In the current age of increased usage of digital technology, postal services have become more advanced than ever before. One such example is the USPS informed delivery service, which allows individuals to preview their mail before it even arrives in their mailbox.

This service has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, as it provides a more convenient and time-saving solution to manage mail. In this post, we will discuss the USPS informed delivery service to let you know how it works.

What is USPS Informed Delivery?

The USPS informed delivery service is an optional, innovative, and free service offered by the United States Postal Service. It allows people to preview their mail items, including the address side of letter-sized mail pieces, from the convenience of their computer, smartphone, or tablet.

The images are uploaded to the USPS dashboard every morning before the mail is delivered. The service also offers users the option to get regular email notifications for theirpackages and letters, which help them track mail items and schedule whether to pick them up or reschedule the delivery dates. This way, it reduces the risk of theft or loss.

Furthermore, the informed delivery service allows mailers to engage and interact with users through direct and synchronized digital mail marketing campaigns.

The service is available to all qualified post offices and residential customers across different Zip codes within the country. Users can sign up for the service online through the USPS official website, while P.O. Box customers are required to visit their respective offices for in-person identity verification to sign up for the feature.

Normally, users who opt for this service come across various questions, such as what time does the informed delivery service update? e.t.c.

The history of the USPS informed deliveryservice.

The Informed Delivery Service was introduced to the postal services in Feb 2014 in a bid to digitize their operations. Many postal workers and users supported this idea as it looks to change traditional snail mail operations.

The agency wanted to test this feature before they launched it, so they ran a pilot program within select zip codes in their systems and if postal workers could adapt to the extra workload required.

The feature was later expanded to more zip codes in 2017, and by 2020, nearly 15 million users had signed up for the service. Although the service is still not available in some zip codes, the agency is working hard to ensure it reaches everyone.

How does USPS Informed Delivery work?

The USPS informed delivery service is easy to use and can be accessed through a computer, smartphone, or tablet. Users can sign up for the service by visiting the USPS website and creating an account.

Once the account is created, users can verify their identity by entering their personal information, such as their name, address, and social security number.

After the identity verification is completed, users can access their USPS informed delivery dashboard, which provides a summary of their incoming mail.

The dashboard includes grayscale images of the front of letter-sized mail items, including the address side, as well as tracking information for packages. Users can also opt to receive email notifications for certain mail items, which can be set up in the dashboard.

The USPS informed delivery service is available to most residential and personal P.O. box addresses, and users can enroll up to five addresses per account. Once enrolled, the service will continue until the user cancels it or the USPS discontinues the service.

Benefits of the USPS informed delivery.

There are many benefits of using the USPS informed delivery service, which can save users time and reduce the risk of mail theft or loss. Here are some of the primary benefits:

• Preview incoming mail.

With the USPS informed delivery service, users can preview their incoming mail and plan their day accordingly. They can also check to see if any critical mail is missing and contact the sender if necessary.

• Reduce mail theft.

The service can reduce the risk of mail theft by alerting users to expected mail items. If users do not receive an expected mail item, they can contact the sender and the USPS to investigate.

• Convenient.

The USPS informed delivery service is convenient for busy individuals who may need more time to check their mailbox every day. With the service, users can quickly preview their mail from their smartphone or computer and plan their day accordingly.

• Environmentally friendly.

The service can also be environmentally friendly by reducing the amount of paper mail that users receive. Users can choose to opt out of physical mail advertisements and instead view them in their informed delivery dashboard.

•  Stay connected.

The service also helps users stay connected to their mail, whether traveling or away from home. They can quickly view their mail from their smartphone or computer and take action if necessary.

How can the informed delivery service boost business ROIs.?

Informed delivery can help businesses improve their ROI in several ways by adding digital touchpoints to various direct mail campaigns. Below are some ways you can realize improved ROIs with this feature:

• Increased customer interactions by providing multiple responses from the same mail items.
• Use physical addresses to contact users digitally. Informed delivery for businesses helps you reach a wide range of customers for enhanced conversions.
• Encourage prospects to react to your mail items by offering them an interactive platform, content, coupons, and different discounts.

The following are some of the tips to apply when using informed delivery for business:

• Use catchy headlines.
• Pay attention to colors.
• Include clear and exciting images.
• Add compelling offers.
• Include compelling and upfront CTAs.
• Use an appealing name and campaign titles

Informed delivery interactivecampaigns

For users to understand the benefits of informed delivery for business, they must know about interactive campaigns. They let companies access the database of their informed delivery users.

You may show promotional content for flats and letters if you participate in the informed delivery interactive campaigns. These may include your website URL and digital solutions that can allow you to engage your users digitally.

These campaigns are easy to run, so you don’t have to worry. Start by creating a mailing list and get your parcels ready for mailing. After these, feed in details such as IMBs, mailing dates, target URL, and custom images.

Image alt text: USPS informed delivery service. Mail delivery vans at the postal agency offices.

Author credit: By Mtaylor848 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61836304

The postal agency will display these URLs and images to the users in your mailing list that are subscribed to the informed delivery service. You can therefore proceed to analyze the campaign outcomes by checking email open and click-through rates.

From the results, retarget users with high email open and click-through rates with offers that can entice them to use the feature more and more.

Limitations of the Informed Delivery

While Informed delivery is a convenient service that can help customers keep track of their mail, there are several limitations to this service that customers should be aware of. In the following section, we will discuss four commonshortcomings of USPS Informed Delivery service.

• Limited Availability

One of the primary limitations of USPS Informed Delivery is that it is not available in all areas. As of 2021, USPS Informed Delivery is available in most zip codes in the United States, but there are still some areas where the service is not yet available.

Customers can check the availability of Informed delivery in their area by visiting the USPS website and entering their zip code.

• Incomplete Preview

Another limitation of USPS Informed Delivery is that the preview of the mail is not always complete. In some cases, the preview may not include all the mail that is expected to be delivered that day.

This can be particularly problematic if a customer expects an important piece of mail that does not appear in the preview.

• Limited Package Information

USPS Informed Delivery also has limitations when it comes to package information. While customers can see a digital preview of their packages, the data is often limited.

For instance, users may not be able to see the weight of their package or the shipping method used. This can make it difficult for customers to plan for the delivery of their package.

• Security Concerns

Finally, there are some USPS security concerns associated with the Informed Delivery. Since the service provides a digital preview of the mail that is expected to be delivered, it is possible for someone to intercept and view that information.

This can be particularly problematic for customers who receive sensitive mail, such as financial statements or personal information.

Other limitations you can experience with this feature include the following:

• Low resolution gray images.
• The feature only displays the exterior of your parcel.
• Sometimes the mail can arrive to customers without displaying it in the preview dashboard.

In summary, while this is a free and convenient service that helps customers keep track of their mail and packages, there are several limitations to be aware of.

These limitations include limited availability, incomplete previews, limited package information, and security concerns. Customers should consider these limitations when deciding whether to use the service and take steps to protect personal information.

Wrapping it up

The USPS informed delivery service is a beneficial feature of the postal organization introduced in 2014 to help steer the company to the digitization of operations. It is an optional and free feature that allows users to stay informed of the status of their mail pieces and parcels.

It enables them to reschedule their mail to dates and time that fits their availability. Users can also view the scanned images of their parcels before they reach them and take necessary action if there is inconsistency.

While this feature has several benefits, there are also some limitations it comes with that you have to know and make a clear decision before you sign up for it. These cons include limited availability, uncertain security concerns, limited package information, an incomplete preview system, and poor image resolutions, among others.