Amazon Extends Free Shipping Deadlines

Heads up, holiday shoppers. If you're still planning to buy Christmas presents from Amazon and want to take advantage of the retailer's free shipping option, you'll need to place your order in the next two days to ensure you'll receive it before the holiday.

The Web retail giant this week extended its holiday shipping deadlines, allowing customers to order with Free Shipping (available on orders $35 and over) by Dec. 19 to receive items before Christmas. Prime members can order by Dec. 22 to have their packages delivered on Christmas Eve.

In addition, truly last-minute shoppers in 12 major metro areas can choose from a huge selection of items for same-day delivery, and order as late as 10 a.m. on Dec. 24 to have their items delivered the very same day. The "Get it Today" option is available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Head over to Amazon's Same-Day Delivery page to check out the selection of eligible items, including books, movies, toys, and electronics.

Here's a full rundown of Amazon's ordering deadlines you'll need to stick to if you want your items by Christmas:

Dec. 19: Free Shipping (order as late as 11:59 p.m. EST)
Dec. 22: Two-Day Shipping (free with Amazon Prime)
Dec. 23: One-Day Shipping (as low as $2.99 per item with Amazon Prime)
Dec. 24: Same-Day Delivery (order as late as 10:00 a.m. local time; $5.99 per shipment with Amazon Prime)

Meanwhile, if you're not sure what to buy, Amazon is currently offering some discounts on its lineup of Kindle and Fire products for a limited time.

Kindle ereader for $59 (down from $79)
Fire HD 7 tablet for $129 (down from $154)
Fire HD Kids Edition tablet for $159 (down from $189)
Kindle Fire HDX 7" tablet for $199 (down from $239)
Amazon Fire TV for $79 (down from $99)
Amazon Fire Phone for $229 unlocked (down from $449)

For more, check out 16 Tips Every Amazon Addict Should Know.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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