If you’re moving or otherwise want your mail forwarded to another address, the Change of Address feature from USPS allows you to redirect your mail for 15 days to one year. The Access Point service from UPS and hold at location service from FedEx also allow you to have your packages delivered and held at local businesses for you to pick up.
UPS also offers the option to hold deliveries, as does FedEx. When initiating the hold, you may choose to have your accumulated mail delivered at the end of the hold or held at the post office for you to pick up. If you’ll be out of town for a while and don’t want mail piling up at your address, the Hold Mail service allows you to stop delivery of your mail for three to 30 days. Both services can be activated from the USPS website.
The hold mail and address change services from USPS are nothing new, but they’re still important tools for managing your mail. You can simply purchase a waterproof garden tool storage trunk, place it on your porch with an unlocked padlock and post instructions for the delivery person to deposit your packages and then lock them up. While there are many purpose-built options, the do-it-yourself route may be cheapest. This is a secure, weatherproof container for receiving your incoming packages. If you make the switch, be sure to keep paying your paperless bills on time, and consider setting up automatic payments to help ensure you never miss a payment.Īre you worried about package thieves or rainstorms getting to your deliveries before you do? If so, a parcel box may be the solution. Many utilities, subscription services and financial service providers offer this option, which typically means you’ll receive a monthly email with your bill or statement or a notification that it is available to view on the company’s website. Instead, consider opting for paperless bills and statements instead. Hardcopy deliveries can create extra clutter and are susceptible to being delayed, lost or stolen. These options may be especially useful if you travel frequently or have multiple addresses.īills are no fun no matter how they’re delivered, but receiving them by snail mail may be the least appealing option. Private paid services such as PostScan Mail go even further, allowing you to redirect your mail and have its contents scanned and uploaded for you to read from an online account. To receive notifications about inbound packages from other carriers, you’ll need to sign up for their services, such as Delivery Manager from FedEx and My Choice for UPS. This includes scanned images of the exteriors of the letter-sized pieces that will be delivered to you that day and tracking info for any packages that are on their way to you through USPS. If you sign up, you’ll receive a daily email with a summary of your incoming mail.
#See your snail mail online free
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers the free Informed Delivery service. Services are available that can alert you to incoming mail or even allow you to view the contents of letters – all from the convenience of your Internet-connected devices. You don’t need to visit your mailbox to check on your snail mail anymore. Here are some tips to help you better track, direct, protect and declutter your snail mail. Thankfully, there are a few great high-tech ways you can improve your postal experience. These include issues like misdirected items, damaged parcels and messy mailboxes. However, traditional mail has its hassles and limitations. Even in the age of email, old-fashioned “snail mail” is still an important and well-used service.