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Sometimes, shippers don’t feel they have a secure place to put their outbound USPS packages for their letter carrier to get them. If you’re wondering where to place your USPS packages for pickup, your mailbox can be a fine option. That said, there are a couple of things to be aware of before you stick your parcels inside.
Table of Contents
- You Can Put USPS Packages In Your Mailbox As Long as They Fit & Have the Proper Amount of Postage
- If You Plan on Putting USPS Packages in Your Mailbox, Schedule a Pickup from USPS
- UPS & FedEx Parcels Cannot Be Picked Up from Your Mailbox
You Can Put USPS Packages In Your Mailbox As Long as They Fit & Have the Proper Amount of Postage
A package can be placed inside your mailbox as long as you meet the following three conditions:
- You’re shipping with USPS
- The package fits inside and the mailbox can fully close
- You have affixed the proper amount of postage
If You Plan on Putting USPS Packages in Your Mailbox, Schedule a Pickup from USPS
When placing a USPS package in your mailbox, we recommend flipping the mailbox’s indicator “up” to show that it contains mail and packages that need to be picked up.
That said, we also recommend scheduling a pickup with USPS. That way, there is a record in the USPS system for your pickup, and a much greater chance that your letter carrier will get your package. After all, letter carriers can miss pickups sometimes if they don’t exist in the USPS database!
How to Schedule a USPS Pickup
There are two different scheduling time options for pickups on the USPS website:
- When your carrier normally comes to deliver your mail (this is the free option)
- A specific time of your choosing (this costs a fee that the USPS website will prompt you to pay)
If you used online shipping software to purchase your USPS shipping label, you can also schedule a pickup through your shipping software provider.
UPS & FedEx Parcels Cannot Be Picked Up from Your Mailbox
Unlike USPS, you cannot place UPS and FedEx inside your mailbox to be picked up. The U.S. Postal Service is the only shipping carrier legally allowed to touch your mailbox. So, if you put UPS or FedEx packages inside, those carriers wouldn’t be able to access them, anyway!
When scheduling a pickup with either UPS or FedEx, you’ll need to leave your packages somewhere else, like by your front door, on your front porch, behind your gate, etc.
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