USPS Hold Mail Request: 3 Simple Ways To Pause Mail Deliveries Everyone Should Know

Want to Temporarily Pause Mail Deliveries? Keep reading…

USPS Hold Mail Service holds all the mails including letters or other packages for the individuals with designated and eligible addresses. You need not pay any charges for availing of Hold Mail services by USPS. 

For up to 30 days, the USPS Hold Mail® service can safely store your mail at your local Post Office facility until you return. You can join up for a forwarding service if you want your mail to be held longer or rerouted. You can place your order up to 30 days ahead of time or on the next planned delivery day.

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USPS Hold Mail Request in 2024: All That You Need to Know

Anyone can submit the hold mail request to USPS. You can also hire an agent to submit holding mail requests. A third party may arrange a USPS Hold Mail request for a specific address as long as the customer can arrange for all of the necessary information. 

The United States Postal Service recently toughened regulations to protect your identity. Before you submit an online request to hold your mail, you must first create or login to your USPS.com account and authenticate your identification.

Are You Eligible to Submit a “Hold Mail” Request? 

The answer to this question is YES. Anyone can submit the hold mail request at least 30 days before. If any changes are needed you can contact your local post office.

When it comes to punctuality, here are some short tips for sending a hold mail request:

  • A request must last at least three days.
  • A request for hold mail must be made at least one business day ahead of time.
  • A request cannot last more than 30 days.

Another thing to keep in mind is that once you file a hold mail request, it applies to anyone at the mailbox address, irrespective of the name.

How do I get USPS to hold my mail?

In this section, I will explain to you how to place a hold mail request with the USPS in three different ways: over the phone, in person, and online.

Let’s look at three simple methods for requesting a mail hold:

Over the phone: 

Call 1-800-ASK-USPS to place a hold mail request over the phone (1-800-275-8777). Any must be sent at least one working day during the first day you want your mail held, as previously stated. It is better to contact the number of your local post office.

Go to the nearest post office: 

You can also place a mail hold request at your nearest post office if you have access to one. It must be completed at least one business day ahead of time.

PS Form 8076 will be handed to you. After you’ve completed it, ensure you get a confirmation code to ensure that your request was accepted.

Online hold mail request: 

A hold mail request can be made online at USPS.com hold mail page. The form will check to see if a hold mail request is accessible in your location as you fill it out. Once you’ve confirmed that, enter in the dates and subscribe to begin your mail hold.

Monday through Saturday, any request to have your mail held before 2 a.m. CT will commence on the same postal business day.

Make sure the dates you’ll be gone are set in stone, regardless of how you submit your hold mail request. The earliest you can ask for your mail to be held is 14 days ahead of time.

Is USPS hold mail free?

Requesting USPS Hold Mail service is free of charge. At any given moment, a single USPS Hold Mail® service can be active at a given address. A PO Box does not require a USPS Hold Mail request because mail delivered to a PO Box will be permitted to accumulate for up to 30 days.

USPS Hold Mail end Date Meaning Explained

A mail end date refers to the date when a postal worker will begin delivering a customer’s mail after a hold request. One day before the requested mail hold requests can also be made online, in a post office, or by phone. Additionally, postal waits can last anywhere from three to thirty days.

You’ll be prompted to enter in the mail hold start and end dates when you set up a mail hold, whether online, over the phone at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), or at your local post office.

The start date, on the other hand, relates to the first day you’ll be away from home, while the end date is when you’ll resume receiving mail.

USPS Hold for Pickup: What is it?

A Hold for Pickup package is sent to a Post Office, rather than just being left at the recipient’s address, The parcel is held at the Post Office till the recipient can pick it up during regular business hours at a time that is convenient for them.

How do I get USPS to hold my package for pickup?

After you log in to your USPS.com account you can submit your request and check if it is eligible. You’ll be given an estimated total after completing your request (intercept charge plus expected Priority Mail® postage, if necessary). The shipment will then be intercepted and redirected by USPS.

Customers can pick up their packages at their local Post Office using the information on the back of their Redelivery Notice. Customers may pick up the goods at the Post Office on or after the delivery date and time specified on the PS Form 3849 delivery notification.

You should be aware that not only is it possible to pick up a box from USPS before delivery begins (or is done), but it’s also really clear and straightforward to do so.

Is USPS hold for pick up free?

The Hold For Pickup Service is free of charge.

Outgoing mail can be picked up in three ways by the Postal Service.

Pickup on Demand is ideal for those time-sensitive scenarios where your mailpiece (s) must be picked up on a certain date and within a specific duration. (For a pickup, all mail must be ready to mail.) There is a per-trip pickup cost (despite the number of items scheduled for pickup). 

Go to What is Pickup on Demand® for further information on how Pickup on Demand® operates, including the pickup cost and which mail classes are eligible for this service.

Package Pickup allows you to schedule a pickup of your eligible mailpiece(s) for the next delivery day or a specific day at the same time your mail is delivered by your mail carrier. Prepaid postage is required on the mailpiece(s). There’s one:

When your mail is picked up as part of your mail carrier’s route and the operator does not need to make a particular trip to pick up your mailpiece, there is no additional charge for Package Pickup (s)

There is no restriction on how many packages can be left for Package Pickup.

