Other Products and Services

Customized Delivery (Groceries) — The Postal Service developed and implemented technology and business processes that enable USPS to provide pre-dawn delivery services with Amazon Fresh, a grocery purchase and delivery product. This program extends the Postal Service’s package manifesting, dynamic routing and delivery capabilities. Since its launch in September 2014, revenue for this customized delivery effort is over $902,000 from pilot programs in seven cities.

Passports — The Postal Service, in partnership with the U.S. State Department Passport Services, makes it easy and convenient to apply for a passport. Postal Service employees accept more than 68 percent of first-time applications. Over 5,000 USPS facilities provide fee-based acceptance of first-time applications for a U.S. passport book or passport card. Over 4,500 facilities provide both passport acceptance and photo services (for a fee). Total passport revenue for FY2015 from both applications and photos was in excess of $176 million, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year.

A near-term goal is to improve contribution from passports by increasing efficiency, growing the number of applications accepted and improving service to meet State Department requirements. In particular, the emphasis will be to improve the percentage of passport mailings processed through automation and consolidate passport facilities. The Postal Service has implemented passport acceptance centers in larger cities to provide passport services in a separate area or location, focusing on customer service and convenience.

Post Office (PO) Box Service — At 8,400 Post Office locations, we offer competitive PO Box service, which offers enhancements similar to services offered by our competitors and at comparable prices. More than 1 million customers have signed up for the following services:

• Real Mail Notification — Customers receive daily emails or text messages to inform them that they have mail in their PO Boxes. During FY2015, more than 327,000 customers signed up for this service.
• Street Addressing — Mail is addressed to a customer using either their PO Box or the street address of the postal location, along with the PO Box number. Over 400,000 customers used this service during FY2015.
• Signature on File — Offered for receipt of Priority Mail Express Mail, insured mail over $500, Return Receipt (electronic) and Signature Confirmation, more than 286,000 customers used this service.

In choosing a new competitive PO Box, customers could participate in the “Baker’s Dozen” — 13 months of service for a 12-month payment — and a deposit was not required for the first two keys. Many locations also offer expanded lobby access hours and earlier times when mail will be available for pickup.

PO Boxes offer the convenience of online billing and payment. Federal agencies now can link and pay for all boxes and caller services through their Official Mail Accounting System accounts.