How Does USPS Informed Delivery Work?

What is USPS Informed Delivery?

USPS Informed Delivery is a free service that lets you digitally preview your incoming mail before it arrives. Users receive daily emails that show them scanned images of the exterior of their mail. You can also track packages that are scheduled to arrive soon.

Informed Delivery launched in most of the U.S. in 2017, and today, more than 67 million people use the service. This helps people know when to check their mail and tells them what will come soon. However, Informed Delivery doesn't have a mechanism to open users' mail to show them what's inside envelopes or do anything with the contents.

How to sign up for Informed Delivery in 6 steps

Opening an Informed Delivery account is easy to do online. Skip going to the post office and follow these steps to start previewing your incoming mail.

1. Check if you’re eligible

The postal service limits who is eligible for Informed Delivery. Currently, it isn't offered to businesses. It’s available for residential addresses and P.O. boxes for personal use only. Your ZIP code and address must also be suitable for Informed Delivery.

USPS will check if your address is eligible during the signup process. Residents in some densely populated urban areas may have difficulty signing up if they live in apartment complexes or buildings. It depends on your mailbox’s individual coding.

2. Make an account on USPS.com

Visit the Informed Delivery website and click “Sign Up for Free.” You’ll enter your email address, choose your account time, and enter your address. The service will check if your address is eligible, and you’ll be prompted to opt in.

3. Enroll in Informed Delivery

To enroll, check the box next to “I opt-in to Informed Delivery and have read, understand, and agree to the Terms and Conditions” and click “Continue.” You’ll fill out a few more fields to finish your enrollment.

4. Verify your identity

You must verify your identity by completing a mobile phone verification process, or you can request the code by mail. When you verify your identity, you will be moved to the confirmation page. You can click “Go to Dashboard" or wait for the web page to automatically redirect you to your Informed Delivery account. You’ll also get a letter in the mail confirming your account.

5. Choose notification settings

You can change your Informed Delivery notifications in your dashboard. For example, you can opt-in to package tracking notifications like Day of Delivery, Available for Pickup, and Package-in-Transit updates. You can also opt in or out of the Daily Digest email notifications. You should start receiving notifications within three days of signup.

6. Download the USPS phone app

The USPS mobile app is available on iOS and Android, giving you access to Informed Delivery mail previews, package tracking, and notifications. You can also take care of mail tasks like checking delivery status, scheduling pickups, and creating shipping labels without going to your local post office.

The latest Informed Delivery news is that the USPS is developing a standalone app, but as of this writing, it hasn’t been released. For now, the USPS mobile app serves as a convenient tool for managing both mail and packages.

What are the benefits of USPS Informed Delivery?

The best Informed Delivery feature is that you get a clear overview of your mail and packages. It’s helpful for staying organized, managing deliveries, and reducing trips to the mailbox and post office.

Informed Delivery is a useful tool, but it has limitations, such as not offering permanent digital storage or mail customization. If you’re looking for more advanced features, like shredding or forwarding, a virtual mailbox might offer better solutions.

What are the drawbacks of USPS Informed Delivery?

While USPS Informed Delivery offers convenience, it’s not without drawbacks. Understanding the potential downsides can help you decide if it’s right for you.

USPS Informed Delivery only shows the exterior of your mail

USPS Informed Delivery subscribers receive Daily Digest emails with low-resolution, grayscale digital images. These previews will only show them the outside of the envelope, and only the first 10 pieces of letter-sized mail appear in your email. The remaining mail images can be viewed on your dashboard. This is a useful Informed Delivery feature, but images are only available for seven days. You also can't see what's inside your mail, forward it, or reject it. 

USPS Informed Delivery doesn't show customers all of their mail. Images are only provided for letter-sized mailpieces that are processed through USPS's automated equipment. You won’t get images of mail that isn’t processed this way, like magazines or catalogs. You also won’t see images of packages, just status updates. Sometimes, mail arrives without ever showing up as a preview.

USPS Informed Delivery doesn't filter out junk mail

Junk mail is annoying—and time-consuming. In the United States, the average person receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year, adding up to 76 billion pieces of junk mail sent annually. Unfortunately, USPS Informed Delivery does not filter out junk mail from your previews, which can overload your dashboard.

You don't have to deal with junk mail. One of the best ways to put an end to it is to use a virtual mailbox that automatically filters out junk mail.

USPS Informed Delivery notifications aren't always accurate

You may have mail coming in, but it doesn't always show up on the USPS Informed Delivery dashboard. For example, you won’t see items that were scanned into the system after the email notification is sent. And if no mail was scanned in, you won’t get email notifications at all—but you could still have mail coming that was scanned after the cutoff time. Even if you receive a notification with a mail preview, there have been instances where the mail is still delayed and stays in your dashboard for days without delivery.

USPS Informed Delivery only supports USPS

Because of its affiliation with USPS, it's understandable that Informed Delivery only shows incoming mail and packages from the postal service. Unfortunately for customers, mail comes from multiple carriers such as FedEx, DHL, UPS, and more.

