend less than £50 and it's £3.49.
The department store also lets you place next-day or nominated-day orders up to December 21 for £3.99 and £4.99 respectively.
Click-and-collect is available until 9pm on December 22nd. Its is free for orders of £30 or more, otherwise costing £2.
If you’re ordering any sort of furniture, though, you’ll need to check on a product-by-product basis. Larger items of furniture, such as sofas, typically need to be ordered well in advance of Christmas Day.
Ernest Jones
Jeweller and watchmaker has confirmed shoppers need to order their Christmas gifts by December 20 at 2pm the latest if they choose standard delivery, which costs £3.
If you find yourself buying your prezzies very last-minute and don't mind paying extra for next-day delivery, you can order the gifts by December 23 at 7pm and still receive them on time - but this is more expensive at £5.
The retailer also offers click-and-collect delivery for free to a selected number of stores.
For this, you'd have to order by December 22.
Feelunique
has a slightly earlier cut-off point for standard home delivery at December 19, but its standard service is free for orders over £20.
Buying less than this amount, and it's £3.95.
It also offers a range of faster delivery services, including next day delivery, at prices up to £9.95. The last order date for this is December 21.
Its ‘Tracked’ delivery service – which tracks your delivery’s progress – also requires you to order by December 19, and is free for orders over £40. It costs £0.95 for orders between £20 and £40, and £4.95 for orders under £20.
Feelunique's click-and-collect service is also free for orders over £40, and is available until December 21. Again, this costs £0.95 for orders between £20 and £40, and £4.95 for orders under £20.
H. Samuel
’s standard home delivery service is free when you spend over £49 pounds - otherwise it costs £2.49.
It is available until December 20 at 2pm, and the jeweller’s free click-and-collect service is available until midnight on December 22.
You can use its express delivery service – which costs £4.95 – until 7pm on December 23. If your order is worth £500 or more, express delivery is free.
H&M
The offers standard home delivery at a cost of £3.99 until 5pm on December 21 for most of the UK. If you’re in Northern Ireland or the Scottish highlands, you’ll need to order by 5pm on December 20.
Its next-day delivery service lets you buy in time for Christmas until 10pm until December 21. It costs £5.99.
Harvey Nichols
You’ll need to be slightly quicker with orders from . The department store’s standard service asks customers to order by December 17 and it costs £5.
It also offers a next-day delivery service for most of its products at a cost of £8, and a free click-and-collect service at all its UK stores. The last orders dates for these are December 20 and December 18.
The price of its hamper delivery service – which offers the home delivery of a selection of products for special occasions – varies depending on your order.
House of Fraser
advises customers to order by midnight on December 17 - both for click-and-collect and standard delivery - in order to receive their Christmas gifts on time.
Both delivery options cost £4.99.
John Lewis
’s click-and-collect service is available until December 22 and is free when you spend over £30. Under this amount and it's £2.
Its home delivery services vary depending on your order.
M&S
’s standard home delivery service is £3.50, and free for orders over £50.
You’ll need to be especially quick with any Christmas food orders from M&S, though: the deadline for any food bought from its ‘Christmas Food to Order’ service is 5pm on December 15.
Food bought from this service will need to be collected in-store on the day you select, as home delivery is not available. Collection is available at the majority of M&S stores.
New Look
Standard home delivery of products is available until midnight on December 20 at a cost of £3.99 - but it is free if you have a New Look Delivery Pass.
Its next-day delivery service typically costs £7.99, but is free for orders totalling £100 or more. The last order date for this is December 23.
Meanwhile, its click-and-collect service is free when you spend £45 or more. Otherwise it costs £2.99. The last order date for this varies depending on your order.
Office
offers a free click-and-collect service until December 18 in selected locations (and December 17 in Northern Ireland).
Its standard home delivery costs up to £3.50, though it is currently free on full priced-products. The deadline for standard home delivery is 3pm on December 18.
Office’s next-day delivery service is between £5 and £7 depending on your order, though this service is not available for all products. The deadline for this is December 21.
Snapfish
customers will need to order by December 18 for standard home deliveries, the price of which varies from 99p to £9.99 depending on your order.
Non-print products, such as cushions and other home decorations, will typically take a day longer to arrive than print products such as photos and calendars.
Urban Outfitters
has a last offer deadline of December 20 for most of its products, and December 12 for its furniture products. Standard delivery costs £3.99 and is free for orders over £30.
Customers using its express delivery service, which costs £5.99 and is free for orders over £90, can place orders until 8pm on December 21.
The speed of its free click-and-collect service varies depending on stock availability.
Waterstones
Second-class home delivery is available until December 18. All orders from totalling more than £20 will be delivered for free. Orders under this cost £2.75.
First class delivery is available until 2pm on December 19, at a price of £3.75.
Waterstones’ click-and-collect service is free regardless of the price of your order, and is available until Christmas Eve.
The bookseller also offers delivery via UK courier until 2pm on December 20, which costs £7.95.
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RETURNS & REFUNDS
Usually, you only have 28 days to return non-faulty goods, but high street retailers will typically extend their returns or exchange windows over the Christmas period.
If you want a refund, you’ll also need to bring the receipt with you, as well as the card you used to pay for your goods.
In some cases you might need to produce the original packaging, too, so it's worth checking the retailer's website before you set off to the shops.
That said, it’s important to remember that retailers are only legally obliged to refund or exchange if your item is faulty or unfit for purpose.
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