Birmingham, AL — The U.S. Postal Service is enhancing the mail experience with Informed Delivery, afree, customer-facing feature allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages in one convenient location. You can view what is coming to your mailbox whenever, wherever --- even while traveling --- on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.

And during the holiday season, you can help protect your delivered packages from theft!

With Informed Delivery, you can do the following:

• Interact with incoming mail and packages on a secure, online dashboard
• View grayscale images of the address side of automated, letter-sized mailpieces scheduled to arrive soon
• Track the delivery status of packages and when they’re scheduled to arrive
• Leave delivery instructions if you won’t be home to accept a package
• Schedule a package to be redelivered if you miss a delivery
• Set up email and/or text notifications to track the delivery status of your package(s)
• Just like a physical mailbox, Informed Delivery is based on a delivery point address. Multiple residents may sign up.

Currently, nearly seven million people nationwide are enrolled in Informed Delivery. How do you sign up?

• There are three different paths, depending on whether or not you have an existing personal account at usps.com.
• Navigate to the Informed Delivery website at informeddelivery.usps.com and select “Sign Up for Free.”
• You will need to verify that you live at an eligible address and ZIP Code, and then validate your identity (if you have not already done so)
• Once successfully enrolled, you should start receiving Informed Delivery images within three business days.

Protect Your Mail

Don’t leave delivered mail and packages unattended. Just as wallets and purses shouldn’t be left on the front seat of an unlocked car overnight, mail and packages shouldn’t be left uncollected in mailboxes or on front porches for any length of time.

Consider an alternate shipping address. Customers can arrange to have packages delivered to neighbors who are home during the day or get packages delivered at work, if permitted.

Change the package’s address — while it’s in transit! Customers who know they won’t be home when their package is delivered can try USPS Package Intercept. Prior to delivery, most domestic package shipments can be redirected back to the sender, to a new address or to the Post Office to be held for pickup.

Customize the delivery. If the package doesn’t fit in the mailbox and the customer won’t be home to receive it, the customer can provide delivery instructions online and authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number and select Delivery Instructions. Customers can also request their packages be left with a neighbor or held at a Post Office for pickup.

Plan ahead. Ship using Hold for Pickup. When shipping packages, customers can choose the Hold for Pickup option and the recipients can collect the packages at their local Post Office. For customers receiving packages, they can redirect incoming packages to their local Post Office by selecting Hold for Pickup using USPS Package Intercept.

Going out of town? Hold mail at the local Post Office. Instead of risking leaving a package unattended for an extended period of time, customers planning on being away from home for a few days are encouraged to take advantage of the Request Hold Mail service. Letters and packages will be held securely at the local Post Office until the customers return

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

More USPS holiday news, including shipping deadlines and Santa mail, can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Posts blog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.