Cutoff Time

A shopping site’s cutoff time is the latest time that an online order can be placed, so that it will be processed and shipped on the same day and meet the desired delivery date. If the order is submitted after the specified deadline, it will not be processed and shipped until the following business day.

Same Day Shipping

Same-day shipping means that if you order before the cutoff time (on a business day, Monday to Friday), then your order will be processed and shipped the same day. However, if you order on the weekend (Saturday or Sunday) or on a holiday, your order will not ship before the following business day.

Keep in mind not to confuse ‘same day shipping’ with ‘same day delivery’, which are two totally different issues. The fact that your order ships on the same day means nothing with regard to when you will receive it – which depends on what shipping option you select.

Same Day Delivery

Orders placed before the cutoff time, are delivered on the same day, as long as the vendor provides deliveries on that day.
Orders placed after the cutoff time will not be shipped and delivered on the same day, but the next one – as long as the vendor provides deliveries on that day.

Same day delivery is very common in the gift industry, with popular products like flowers, plants, balloons and gift baskets.
It’s also being offered by a number of ecommerce sites, usually in specific locations, like major metropolitan areas.

Next Day Delivery / Overnight Shipping

Orders placed before the cutoff time Monday-Friday, are delivered on the next business day, as long as the merchant offers same day shipping.
Orders placed after the cutoff time Monday-Friday will not be shipped on the same business day, but the next one and arrive one business day after they’re shipped.

In most cases, next day delivery orders will not be delivered over the weekend, meaning Saturdays and Sundays (or on holidays), unless such a service is specifically offered by the vendor and the customer purchased it, usually for a higher fee.

In most cases, this expedited delivery service is fulfilled by the major shipping carriers, like FedEx and UPS as well as the US Postal Service.

Saturday Delivery

Most online stores don’t offer delivery over the weekend, however some do and the website’s shipping policy will usually specify if Saturday deliveries are available and how they can be used.

Sunday Delivery

Most retailers don’t offer delivery over the weekend, however some do (mostly businesses from the flower and gift basket industry) and the vendor’s shipping policy will usually specify if Sunday deliveries are available and how they can be used.

Business Day

Every official working day of the week or any day in which normal business is regularly conducted.
Typically, this is considered to be Monday through Friday and do not include weekends and federal or state legal holidays.
Needless to say, Saturdays and Sundays are not considered as business days.

Processing Time / Turnaround Time

The period of time that it takes a retailer to verify the customer’s payment for the order, retrieve the ordered items, pack and prepare them for shipping.
Fast merchants offer same day processing and shipping, while with slower ones, this procedure can take longer – usually around 1-2 business days.

Standard Shipping

In most cases this option represents the cheapest shipping method (or even totally free, sometimes) as well as the slowest one, like FedEx or UPS ground shipping or USPS mail service.
Delivery time usually takes 2-10 business days after the order is shipped, depending on the customer’s location.

Expedited Shipping

Expedited shipping means the order will be delivered in 1, 2 or 3 business days (depending on the selected shipping option) after it is processed and shipped, which will typically cost more than standard shipping, due to the faster service.

Contiguous United States

The 48 states of the U.S. on the North American continent plus Washington, D.C. – which does not include Alaska or Hawaii.
Aka the lower 48 states or continental USA.