Peak season delivery tips to maximise sales
Be ready to capture the demand right up to the last posting dates. Keep your account details up to date and check that your listings reflect how you're operating during peak.
Checklist
- Confirm your working days and cut‑off times so estimated delivery dates (EDD) reflect your current operations.
- Confirm your Item location information is accurate on your listings.
- Review handling times, add tracked and faster services where possible.
- Update Business Policies so all active listings inherit your changes.
- Monitor last posting dates and adjust your dispatch commitments accordingly.
- Keep listing information accurate to set buyer expectations and improve conversion.
Aim to deliver before Christmas
Currently, eligible listings will display an ‘Arrives before Christmas’ message that reflects your dispatch speed and the carrier services you use, helping convert last‑minute shoppers and sustain sales through peak.
To ensure the promise remains accurate:
- Keep your handling time and dispatch cut‑off settings up to date
- Use tracked carrier services that support pre‑Christmas delivery
- Consider moving to same day dispatch or extending same day dispatch hours while clearly communicating cut‑off dates
Keep your account settings up to date
To ensure accurate delivery expectations on your listings, verify and update the following:
Working days and cut‑off times for same‑day dispatch
Update this information here: Set your availability for same day dispatch.
Learn more about how these settings affect delivery estimates: How your working days & cut off times are used to calculate estimated delivery dates
Handling time and carrier services offered
If you use Business Policies, update the handling times and services in your policy settings: Business policies
Item location information
It’s important that listings have the correct item location information to ensure delivery estimate accuracy. This is especially critical around UK bank holidays. The conditions we use to capture these holidays rely on the information provided: country, city/area, and postcode. This allows us to correctly adjust delivery estimates, particularly for regional bank holidays (e.g., Scotland only).
Please double-check that your listings include accurate location details. For reference, you may find these documents useful:
Plan around last posting dates
Review your delivery proposition across your listings to make yourself aware of the carrier's last posting dates for pre‑Christmas delivery.
To help you plan for Christmas delivery, we’ve compiled an overview of Last Postage Dates 2025, which we’ll keep updated. Continue to monitor your carriers’ websites for any updates too.
Authenticity Guarantee orders
Sellers who use our Authenticity Guarantee Service should review the service days for the facility and ensure their on‑site shipping timelines accurately reflect the holiday schedule.
Holiday closures
Authenticity Guarantee centre: Closed 25–28 December and 1 January
What sellers should do:
- Update handling times and dispatch promises on listings to reflect the closure dates
- Adjust shipping cut‑off times and buyer communications so expectations are clear
- Plan inventory and carrier bookings around these dates to avoid delays.
Offer faster, tracked services
Buyers will prioritise visibility, speed and tracking whilst shopping for Christmas gifts during peak season. Consider listing with faster, tracked services and reduce your handling time where possible to improve conversion.
Boost visibility and performance
Explore our Peak season guide for practical tips to stand out and convert more sales in this busy period: Prepare for Peak Season
Buyer Communication
Be mindful that your buyers may be concerned about items not arriving on time for Christmas. During this period, ensure you stay in regular contact with your buyers both to answer their questions and to update them on their order. Keeping open communication will reduce worry on your buyer’s side and potential negative feedback.
