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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is available until December 20 at 2pm, and the jeweller’s free click-and-collect service is available until midnight on December 22.
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.
Both delivery options cost £4.99.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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