Pre-Christmas order deadlines: check this year's dates

Yes, it’s that time already! It’s time to plan ahead, keep track of and remember the key order deadlines before Christmas, so you can get through the Christmas photoshoot season and pre-Christmas orders smoothly and without the usual last-minute chaos. 

Here is your nPhoto pre-Christmas schedule. Download it, save it, or come back to it whenever you need to, so you know how to plan your work and place orders for your clients’ Christmas photo products. 

When do I need to place my order for my client to receive their product before Christmas?

Here are the two order deadlines for your Christmas orders, covering two different product groups. Make a note of them and stick to them to avoid unnecessary stress during the busy pre-Christmas season.

Photo products with an earlier deadline

Photo products with a later deadline
 

The deadline is the last safe date, not the recommended date for placing your order. It is a deadline for you. Give your clients an earlier date so they place their orders sooner, leaving you enough time for designing, ordering, receiving and delivering the products. If possible, place your order earlier and do not leave it until the last minute.

To ensure timely delivery, we recommend that customers in Puerto Rico, Cyprus, Japan, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Malta, Iceland, Australia, Norway, Canada, and Switzerland place their orders in advance, as shipping to these countries may require additional time.

When planning your orders for the pre-Christmas season, please also keep the following in mind: 

• Orders placed before the deadline will be given priority.
• From 27 November 2026 (Friday) through 6 January 2027 (Wednesday), inclusive, free shipping will be suspended. 
• Free shipping will be reinstated on 7 January 2027. 
• From 15 November 2026 to 31 January 2027, we will not process custom orders. 
• Check the current production times here: Production times 
• Placing your order by the deadlines we specify means it will be shipped and delivered before Christmas. However, we recommend that you keep an eye on our production times, which will also be updated after the deadlines. This will help you stay up to date with the available production times, as we will continue processing orders whenever our production capacity allows. 

How to make the Christmas season easier: best practices 

• Keep track of production deadlines,
• Don't leave orders until the last minute,
• Remember that production time and delivery time are two different things, and delivery is beyond our control,
•  Encourage your clients to finalise their orders as early as possible, 
• Stock up in advance on products from our range that you can order ahead of time, and buy them in larger quantities. For example, you can order Eco Gift Boxes for Prints, decorative envelopes, slip-in products, and Boxes for Prints with a universal Christmas design,
• Order Prints separately. Don't combine them with other photo products in the same order, as this extends the production time for Prints. 
• Follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and our private Facebook community, which you can join at any time:

Join 

If you have any questions or concerns during the season, remember that your Customer Advisor and our Customer Service team will be happy to help. 

IMPORTANT DATES for the Christmas season
 

You can also find answers to the questions most frequently asked during the Christmas season

1. How can I check the status of my shipment?

You can normally check this in the Customer Area, under “My orders”. However, we would like to point out that for the past few years, during the pre-Christmas period, we have experienced issues with courier companies properly updating shipment statuses. We often receive questions about parcels that have physically been shipped from our side, but still appear in courier systems as if they have not left us.

2. What “rule” do you use when deciding which orders to process?

It is determined by the date the order was placed. In other words, we process orders one by one, in the order in which they are received. That is why we recommend placing smaller orders more frequently. Your orders enter a queue, and we process them according to their position in that queue. If the queue is long, the production process itself also takes longer. We do everything we can to prevent production times from being extended: we work around the clock and at weekends, increase our team by several hundred additional people, and our machines operate non-stop. Despite this, the pre-Christmas period has its own challenges, and you should be prepared for the possibility of longer production times.  

3. Is it possible to speed up the production of my order?

No. During the pre-Christmas period, we do not offer an express service, and any other attempt to interfere with the production process is not possible, as it would disrupt the already very tight production cycles during this period, which we cannot allow.

4. Does it take longer to process an order during the pre-Christmas season?

Often, yes. This is due to the very large number of orders we process at the same time. This puts considerable strain on both our machines and our team. Individual production processes take longer, and order fulfilment and packing may also take more time.

5. Can I be sure that I will receive my order within the stated production time?

We do everything we can to meet the production times we have stated for you. We work well in advance. We plan. For months, we have been securing supplies of raw materials and servicing our machines. Unfortunately, however, we cannot give a 100% guarantee. Some situations cannot be predicted: equipment failures, power outages, illness among key employees and other unforeseen events. That is why we always urge you not to leave your orders until the last minute and to spread them out over time whenever possible. This way, even if something unexpected happens, we will have time to respond, and you will still receive your products before Christmas.

6. Can I place a custom order during the pre-Christmas period?

No. From 15 November 2024 to 31 January 2025, we do not process custom orders.

7. What can I do to reduce the waiting time for my orders?

Yes, proper planning and placing smaller orders more frequently can certainly help streamline the process. You can read about other ways to reduce your waiting time in the article How to reduce waiting time for your orders.

8. I am placing an order and timing is important to me. How do I know when to expect delivery?

You will find this information when placing your order. When choosing your delivery method, you will see an “estimated delivery” date listed for each carrier. Please note that the delivery date provided here depends largely on the carrier during the pre-Christmas season. You will receive shipping information from the carrier in a separate email, while our message will let you know that your parcel has been packed and is waiting for the courier.

9. What if I miss the deadline?

You can still place orders, but we cannot guarantee delivery before Christmas. An order placed after the pre-Christmas deadline may still arrive before Christmas Eve, but it may also arrive too late. 
 

A good tip from us: 
Before you send us your Christmas orders:

• check the deadline for your chosen product,
• allow enough time for delivery to your client,
• prepare and approve your project,
• check the delivery address,
• place your order,
• pay for your order before the deadline.