Black Friday and Cyber Monday fall on November 27 and November 30, 2026. From then until the holidays, order volume, carrier pressure and porch theft all peak at the same time, and so do lost, late and stolen parcels. The stores that handle it well prepare in October. Use this checklist to get ready.
For the background on missing parcels, see the order protection guide and our porch piracy statistics.
What should you do in October?
- Check carrier holiday deadlines. Each carrier publishes its own; note the last ship dates for each service you use.
- Update delivery estimates on product and cart pages for the holiday period. If your dates depend on product, country or shipping method, an app such as Estimated Delivery Date - ETA can apply holiday schedules and order cutoff times for you.
- Review your shipping promises. In the US, the FTC’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule requires a reasonable basis for any shipping time you state, or for shipping within 30 days if you state none, and asking for consent if you cannot meet it.
- Update your protection policy: filing windows, when a parcel counts as lost during peak delays, evidence for theft claims.
- Stock packaging for fragile and high-value items.
What should you test before November?
- Protection widget shows on the cart page, cart drawer and any checkout or thank-you page placement, on mobile and desktop.
- Claims page works end to end: submit a test claim and check the confirmation.
- Order emails link to tracking and to your claims page.
- Price bands make sense for larger holiday carts. See how much to charge for shipping protection.
What should you prepare for your team?
- Email templates for late, lost, damaged and stolen orders. See customer email templates for lost and damaged orders.
- Who handles claims, and how fast you aim to reply.
- Decision rules: when to refund, reship or offer store credit.
- A plan for out-of-stock reships: offer a refund or store credit instead.
What should you tell customers?
- A holiday shipping banner with order-by dates.
- A short “Where is my order?” FAQ.
- A clear note that delivery estimates are longer during peak weeks.
- Encouragement to choose signature or pickup points for valuable gifts.
What should you do during peak weeks?
- Review new claims daily.
- Watch for “delivered” scans with no parcel. See delivered but not received claims.
- Track claims by carrier and region to spot problems early.
- Watch for repeat claims. See fraudulent shipping protection claims.
How should you handle reships when stock runs low?
Holiday stock moves fast, so a replacement may not be available when a claim comes in. Decide in advance what you will offer: a similar item, a refund, or store credit with a small bonus. Tell the customer the options in one email and let them choose. For gifts with a deadline, a quick refund is often kinder than a reship that arrives after the holiday. Note which products sold out so you can order more protection-friendly stock, and packaging, for next season.
What should you do after the holidays?
- Keep claims open through January, since late deliveries and returns spill over.
- Review attach rate, claims paid and loss ratio for the season.
- Note what to change next year: carriers, packaging, policy wording, widget placement.
To set up protection before peak season, see Sam Shipping Protection.
Frequently asked questions
When is BFCM in 2026?
Black Friday is November 27, 2026 and Cyber Monday is November 30, 2026.
When should I prepare for holiday shipping problems?
Start in October so policies, widgets and claims pages are tested before volume rises in November.
Where do I find carrier holiday shipping deadlines?
Each carrier publishes its own holiday deadlines every year. Check your carriers' sites directly and update your store banners to match.
Sources
Part of our guide: Order protection →