1. Introduction
A guide on how to coordinate mail post office, UPS, and more before heading out.
2. Importance of Coordinating Mail Before Traveling
Among the list of to-do’s before leaving for a long vacation, coordinating your mail may be the most important. Fortunately, UPS, FedEx, and USPS have several free services to help manage their deliveries while traveling, frequently referred to as “vacation holds” or “mail holds.”
Therefore, to help make pre-vacation errands a bit less stressful, iBestTravel has curated the best tips and advice for various services to ensure your parcels don’t take a long-term vacation of their own.
3. United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service offers a complimentary hold service. This service will hold all of your mail at a local post office for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 30 days. To hold mail longer than 30 days, the Post Office recommends their mail forwarding service.
For last-minute travelers, you can schedule the service to take effect as early as the next scheduled delivery day. Conversely, travelers with a longer lead time can schedule it up to 30 days in advance. When you return home, you can pick up your mail at the local post office, or the letter-carrier can deliver the bundle of mail at a pre-arranged end date.
Travelers may also be interested in the free “Informed Delivery” service, which provides notifications and previews of what mail will be delivered the next day. Consequently, if you are on a quick trip, you can have an idea of what awaits you in your mailbox before getting home.
4. UPS
The United Parcel Service (UPS) offers several options for travelers through their UPS MyChoice Digital Account Service.
UPS offers the ability to hold a package at their distribution center and deliver it once you return home. Alternatively, the package can be left with a neighbor, according to their website. Furthermore, UPS provides the option to reroute packages, including for pickup at alternative UPS locations, which can be essential if you require an important package while traveling.
5. FedEx
FedEx offers a free vacation hold with their FedEx Delivery Manager service. This program permits package recipients to place a temporary hold on parcels for up to 14 days, easing the stress of package management while traveling.
6. Online Retailers
For local deliveries and online retailers, it is beneficial to check if you can schedule delivery dates for when you are in town. Trae Bodge, of shopping site TrueTrae.com, recommends utilizing a retailer’s in-store pickup option rather than having deliveries sent to your house, providing an easy pickup at your convenience.
Bodge also suggests using the buddy system to ensure your doorstep remains free of packages. “I would also recommend asking a friend or family member to drive by your house a couple of times to ensure nothing has fallen through the cracks in your planning,” she stated. “Packages left out for days can signal porch pirates and other thieves that you are out of town.”