Informed Delivery gives you a preview of your mailbox but is not a mail management solution. If you need that, a virtual mailbox could help. A virtual mailbox can receive packages from any delivery service and then forward delivered packages.

USPS Informed Delivery vs. virtual mail: Which is better?

Informed Delivery can be convenient, but it requires you to have a residential mailing address—and you still have to go get your mail. Long-term travelers, business owners, and others may prefer a virtual mailbox, which allows them to manage all their mail online and read their mail from anywhere with the use of a mobile app and account dashboard.

Cost comparison

Informed Delivery is a free service available to any USPS customer with an eligible residential address, which is why its features are limited.

Virtual mailbox pricing varies based on the service and features. LegalZoom’s service starts at $29 a month, which includes mail scans, a virtual address, shredding, and unlimited cloud and forwarding capabilities. You can add options like extended storage, check deposits, and package forwarding. These additional features make virtual mailboxes worth the cost for many.

Mail previews

One of the biggest differences between Informed Delivery and a virtual mailbox is the digital scans the customers receive.

Informed Delivery won't always show users all of their mail. Customers receive a low-resolution, grayscale digital image of the outside of incoming mail the day the mail arrives. It’s a very basic Informed Delivery feature—not every piece will show up since the service skips some types of mail and limits each email to 10 pieces a day.

With a virtual mailbox, you'll receive email notifications with high-resolution, full-color PDFs of the outside and inside contents of incoming mail and documents. This means you can read letters or bills directly from your dashboard without physically handling the envelope. Full-color scans also make it easier to identify specific pieces of mail.

Additional options

USPS Informed Delivery only lets you preview mail and track packages. You’ll still need to pick up your mail in order to read it, and you’ll have to filter, forward, and shred it yourself.

Virtual mailboxes enable you to read your mail and more. You can share PDFs with colleagues or family, shred the mail, forward the physical contents, upload it to the cloud, or deposit incoming checks to your bank. You can also filter out junk mail unless you specifically choose to receive it.

Cloud and physical storage

USPS Informed Delivery doesn’t store physical mail or scans of mail. It gives you a preview of incoming mail and saves that digital scan for seven days. It also shows package information for 15 days after each package has been delivered. Afterward, it's no longer accessible in your account.

Virtual mailboxes will both digitally preview and store your mail in the cloud indefinitely. They’ll also store the physical mail items and packages—LegalZoom virtual mailbox customers get the first 30 days of mail storage free, while Informed Delivery does not offer any storage.

Business vs. residential addresses

You can’t sign up for Informed Delivery for your business. The USPS doesn't offer the service for businesses at all, whether they are home-based or in commercial buildings.

Anyone can sign up for a virtual mailbox, whether it's for their business or personal mail. They’re a great option for businesses looking to manage their mail or digitize it completely. Virtual mailboxes give users more than a mail preview, and they get an entire virtual mailroom.

Eligible mailing addresses

Informed Delivery can only be used at your residential mailing address or a P.O. Box. It doesn't offer a way to receive mail somewhere that you don’t have a physical address. That means that if, for example, you travel in an RV for several months out of the year or you’re a contractor and move around a lot, you won’t be able to get your mail. 

Virtual mailboxes give you an address to use remotely as your mailing or business address without the need to physically occupy the space. They also give small business owners real street addresses for their home-based or remote businesses.

Upgrade your USPS Informed Delivery with a virtual mailbox

Overall, virtual mailboxes have been around longer than Informed Delivery and have more robust features. When you receive mail, you'll have access to the fully digitized contents of your incoming mail and packages and decide whether to shred, share, or forward your mail. You can check your mail from anywhere, make sure the contents are securely shredded, and deposit checks automatically. 

LegalZoom’s Virtual Mail service is ideal for business owners, from solo-preneurs to those with higher volume needs. Choose your address today to get started.

FAQs

Is USPS Informed Delivery available for businesses?

No, Informed Delivery is not available for businesses and business P.O. Box addresses. Informed Delivery limits its availability to customers who live in eligible residential ZIP codes.

What time does Informed Delivery send updates?

Informed Delivery sends one update per day, in most cases around 9 a.m. If you have mail due, it sends updates each day. It does not update on days that the United States Postal Service doesn’t deliver, like federal holidays and Sundays. Updates are sent to your email address. You can also check your dashboard; however, you need to remember that there is only one update daily.

How much do virtual mail services cost?

Virtual mail services can cost anywhere from $20–$35 per month for basic plans, up to $80 or more for large business plans. They might have additional fees for services like check deposits or mail forwarding.

What’s included varies by service—for example, some virtual mailboxes charge extra to open and scan the inside of your mail, but LegalZoom doesn’t, as long as mail is less than 20 pages long. Be sure to compare your options to find the best fit.

Does USPS Informed Delivery provide delivery insurance?

No, USPS Informed Delivery does not include delivery insurance. It provides previews and notifications for your letter-sized mailpieces—it doesn’t cover the cost of damaged or missing mail. If you’re shipping valuable items, you should purchase separate insurance through USPS or a third-party provider.