How to Check Your Mail Before It Arrives

What is Informed Delivery? Find out how it works.


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If you’d like to know what’s arriving in your mailbox before it gets there, Informed Delivery from the United States Postal Service may be what you’re looking for. This feature enables you to digitally preview your letter-size mail and manage your packages through email notifications, an online dashboard or a mobile app.

After you enroll, you receive a daily email with black-and-white photos of letters scheduled to arrive in your mailbox soon. You can also see when packages are set to arrive.

The feature is free and available for residential addresses in most ZIP codes. So far, nearly 25 million Postal Service customers have enrolled. According to surveys, more than 90% of users are satisfied or very satisfied with Informed Delivery.

“Informed Delivery is especially enticing for travelers,” says Gary Reblin, vice president, new products and innovation, United States Postal Service. “Whether you’re hiking in the Adirondacks, whitewater rafting in Colorado or skiing in the Sierra Nevada, your mailbox is literally in the palm of your hand.”

The Postal Service is continuing to add new features. The latest, USPS Electronic Signature Online, allows customers to electronically sign for Priority Mail Express, Signature Confirmation and items insured for more than $500—authorizing postal carriers to deliver items without obtaining a physical signature.

To get started with Informed Delivery, you must sign up and verify your identity online. For more information, go to informeddelivery.usps.com.


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