It’s the lament of the times — who’s got the time? At the Postal Service, we recognize that our customers need options that make their lives easier. That means offering online solutions and options that are convenient and easily accessible.
Stamps to Go and Stamps by Mail — It’s never been easier to get stamps, whether at a Post Office, online at usps.com or at one of our retail partner locations. In FY2015, the Postal Service provided customers with access to stamps at more than 65,650 retail partner locations through the Stamps to Go program. More than 15 percent of all stamps are being sold through this program, which is one of our most cost-effective channels. Various marketing efforts are used to remind customers that U.S. postage is available through more than 625 partner companies. These efforts maintain stamp sales while expanding our retail footprint. The Contract Postal Unit and the Approved Shipper programs also continue to grow revenue and expand the reach of our stamp program through strategic partnerships.
Retail Revenue by Channel
Customers, of course, can always take advantage of our Stamps by Mail program. Stamps are delivered through the U.S. Mail without delivery or handling charges. Our retail offices ordered more than 9.5 million brochures highlighting Stamps by Mail to circulate throughout their communities. This program remains popular with the elderly and disabled.
Mail Forwarding and Change of Address — The Postal Service processes approximately 37 million change-of-address requests each year. We make the process as simple as possible for customers. A visit to the Post Office isn’t necessary — customers can change their address online at usps.com. To modify an original change-of-address order, they can go to managemymove.usps.com. Customers also can use a credit or debit card with a billing address that’s different from either the old or new addresses. This feature is particularly useful for customers whose card is associated with a PO Box or work billing address, or for those filling out a request for an elderly or deceased relative.
Premium Forwarding Service — Premium Forwarding Service Residential (PFS-R) provides customers the option of temporarily forwarding their mail once a week by paying the application fee and weekly shipment fees. The customer’s PFS-R mail is shipped via Priority Mail service with USPS Tracking. An online version of PFS-R is available, offering customers the convenience of applying for and managing their accounts at usps.com. PFS-R online continues to help grow revenue and create efficiencies by increasing the portion of transactions conducted online. Overall, PFS-R revenue grew 1 percent in FY2015, and PFS-R online revenue already represents over 25 percent of all PFS-R revenue.
