Late last month, Apple announced that it would be offering free standard shipping on all orders placed through the U.S. online store through December 22nd. Free shipping from the U.S. store typically requires a minimum $50 purchase, but Apple is waiving that minimum during the holiday shopping season.
With less than two weeks to go before Christmas, Apple has now bumped up that offer to include free 2-3 business day shipping, offering even faster deliveries for customers trying to complete their shopping. The standard shipping option previously included in the free shipping promotion can require up to five business days for delivery, with customers therefore waiting up to a week to receive their orders. But with the new upgraded free shipping, customers placing orders for in-stock items today can expect delivery on Thursday or Friday of this week.
Apple has also updated its holiday shipping info page to reflect the new 2-3 shipping option. The order deadline dates have not changed with the upgrade to 2-3 day free shipping, but customers should receive their shipment a bit faster.
For the majority of products, orders must be placed by December 19th in order to receive pre-Christmas delivery with the free shipping promotion. Select products do carry earlier deadlines though, with the deadline for customized Macs being tomorrow: December 14th. The deadline for iPhone 4S holiday orders has already passed, given the tight supplies that have resulted in 1-2 week shipping estimates for new orders.
For the last-minute shoppers, Apple does also offer next-day shipping on most items for an additional charge. Orders for most items (with the exception of customized Macs and engraved iPads and iPods) must be placed by December 21st with next-day shipping in order to receive pre-Christmas delivery.
