When Are Amazon’s Holiday Shipping Deadlines?

August 18, 2025

The fourth quarter is the busiest time of year for ecommerce. For Amazon sellers, missing a shipping deadline can mean losing out on holiday traffic, gift orders, and peak revenue. Whether you use FBA or FBM, it is critical to know the holiday cutoff dates so your products stay visible and available when it matters most.

Key FBA Deadlines for 2025

If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), your inventory must arrive at Amazon’s fulfillment centers well before each major shopping event. Processing times, carrier delays, and warehouse backups all increase during peak season. Do not cut it close.

Here are Amazon’s recommended inventory arrival dates for 2025:

Prime Big Deal Days (PBDD)

AWD (Amazon Warehousing & Distribution): August 29
FBA Two-Touch Network (“Minimal Split”): September 10
FBA One-Touch Network (“Optimized”): September 19

Extended Black Friday / Cyber Monday

AWD: October 9
FBA Two-Touch Network (“Minimal Split”): October 20
FBA One-Touch Network (“Optimized”): October 30

Important: These are arrival dates, not ship dates. You should plan to send inventory 2–4 weeks earlier to account for supplier lead times, carrier delays, and check-in times at Amazon’s facilities.

FBM Sellers Still Have Deadlines

If you fulfill orders yourself (FBM), you also need to stay on top of cutoff dates. Amazon expects you to ship quickly and meet delivery promises even during peak demand.

You should:

Adjust handling times to reflect realistic delivery windows
Monitor carrier transit times closely
Use Amazon’s holiday settings to pause listings if you cannot meet expectations

Missing delivery windows can lead to late shipment penalties, bad reviews, and lost Buy Box share.

How to Prepare Ahead of Time

Finalize Inventory Early
For PBDD, inventory should be ready to ship in August; for BF/CM, aim to have inventory ready by late September. Waiting until October is risky. By then, suppliers and carriers are overloaded.
Use Amazon’s Holiday Planning Tools
Inside Seller Central, Amazon provides a holiday guide, marketing calendar, and promotional timeline. Use these resources to time Lightning Deals, coupons, and pricing changes around your in-stock inventory.
Double-Check Listing Quality
Make sure your top listings are retail-ready. Optimized titles, clear images, and updated bullet points. Q4 visibility is too valuable to waste on incomplete listings.
Watch Your Account Health
Amazon tightens enforcement during the holidays. Keep late shipments low, respond to customer messages quickly, and avoid order cancellations.

Why These Deadlines Matter

Holiday demand spikes early. If your product is not live and in stock during key weeks, you will miss out on high-converting traffic. Late inventory arrivals can lead to:

Lost sales during peak shopping days
Missed Prime eligibility
Suppressed listings or out-of-stock penalties
Higher costs from expedited shipping

Final Tip: Ship Early, Promote Strategically

Getting your inventory to Amazon on time is step one. After that, match your promotional calendar to your inventory levels. Run deals while stock is strong. Pause campaigns if shipments are delayed. Plan for returns and restocking in January.

The best Q4 results come from early preparation and disciplined execution. Don’t leave holiday sales up to chance.