Informed Delivery - a free new USPS service

[gromit]

This week I started trying out USPS's new free "Informed Delivery" service.

My understanding of how it works: Apparently, the mail processing machines already scan a digital image of every letter sized envelope. With Informed Delivery, you can either log onto USPS and see the scans of all of the letters that will be delivered to you that day or you can receive a daily morning email (my first email was today at 8am) that contains up to 10 of the scans.

My review after one day of use is that early notice of what will be in the mail might be useful on some days, but it will usually be pretty boring. However, the part I really like is that the service works with held mail. In the past, I have had mail held for weeks at a time while traveling. Now I will be able to have an idea on a daily basis of what mail is being held.

(Currently, the service link is on the lower left of USPS.com)

 

[Major Tom]

Thanks for the tip - I just signed up for it. I have a feeling it might prove to be a service for which I don't really have a need, but it doesn't hurt to try it out.

 

[Hermit]

Considering USPS does not recognize my address as existing, I wonder what would happen if I signed up for it? I'm pretty sure they would not start delivering to my address. Its too far out of their way.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks for sharing this, Gromit. Very useful info!!

 

[Just_Steve]

Useful only if I could tell them which ones to throw out.

 

[Hermit]

Useful only if I could tell them which ones to throw out.

It might be much easier to tell them which ones to deliver.

 

[cathy63]

I've been using this service for a couple of months now, and it was nice when we were away for a couple of weeks. It only gets about 80% of our incoming mail though. Some days it gives me images of all the junk mail and skips the bills.

 

[audreyh1]

Hmmm - interesting. I signed up. It might be useful when I travel.

 

[Major Tom]

I was initially concerned when informed that they couldn't verify my identity online, before remembering that I have frozen my credit histories with all 3 agencies. As a result, I have to visit a Post Office in person tomorrow. Guess that credit freeze is working!

 

[calmloki]

I was initially concerned when informed that they couldn't verify my identity online, before remembering that I have frozen my credit histories with all 3 agencies. As a result, I have to visit a Post Office in person tomorrow. Guess that credit freeze is working!

Gal just visited the PO this afternoon in La Quinta Ca and was told she needed the bar code provided by the web application. We never saw a bar code. I've signed up for the Oregon address - guess we'll find out if it worked at some point.

 

[Major Tom]

Gal just visited the PO this afternoon in La Quinta Ca and was told she needed the bar code provided by the web application. We never saw a bar code. I've signed up for the Oregon address - guess we'll find out if it worked at some point.

They sent me an e-mail with the bar code attached. I downloaded it onto my phone and plan to show it at the PO tomorrow, along with my driver's license.

 

[CaptTom]

...Some days it gives me images of all the junk mail and skips the bills.

Now, if they could only offer that same service for physical mail...

Seriously though, thanks Gromit for posting. I can see where it would be helpful while traveling.

When we were gone for three months we used a forwarding service which actually opened and scanned the mail, but for shorter trips just knowing what's there might help.

We get very few bills via paper mail. We've switched everything we can over to automatic and/or electronic billing. We can keep everything current pretty much from wherever we are.

 

[zedd]

Completed enrollment and then verification. Got the following message so don't know if I'm really verified or not.

System Maintenance

We're sorry, the service you requested is under maintenance. Please try again later.

 

[CardsFan]

Completed enrollment and then verification. Got the following message so don't know if I'm really verified or not.

System Maintenance

We're sorry, the service you requested is under maintenance. Please try again later.

I got the same message. Guess I'll try again later.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I was initially concerned when informed that they couldn't verify my identity online, before remembering that I have frozen my credit histories with all 3 agencies. As a result, I have to visit a Post Office in person tomorrow. Guess that credit freeze is working!

Interesting. I too have my credit frozen but had no issues doing the verification.

We have been using the service for about 3 weeks and I agree that it is sporadic in respect to what is shown. But, it is good to know if something important is showing up (which happens about twice a year).

