We make everything ourselves in Steubenville, we also need time to produce your items and ship them in time for Christmas - this time has nothing to do with shipping, and everything to do with our busy hands and how much work we have to do.
The picture above is one of our lovely packers, holding someone's order.
All orders placed on or before 12/12/18 have a by-Christmas guarantee.
These orders will arrive before Christmas. That might mean 7PM on Monday 12/24, but it is still before Christmas at that point. Orders will arrive at your destination no later than Monday 12/24. Some orders may come sooner, but as long as you ordered by 11:59 on 12/12, it will arrive no later.
Does this mean that I can't order Christmas gifts after 12/12/18?
No, not at all. All this means is that we are guaranteeing orders up to that time. Orders placed after 12/12/18 may likely still arrive in time for Christmas, especially if you pay for expedited shipping, but we can't promise you that. They may arrive a day or two after Christmas, still very much in the Christmas season - isn't it great to be Catholic?
Can I order after 12/12/18 and get my gifts even sooner? Before 12/24/18?
Yes, that is possible, but again, we cannot make that a promise. Buy after 12/12 and your order is in God's hands. As is our standard practice, orders with expedited shipping (UPS 3-Day, UPS 2-Day, UPS Next-Day, USPS Express Mail, etc.) are given priority; so if you're traveling, need extra time to wrap gifts, etc., we recommend you choose one of the faster shipping options in order to better your chances of receiving the package sooner.
What is the difference between expedited and regular shipping?
After we have taken the time to make your order and ship it, regular shipping options like USPS First Class, USPS Priority Mail, and UPS Ground still vary in transit time depending on your geography and ours. If you are closer to our warehouse in Steubenville, things will come to you faster, if you are far away, things will come to you slower.
These maps illustrate that point:
NOTE: the United States Postal Service does not guarantee these times, and even though USPS estimates 1-3 business days in transit, we have seen USPS shipments take substantially longer to arrive. Our experience is that UPS has a more reliable map.
UPS does theoretically guarantee these transit times for Ground shipments, but keep in mind that at Christmastime, their entire system is stressed far beyond normal capacity, and even UPS has been known to take an extra day or two for Ground delivery when we get to the last week before Christmas.
If you are reading this after 12/12 and need to order in time for Christmas, we suggest choosing expedited shipping and planning on giving us at least 2-3 days to ship your order. It's still a gamble at this point, but Expedited Shipping is more sure than USPS or Ground options.
Out of Time? What should you do?
Catholic to the Max online gift cards are still a great option for you.
Here are transit time maps for our online gift cards:
Does the 12/12/18 by-Christmas Guarantee count for Free Shipping?
If your order qualifies for Free Shipping at $75 or more, and you ordered before 12/12/18, then yes, Free Shipping orders are included in the guarantee.
Best of luck to you, and remember that, when you're Catholic, Christmas is an entire season, so don't sweat it if your gifts come after the 25th! God bless you!