Chapter 1: Mission and Strategy

The Postal Service’s mission is to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service. By law, its basic function is “. . . to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It [the Postal Service] shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.”¹

The Postal Service delivers to 151 million addresses six days a week, and collects outgoing mail and packages at the time of delivery. It provides mailing and shipping services through tens of thousands of postal and non-postal retail outlets as well as usps.com.