The service is offered in the majority of ZIP Code locations in the United States.

Prepaid mail put in a collection box is referred to as Collection Service. When clients hand their outbound, prepaid mail, which is ready and waiting, to a carrier or other approved employee while that individual is executing routine delivery and collection tasks, it is also considered a collection service.

How long will the post office hold mail for pick up?

Most undeliverable parcels are held for 15 days by the USPS, and recipients are notified twice that their package is being held for pickup at the Post Office.

How to Cancel or Edit USPS Hold Request in 2024?

USPS consumers can cancel mail hold requests digitally, over the phone, or in-person at their local post office. Provide your phone number or email address, as well as the confirmation code you got with your initial mail hold request, to cancel online or by phone. You can’t cancel online or have USPS cancel it without a confirmation number.

You can cancel a USPS mail hold by entering the confirmation number you were given when you placed it.

Furthermore, if you placed your mail hold request online or contacted the Customer Care Center to establish the hold, you should have received an email with this number.

So, here’s how to cancel your mail hold request online:

  • Visit the USPS Hold Mail service page for more information.
usps hold mail request form
  • On the right side of the page, select “Edit/Cancel Your Hold Mail Request.”
edit your hold mail request
  • On the pop-up option that opens, enter your phone number or email address, as well as the confirmation number.
enter required fields for holding mails
  • Cancel the mail hold request after providing your information.
  • At the end of the page, click the “Continue” button.
  • Verify your cancellation by double-checking the specifics of your request
  • View the page titled “Cancellation Confirmation.”

You can also call the USPS Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS to cancel a mail hold request (1-800-275-8777).

Agents are available to answer your call Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:30 PM ET and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET on this line.

To complete your request, they will require your email address or phone number, as well as your confirmation number.

You can’t update, change, or cancel your hold mail request without a confirmation number.

What happens when USPS mail hold expires?

After a USPS Hold Mail service request is completed, you have ten days to pick up your mail. It will be returned to the sender if it is not picked up by this deadline. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if your delivery does not continue as desired.

How long can I place mail on hold?

For up to 30 days, the USPS Hold Mail® service can safely store your mail at your local Post OfficeTM facility until you return. You need to join up for a forwarding service if you want your mail to be held longer or rerouted.

Can someone else pick up my USPS hold mail package?

If the consumer is picking up mail for someone else, formal permission is required (and their photo ID). The addressee can write authorization directly on the delivery notice (on the reverse of PS Form 3849) or on plain paper (just a note on paper declaring that “a name” has permission to pick up mail for “my name,” and then sign it).

Unless a standing order is in place, a person with the same last name and address as another person who receives mail cannot pick up Accountable mail on that person’s behalf. Customers can also follow the directions on the reverse of the PS Form 3849 if they are requesting someone else to pick up an Accountable mail item.

FAQs:

Is hold mail delivered on the end date?

Your letter carrier may deliver your mail on the end date you stated. Monday through Saturday are considered postal business days, and holidays are excluded. USPS can deliver your mail to you after your hold period, or you can pick it up at your local Post Office. Make sure you have a valid form of identification with you when you arrive.

Why is USPS not holding my mail?

Because not all addresses are eligible for online hold mail requests, you’ll need to check to see if your address is one of them. Navigate to the Quick Tools page in your account, then scroll down to Hold Mail.
Based on the information you provide when you created your USPS account, your name, address, phone number, and email address will be prefilled. You can amend any of your info in your profile if it is incorrect.
Finally, select “Check Availability” from the drop-down menu. You’ll be able to go to the following stage if online hold mail is available.

Does USPS deliver on the last day of mail hold or the day after?

When you put your mail on hold, the Post Office will put all of your packages on hold as well. The “End Day” of your Hold Mail request is the date on which your letter carrier will deliver your mail.

How do I know if USPS holds my mail?

If a letter carrier determines that a mail receptacle is full, the letter carrier will place a “We ReDeliver for You” form (PS Form 3849) in the receptacle and return the overflow mail to the nearest Post Office for pickup. The LPO will keep collected mail for up to 10 days automatically.
 
If you submit online at www.usps.com, you must complete the following steps: To determine if a Hold Mail is available through the online system, enter your name, address, phone number, and email address and click “Check Availability.”

How to Get USPS Hold Mail Confirmation Number?

If you make a USPS Hold Mail request online or through the Customer Care Center, you will receive an email confirmation number as long as you give a valid email address. The email includes a direct link to the USPS Hold Mail application, allowing you to make changes to your request.

Conclusion

While you’re away from home, the USPS Hold Mail service is a virtual guarantee that your mail is safe.

This service is simple to set up and will provide you peace of mind whether you’ll be gone for a few days or a month. Make sure the dates you’ll be gone are set in stone, regardless of how you submit your hold mail request. Please remember that you can only request your letter to be held 30 days ahead of time.

When you come back from your tour, you can either pick up your packages at your local post office or wait for the mail carrier to resume service to your home on the date you specified on your hold request.

Avatar of Brent Watson

A delivery boy by profession, A traveler by passion. I love to explore new varieties of food. He also worked in many popular courier companies such as USPS and UPS. He likes to educate people on how they can save money while using these courier companies to send their parcels.

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