Business days in shipping are Monday through Friday, not counting holidays. Saturdays, Sundays and carrier holidays usually do not count, and the day you order normally doesn’t either. So “ships in 5 business days” means about one calendar week.
Today: No. is a Saturday, so it is not a business day.
Example: 5 business days after is , excluding United States (federal) holidays.
What is a business day in shipping?
A business day is a weekday on which the seller and the carrier are working. Retailers quote two separate clocks, and both are usually in business days:
- Processing time: the days the seller needs to pick, pack and hand the order to the carrier.
- Transit time: the days the carrier needs to move the package to your address.
Add them together for the delivery estimate. An order with 1–2 business days of processing and 3–5 business days of transit can take 4–7 business days, which is roughly one to one and a half calendar weeks.
How to count business days for shipping
- Find the start day. If you ordered before the seller’s daily cutoff time on a business day, the clock usually starts that day; the next business day is day 1. After the cutoff, or on a weekend, the order is treated as placed on the next business day.
- Count forward, weekdays only. Skip Saturdays and Sundays.
- Skip holidays. Carriers and most sellers close on major US holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Each one on a weekday adds a day.
- The last day counted is the expected delivery day. Treat it as an estimate, not a guarantee, unless you paid for a guaranteed service.
Our business days calculator does this count for any start date and skips US federal holidays automatically.
Is Saturday a business day for shipping?
Usually no. Most sellers and most delivery estimates count Monday to Friday only. Saturday can still be a delivery day: USPS delivers mail and packages on Saturdays, and UPS and FedEx deliver on Saturdays in many areas for some services. A package can therefore arrive on a Saturday even though Saturday was not counted as a business day in the estimate. Sunday deliveries exist for some services, but Sunday is not a business day.
Check the carrier’s own service page for your shipping option, because weekend delivery depends on the service and the address.
How long common shipping windows take
| Estimate | Usual calendar time | Full guide |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 business days | About 3–7 calendar days, depending on the start day | How long is 3–5 business days? |
| Within 5 business days | About one calendar week | What “within 5 business days” means |
| 5–7 business days | About 7–11 calendar days | How long is 5–7 business days? |
| 7–10 business days | About 9–14 calendar days | How long is 7–10 business days? |
What is next business day shipping?
Next business day shipping means the order is delivered (or, with some sellers, shipped) on the first business day after the order is processed. An order placed on a Friday before the cutoff arrives on Monday, not Saturday. An order placed on the day before a holiday arrives on the first business day after the holiday. Read the wording carefully: “ships next business day” only promises when the package leaves, not when it arrives.
Why holidays and peak season slow shipping
Carrier holidays remove business days from the count, and the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas bring higher volumes, so estimates in that period run longer. The next United States (federal) holiday is Veterans Day on , 18 days from today.
Calendar-day promises work differently. A “30-day return window” counts weekends, while the refund itself is often processed in business days. See calendar days vs business days for the difference.
Frequently asked questions
What are the business days for shipping?
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, excluding holidays the seller or carrier observes.
Does the order day count as a business day?
Usually not. The count normally starts the next business day, and orders placed after the daily cutoff or on a weekend start one business day later.
Is Sunday a business day for shipping?
No. Some carriers deliver certain packages on Sundays, but Sunday is not counted in business-day estimates.
How many days is 5 business days in shipping?
Five business days is usually seven calendar days, because one weekend falls inside the window. A weekday holiday adds one more day.
