USPS

It can be aggravating to try to sign for a package if you have a busy work week that has you away from home for the majority of the day. Fortunately, rather than waiting for the package to arrive, you can pick it up from your local USPS distribution facility (or your local post office) with USPS. We’ll go over the measures you can take to ensure that your shipment is waiting for you when you’re ready to pick it up in this article.

How to Pick Up Your Package from USPS Before Delivery

While you can pick up your box before it is delivered at a USPS location, you cannot simply stroll in and take it. To ensure that the pickup goes smoothly, you’ll need to organise ahead of time.

Step 1: Determine if Your Package is Eligible to be Picked Up

Packages that have already been delivered or are on their way to being delivered cannot be retained for collection. By tracking your shipment, you can see if it is still in route and eligible to be held for collection. Below is information on how to track your package.

Step 2: Notify USPS that You Will Pick Up Your Package

If you go to a USPS location without first informing them that your box will be picked up, there’s a good possibility they won’t have it and/or won’t give it to you. Because of the high amount of orders they process each day, it is critical that you notify USPS that you will be picking up your box and where you will be picking it up.

You can use one of the following methods to notify USPS about your pick-up:

1. Mark “Hold for Pickup” on your Shipping Label

When designing a shipping label, you can specify the place where you want your shipment picked up. This is by far the simplest method for picking up your package prior to delivery, as it eliminates the need for delivery.

Follow these procedures to identify your cargo as “Hold for Pickup” using the USPS Click-N-Save Shipping Label service:

Visit usps.com to learn more about Click-N-Ship
Log in to your account with the United States Postal Service. You may be asked to create an account if you don’t already have one.
Creating and using a USPS account is completely free.
Put your return address here.
Scroll down to “More Actions” instead of entering your delivery address. Select “Hold for Pickup at a Post Office” from the “More Actions” menu.
Using the Zip Code search, find the post office where you want to pick up your item.
Continue to create your shipping label in the same manner as before.

2. Hold for Pickup

The “Hold for Pickup” is a special service offered specifically by USPS. If you select “Hold for Pickup,” you can have your package held at a specific USPS facility so that you can come to collect it yourself. When your package arrives at the specified USPS facility, you will receive an alert from USPS notifying you that your package is ready for pickup.

Follow these steps to use the “Hold for Pickup” service:

Go to the USPS’s “Hold for Pickup” page.
Select which package will be held for collection and where it will be held by following the procedures.

The USPS “Intercept a Package” service provides the “Hold for Pickup” service. The USPS “Intercept a Box” option allows you to not only hold a package for pickup, but also redirect a domestic cargo that has not yet been dispatched or released for delivery to a new location.

While the “Hold for Pickup” service is not accessible for all parcels, it is available for most domestic packages, letters, and flats with tracking barcodes, as well as all mail classes except Standard Mail and magazines.

3. Call Your Post Office

You can always phone your local post office if you’re unsure. While they may not be able to help you directly (especially if it is a larger facility), they will be able to point you in the right direction. USPS does not suggest this practise, and it is not usually the most effective way to hold your box for pickup. When you’re in a bind, though, USPS is often helpful and willing to go out of its way to help you get the outcomes you want.

Step 3: Pick Up Your Package

Your package can only be picked up by the person who is listed on the shipping label as the recipient. Simply show up during business hours at the USPS site you identified in Step 2 with a valid photo ID to pick up a parcel addressed to you.

How to Track Your Package with USPS

On its website, the USPS features a pretty useful package tracker. Follow these steps to track your package:

Find out what your tracking number is.
Visit the USPS Tracking Page for more information.
In the box provided, provide your tracking number and click “Track.”

Your package’s location, status, and anticipated delivery time will be updated often by USPS.

FAQs

Is it possible for me to pick up my USPS box before it is delivered?

Yes. You must, however, notify USPS of your intent to pick up your package before arriving at the location so that they can ensure it is ready for pickup.

Is it possible for me to pick up my USPS delivery from the distribution centre?

Yes. You can choose the distribution centre from which you want to pick up your item by marking it as “Hold for Pickup” or using the “Hold for Pickup” option on USPS.

If my mail cannot be delivered, where can I pick it up?

USPS will tell you via notification, email, phone call, or text message if your mail is unable to be delivered for any reason. The USPS will then either re-deliver your package or direct you to the post office where it is being held.

What’s the difference between “Hold Mail” and “Hold for Pickup” from the USPS?

“Hold for Pickup” is a service provided by USPS that allows you to place a specific parcel on hold for pickup at a post office or distribution centre. Hold Mail is a service that keeps all letters, parcels, and other mail sent to a certain address on hold. If you’re going on vacation, for example, you can have USPS hold your mail until you return.

Where can I look up the status of my package?

The USPS Tracking Webpage allows you to keep track of your package.