Can You Pickup A Package From USPS? – Know more

The United States Postal Service is an American government agency that provides postal service in the United States. It is the world’s largest postal system as it is found to deliver almost 47% of the mails in the world. In the domain of private package delivery services, its competitors include UPS, FedEx, and Amazon. Let’s know about Can You Pickup A Package From USPS?

You can pick up your package from the USPS post office but you will have to notify them earlier that you are going to pick it up from the post office itself. There are other options available as well, by which you can mark your package that way and collect it from the post office at an earlier date than the date of delivery. Read on to find out more details about Can You Pickup A Package From USPS?.

How can you pick up your package from the USPS post office?

Case 1: If you want to collect your package earlier than the date of delivery

In this case, you can directly go to the post office, provided that you have been tracking your package and you know exactly where it has reached, and ask the postmaster for your package. Make sure you carry your identification document and proof of address as they might ask for them. Also, the parcel should be addressed to you, which means that the name of the recipient on the package should be yours and the address of the recipient should match with that on your proof of address. 

You may not be able to collect a package on behalf of a friend or a neighbor. Also, make sure you call the post office beforehand to check whether it has been loaded onto a truck for delivery or not. If it is out for delivery, then you will have to wait for them to bring it to your address.

Case 2: If you have marked “Hold for Pickup” on your package

In this case, the USPS will notify you when your package reaches their facility. You can show up at the same office with your identification document and collect your package.

Case 3: If you want to redirect your package and collect it from a different location

USPS offers a service called “Intercept a Package”, in which you can redirect your package that has not been delivered yet, to a different destination. This facility is available only for some select categories of shipments. USPS charges an interception fee in this case and you can collect your package from their facility by following the same steps as described above.

How can you avail the option “Hold for Pickup” on your package being shipped by USPS?

The steps to be followed to use this option and pick up your package from a location of your choice, are as follows.

1. Go to their website usps.com and click on Click-N-Ship.
2. Create a USPS account if you do not have one already. If you do, sign in to your account.
3. You will have to enter details like your return address, etc.
4. You will also be asked to enter your delivery address. Instead of filling that out, scroll down and look for an option that says More Actions.
5. Under More Options, click on Hold for Pickup at a Post Office.
6. You can select the post office of your choice, from where you would like to collect your package.
7. Create your shipping label as you always do.

How can you use the USPS Package Intercept facility?

The procedure to intercept your package and divert it to a different destination is described as follows.

1. Verify whether this facility is applicable to your shipment or not. 
2. If it is applicable, log in to your USPS account. 
3. Submit a request online for redirection of your shipment.
4. You will be notified about the estimated fee that you will have to pay. The total additional amount will consist of the intercept fee and the postage fee. 
5. If USPS succeeds in intercepting your package, you will be charged the intercept fee along with the applicable postage fee.
6. Your package will then be redirected to the new destination address or held at the nearest post office from where you can pick up your package.

Conclusion

If you want to collect your package from the USPS facility, you can either specify so in your delivery instructions or follow the procedure described in this article. Make sure you always carry your identification document when you go to pick up your package.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are all packages eligible for Hold for Pickup service?

Although this facility is not applicable for all packages, it is available for most domestic packages, letters, and all mail classes except Standard Mail and periodicals.

2. Is it really necessary to carry my identification document and proof of address to collect my package?

You may not always need to show your proof of address but your identification document is necessary.