One of the most frustrating things about having to send a package is making the time to visit a Post Office so that you can actually drop it off and get it started on its journey. It’s not that finding a post office to drop your package off with is difficult, though. Most communities have a post office that they can get to without too much trouble. The struggle that a lot of people have has more to do with the business hours that the USPS keeps, business hours that aren’t always aligned with the average day of most people that work. This requires folks to take a little time off of work to drop off a package, to start their day a little earlier, or to go out of their way just to make sure that they can get a package in the post. Luckily, though, this problem isn’t much of an issue anymore thanks to a relatively new and innovative service from the USPS called Scheduled Pickup.
Does the USPS Offer Schedule a Pickup Services?
Absolutely! A service that has completely changed much of how people go about shipping packages via the USPS these days, Schedule a Pickup solutions from the USPS allow anyone to schedule a package delivery from the comfort of their own home – knowing that a USPS mail carrier is going to arrive in the near future to pick that package up for them and get it started on its journey to its ultimate destination. That’s tough to beat! Best of all, USPS customers aren’t going to have to pay any extra to take advantage of these services, either. Postage is covered at of time (during the creation of the shipping label), giving USPS customers an opportunity to find the right shipping solution that works best for their needs as well as their budget. More on that in just a little bit, though.
How Does USPS Schedule a Pickup Work?
The way that the USPS Schedule a Pickup process works is really pretty simple and straightforward. All you have to do is visit the USPS website, navigate to the PACKAGE PICKUP section of the page, and then go through the on-screen prompts that walk you (step-by-step) through the entire process from start to finish. You’ll be asked to provide information about the package that you are looking to have picked up, destination information, the type of shipping service that you would like to use, and a handful of other details that allow the USPS to create the shipping label in their system while providing you with a finished label that you can print and attached to your package. From there you just have to stick that label on the box and make sure that the packages out on the doorstep when it is scheduled for pickup and you are good to go. It really doesn’t get much easier than this!
Best of all, USPS customer service and support is always just a phone call away (with live chat available on the website as well) if you are having a difficult time or any have confusion about the process in any way whatsoever. Don’t be shy about reaching out to them if you need a bit of assistance. They’ll be able to help you knock the process out of the park so that you can confidently and comfortably schedule pickups from your home from here on out!
Breaking Down the Big Benefits of USPS Schedule a Pickup Solutions
There are some pretty obvious benefits to using the USPS Schedule a Pickup services, benefits that make this one of the most attractive solutions in the online shipping world today.
Easy Returns
As highlighted a moment ago, the USPS doesn’t necessarily keep the most consumer friendly business hours in the shipping industry. Most of the time the post office opens up for business well after folks are at work and then closes right around the time that people are leaving the office. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for them to take care of their package delivery needs. Even on the weekend the USPS post office hours generally aren’t that flexible. With USPS Package Pickup services, though, those problems are eliminated completely. Returning merchandise is as easy as simply boxing things up again, creating a shipping label and scheduling a pickup, and then leaving the package on your front doorstep for your USPS mail carrier to scoop it up and send it to its way.
Effortless Recycling
Recycling old electronics and other devices can be really easy with the help of the USPS Package Pickup services, too. A lot of companies offer free recycling for electronics that aren’t being used any longer, and will even go so far as to cover the postage to get those items out of the environment and into proper recycling facilities. Being able to have your postage covered, print a label, and have your items recycled almost automatically using the USPS package pickup solutions makes this already really attractive option even more so.
Never Have to Leave Home to Send Packages
At the end of the day, though, the biggest benefit of using the USPS Scheduled Pickup solutions is knowing that you no longer have to even leave your home to send a package through the USPS. You can schedule a package for pickup in the middle of the night, print out your label and drop the box on the front step before you head out for work the next day all while knowing (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that USPS mail carrier is going to collect that package for you, scan it into the system, and get it one step closer to its ultimate destination without you having to lift a finger. Talk about real convenience!
Which Classes of USPS Mail are Eligible for USPS Scheduled Pickup?
USPS Scheduled Pickup services are available on a wide array of different postage options, again putting USPS customers in the driver seat to find the solutions that work best for their needs as well as their budget. You’ll be happy to know that you don’t only have to send your packages via First Class or Priority Mail with Scheduled Pickup. If you absolutely, positively need your package to get there sooner (and are willing to pay to do so) you can take advantage of expedited services and still schedule a pickup.
On the flipside, if time isn’t necessarily a factor in the delivery of a particular package you can also save money and choose lower priority delivery methods as well. Here’s a quick rundown of the different kinds of postage options available with USPS Scheduled Pickup.
