You ever order something online, get that exciting “3-5 business days” shipping estimate, and then spend the next week staring out the window?
You check the tracking on Saturday, nothing. Sunday, nothing. You start to wonder if your package is lost in some warehouse forever.
It’s probably not.
You’ve just run into the slightly confusing world of business days. It’s a simple idea that messes with our expectations all the time.
So let’s just get into what they are.
So, What Exactly Are Business Days?
Generally speaking, a business day is a typical working day. For most of the Western world, this means Monday through Friday.
Weekends, Saturday and Sunday, are not on the list.
This idea is pretty old. It comes from the traditional schedule when banks and government offices were open for people to use.
These are the days when mail gets delivered, packages get moved, and bank transfers actually get processed. It’s the official workweek.
The Big Wrinkle: Holidays Aren’t Business Days
Okay so you get the Monday to Friday thing. But then holidays happen, and they throw a wrench in the whole system.
Public holidays, also called federal or national holidays, are not business days. Not at all.
This is because most businesses, post offices, and banks are closed. They are considered to be non-working days.
So if a package is supposed to arrive in 3 business days and one of those days is the Fourth of July, you have to add an extra day to your wait.
It’s a simple rule but one that people forget a lot.
Federal vs. Local Holidays
It gets a little more confusing. In the United States, there are federal holidays that pretty much everyone observes, like Christmas Day or Thanksgiving.
But then there are state and local holidays. These might only apply to people working for the state government in that specific area.
This doesn’t usually affect national shipping but it can affect local services or appointments you might have. It’s just something to be aware of.
What About “Bank Holidays”?
You might hear the term “bank holiday,” especially from folks in the UK. In the US, it’s basically the same as a federal holiday.
The name comes from the fact that if the banks are closed, very little financial business can happen anyway.
So for all intents and purposes, when you hear bank holiday just think of it as another day that is not a business day.
Why This Whole Business Day Thing Still Matters in 2025
You’d think in our 24/7, always-online world that the idea of a “business day” would be kind of old-fashioned. But it’s actually super important.
It affects a ton of modern life stuff, probably more than you think.
Online Shopping and Shipping: This is the big one. That “ships in 1-2 business days” means they won’t even pack your order on a Saturday. Your weekend purchase normally won’t start its journey until Monday.
Banking and Money Transfers: When you transfer money, it often takes a few business days to clear. Sending money on a Friday evening means it likely won’t even start processing until Monday morning, and might not show up until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Contracts and Legal Deadlines: Legal documents often have deadlines set in business days. A “5 business day” review period gives you a full week, not just five calendar days. This is a very common standard.
Customer Support and Services: Many companies have support teams that only work on business days. If your internet goes out on a Friday night, you might be waiting until Monday for a technician.
Understanding this simple concept saves you a lot of frustration. It resets your expectations to match how the system actually works.
How to Calculate Business Days Without Getting Confused
Counting business days is pretty easy once you have the rules down. You don’t need some weird math formula.
The main thing to remember is this: you almost always start counting on the next business day.
So if you place an order on a Tuesday with a “3 business days” handling time, here’s how you count: Wednesday is day one, Thursday is day two, and Friday is day three. Your item should ship by the end of Friday.
If you order on a Friday, the clock doesn’t start. Saturday and Sunday don’t count. Monday becomes day one. It’s a little delay that can feel big.
Of course you could just use an online “business day calculator.” There are tons of them and they do all the work for you, even accounting for public holidays.
Key Takeaways
A business day is typically Monday through Friday.
Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays do not count as business days.
The concept affects shipping times, bank transfers, legal deadlines, and more.
When calculating, always start with the next business day.
Don’t forget to account for holidays, which will add delays.
Your Business Day Questions Answered
What are business days?
At their core, business days are the days of the week when most businesses and banks are open. This is almost always Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Does Saturday count as a business day?
Nope. Even though many retail stores are open on Saturday, for official purposes like shipping, banking, and contracts, Saturday is not considered a business day. Sunday isn’t either.
Are business days the same everywhere in the world?
Not exactly. While the Monday-to-Friday model is very common, some countries have different workweeks. For example, in some Middle Eastern countries, the workweek might be Sunday to Thursday. It depends on local customs.
How do time zones affect business days?
Time zones can be a sneaky factor. A “business day” ends at the close of business, usually around 5 PM local time. If you order something at 6 PM on Tuesday from a company three hours behind you, your order might not be processed until their Wednesday morning, which is their next business day.
What’s the difference between “business days” and “working days”?
For the most part, these terms mean the same thing and people use them interchangeably. They both refer to the Monday-to-Friday schedule. Some might argue a working day could include a Saturday for a specific job, but in official contexts, they are the same.