 

[calmloki]

Gal just visited the PO this afternoon in La Quinta Ca and was told she needed the bar code provided by the web application. We never saw a bar code. I've signed up for the Oregon address - guess we'll find out if it worked at some point.

Guess we were able to both get signed up online - Gal got an email with images of what is being sent to us down here; I got no email but USPS site reports I'm all signed up and getting no mail today. Neither of us have our credit frozen.

A wrinkle: I signed up using our Oregon address and we are having all Oregon mail forwarded down here. Wonder if USPS will report no mail deliveries for Oregon until we stop forwarding?

 

[MRG]

I saw this advertised recently. Interesting the ability is not new. At least I was part of a group who a vendor demonstrated the technology to about 10 years ago. It was cool, we figured out how to monetize it but the customers didn't see the value..

 

[Scuba]

I saw this advertised recently. Interesting the ability is not new. At least I was part of a group who a vendor demonstrated the technology to about 10 years ago. It was cool, we figured out how to monetize it but the customers didn't see the value..

DH & I have recurring bills coming electronically but since we've been away the last 3 weeks, we are using Virtual Post Mail, one of the digital mail services. They have been great, very pleased with their service at $20/month. The weak link has been USPS. They're supposed to be forwarding all except junk mail, but our neighbors have been checking and we continue to get pieces of "real" mail at home long after forwarding started. Our tax dollars at work.

 

[mpeirce]

Interesting. I too have my credit frozen but had no issues doing the verification.

I have my credit frozen so was not able to complete the online signup. It said to go to my local post office for in person verification.

Stopped by there this afternoon. The clerk had no idea what I was talking about.

The person in the back also claimed to not know about it. I dug out my phone and ran through the signup again - then showed the clerk where it told me to come in and get verified. The guy in the back fessed up and said he had heard about something like this "a while back" but had never done it. He was willing to try and after they scanned a barcode from an email the USPS sent me and looked over my drivers license, I got approved.

Online it looks like I'm signed up now. Hopefully it's start up in a day or two.

 

[eroscott]

Varies by zipcode. Here is the direct link to see if your zipcode is eligible.
https://informeddelivery.usps.com/b...hannel=redirect&ns_source=learnmorelearnmore/

 

[jazz4cash]

Wish I could get a scan of outgoing mail on the delivery end based on my return address.
I just learned that USPS captures images of letters while watching that show where people try to stay on the run while being tracked by professional investigators.

 

[RAE]

They sent me an e-mail with the bar code attached. I downloaded it onto my phone and plan to show it at the PO tomorrow, along with my driver's license.

I tried to sign up earlier today, and it seemed to go okay, but I never got the email from USPS with the bar code. How long did it take for you to get an email from them after you signed up?

 

[calmloki]

I tried to sign up earlier today, and it seemed to go okay, but I never got the email from USPS with the bar code. How long did it take for you to get an email from them after you signed up?

Not Major Tom - but we never got the bar codes and both seem to be signed up. Did you see 3 green tabs with check marks?

 

[Major Tom]

How long did it take for you to get an email from them after you signed up?

It happened within minutes. Perhaps check your spam folder?

 

[Katsmeow]

This seems kind of interesting and normally I like this kind of new technology.

But -- I am struggling to see how this does anything for me.

Let's say I'm at home and I see at 10 AM what mail I am getting that day. So what? I can't really decide I won't go check the mailbox that day because there was nothing interesting in the images since it seems like you don't get an image of 100% of all mail.

And, let's say it is something important. We check our mail every day anyway. So, does it really help me to know a few hours in advance what I am getting?

Now, it would be interesting if I was traveling. But, again, I wonder how useful it is. I can't actually do anything with the images I see. If there was someone at my house or who could go get something urgent, then, maybe. But, usually if we aren't home then nobody is home.

What would be useful would be if you could do something with the mail. We have lived in our current house 5 years and we still get mail to the prior residents. We get a piece or two almost every week. We get so much of it that I bought a stamp saying Not At This Address Return to Sender and I just stamp the mail when it is delivered and put it back in the box. I would love to be able to turn back that mail so I didn't have to deal with it...