US Based
- First Class Package Service
- Bulk Parcel Return
- Merchandise Return
- Parcel Return
- Priority Mail
- Priority Mail Express
- Priority Mail Express Open and Distribute
International
- First Class Package International
- Priority Mail International
- Priority Mail Express International
- Global Express Guaranteed
Are There Any Limits on What Can Be Scheduled for Pickup?
It is important to understand that there are some limitations to what can and cannot be scheduled for pickup through the USPS. Not every kind of package is going to be eligible for this service, even if you are able to find a postage option that you’re interested in using. Things like hazardous material cannot be scheduled to be shipped via the USPS unless it meets all packaging, labeling, and mail ability standards that have been outlined by the Postal Service itself. Packages also cannot be any heavier than 70 pounds and cannot measure more than a combined 130 inches (length and girth). International mail pieces that require a customs declaration form cannot be scheduled for pickup, either.
There are a couple of other restrictions that may apply to your specific package and shipping situation, too. If you have any questions whatsoever, jump on the phone with USPS customer service to clear things up. They will let you know if your package is eligible or excluded from the Scheduled Pickup services.
Do I Have to Prepay for My Scheduled Pickup?
You aren’t going to be able to create the actual shipping label for your scheduled pickup package until you actually prepay for your postage. During the actual shipping label creation process (taking care of online through the USPS website) you’re going to be provided with a bunch of different postage and package delivery options. You’ll also be provided with a schedule of prices and fees, with the ability to add different extras (insurance, priority delivery, etc.) as well. After picking all of these different options you’ll be presented with a payment form. Use any major credit or debit card to prepay for your delivery and then you’ll be able to unlock and print the actual shipping label itself. As soon as you pay for the shipping of your scheduled pickup package it gets uploaded into the USPS infrastructure. That triggers the rest of the process automatically.
How Early Do I Need to Schedule Pickup from the USPS?
You can schedule your package for pickup up to 12 months in advance, with the ability to schedule packages for pickup on holidays and weekends – though the actual pickup itself won’t happen until the next scheduled delivery day. This means that if you schedule a package for pickup in the middle of the night on Saturday than your package won’t actually be picked up until the following Monday morning (unless Monday is a postal holiday). You get a lot of freedom to schedule your package pickup as you see fit, but the actual pickup itself is still going to have to abide by normal operating hours for the USPS.
Can I Modify or Cancel a Scheduled Pickup?
You sure can! To create a shipping label and to schedule the mail pickup in the first place you’ll have to create a 100% free account on the USPS website. As soon as your scheduled pickup is accepted you’ll be able to see the details provided in your user backend, under the QUICK TOOLS and PICKUP sections of the platform. If you need to modify a currently existing pickup schedule, simply click the MODIFY EXISTING PICKUP option in the settings window. Confirm that you are editing the right schedule (by using the tracking information for the package you want to change) and then save your changes. Everything will be instantly uploaded and updated throughout the USPS system and will go live in just a few moments.
Canceling a scheduled pickup is just as easy, too. Use the same menu (MODIFY EXISTING PICKUP) in your USPS customer dashboard, but this time instead of modifying the pickup you’ll want to actually cancel it out completely. Scroll down until you find the CANCEL THIS SCHEDULED PICKUP option, click it, confirm it, confirm that it is the right package you are canceling, and then you are good to go.
Where Do I Leave Mail to Be Picked Up?
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to leave your package for pickup as close to the spot where your mail is dropped off every day by the same USPS mail carrier that will be handling the scheduled pickup in the first place. Sometimes, though, you may need to leave your package by the front door, near the garage, or in another location. If that’s the case, it’s a good idea to leave notes about where the package will be left during the creation of the shipping label. You might also want to contact your local post office and just give them a heads up about where your package will be located the day before they arrive for the scheduled acceptance.
Eliminate Mailbox Headache and Hassle Forever with US Global Mail
It’s nice to see the USPS offer a service like Scheduled Pickup that simplifies the lives of their customers considerably. US Global Mail has been doing that for their virtual mailbox service customers for more than 20 years, making life managing their mail – receiving packages and mail from all providers – as simple and straightforward as humanly possible.
Customers of US Global Mail enjoy a whole host of benefits including a permanent physical mailing address that protects the privacy, full acceptance of packages and mail from providers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and more, digital mail scanning and updates about every piece of mail as it arrives in real time, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For more information about everything that US Global Mail has to offer visit their website today!
