How to sign up for USPS Informed Delivery

USPS Informed Delivery is a free service that gives you digital previews of incoming mail and updates on package deliveries. Once you create an account, you can see images of letter-sized mailpieces before they arrive and get notifications when packages are on the way.

This guide walks through who is eligible, how to sign up, and how to manage your account. It is written for anyone who wants to start using Informed Delivery for the first time, with a quick look at how it fits into broader direct mail strategies at the end.

What is USPS Informed Delivery?

Informed Delivery is USPS’s digital mail preview service. It sends you grayscale images of the exterior of letter-sized mailpieces before they arrive in your mailbox and provides status updates for packages.

When you sign up, you receive daily email notifications showing scanned images of mail that is scheduled for delivery to your address. You can also view these images in your USPS online dashboard or through the USPS mobile app. For a deeper look at features and the dashboard experience, see key features of Informed Delivery.

Key features include:

• Daily email previews: Grayscale images of incoming letter-sized mail
  
  
• Package tracking: Status updates and expected delivery windows
  
  
• Digital dashboard: Online access to mail images and notification settings
  
  
• Mobile access: USPS mobile app support so you can check from your phone
  
  

The service covers standard letter-sized mail. It does not show images of magazines, catalogs, or packages. Email notifications typically arrive in your inbox each morning for mail scheduled for delivery that day.

Who can sign up for Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery is available to residential customers and eligible PO Box holders across much of the United States, although not every address is supported yet.

To be eligible, you need:

• A residential address or eligible PO Box that receives USPS mail
  
  
• A ZIP code that participates in the Informed Delivery program
  
  
• The ability to verify your identity and address with USPS
  
  

Address eligibility varies by location:

• Residential addresses: Most single-family homes and many apartment buildings qualify
  
  
• PO Boxes: Selected PO Box locations support Informed Delivery
  
  
• Business addresses: Some business locations qualify, but residential addresses are the primary focus
  
  

USPS continues to expand coverage. If your address is not eligible today, you can still create a USPS account and check again as the program grows.

Step-by-step guide to sign up for Informed Delivery

Signing up usually takes about 10–15 minutes. You will create a USPS account, check your address, and complete identity verification.

Step 1: Visit the USPS Informed Delivery site

Go to informeddelivery.usps.com. This is the official USPS portal for Informed Delivery. On the homepage, click Sign Up For Free to start.

USPS will first check whether your address is eligible before you move on to account creation.

Step 2: Check your address eligibility

Enter your ZIP code and full address. USPS will immediately confirm whether Informed Delivery is available at your location.

• If your address qualifies, you can continue with registration.
  
  
• If it does not, you will see a message that the service is not yet available and may have the option to be notified when it becomes available.
  

Step 3: Create a free USPS account

Next, you will either create a new USPS.com account or sign in to an existing one. This account gives you access to Informed Delivery and other USPS tools.

You will be asked for:

• Email address: Used as your username
  
  
• Password: Following USPS security requirements
  
  
• Personal information: Name, address, phone number, date of birth
  
  
• Security questions: For account recovery
  
  

If you already have a USPS.com account, log in and follow the prompts to add Informed Delivery.

Step 4: Complete identity verification

USPS verifies your identity to protect your mail information and confirm that you live at the address you are enrolling.

Verification options can include:

• Online verification: Answering questions about your credit history or background
  
  
• Phone verification: Entering a code sent by call or text
  
  
• Mail verification: Receiving a code by mail and entering it online
  
  
• In-person verification: Visiting a Post Office with a photo ID
  
  

Many people can complete this step online in a few minutes. If online verification does not work, USPS will offer alternate options.

Step 5: Set your notification preferences

After verification, you can choose how and when you want to receive USPS notifications.

Common options include:

• Daily email previews
  
  
• Package tracking alerts
  
  
• Delivery confirmation notifications
  
  
• Optional text message alerts
  
  

You can update these preferences anytime in your USPS account dashboard.

Managing your USPS Informed Delivery account

Once you have signed up, you can manage Informed Delivery through the USPS website or mobile app. Your dashboard shows mail images, packages, and account details.

In your dashboard, you can:

• View recent mail images in a mail gallery
  
  
• Track packages by status and expected delivery date
  
  
• See a delivery calendar for upcoming packages
  
  
• Update notification settings and personal information
  
  

If you have more than one eligible address, each location needs its own enrollment and identity verification. USPS may require separate accounts to manage different addresses.

Troubleshooting common Informed Delivery issues

A few common issues come up during sign up or everyday use:

• Address not eligible: If your address does not qualify, you can sign up for alerts when coverage expands. USPS is rolling the program out to more ZIP codes over time.
  
  
• Identity verification problems: If online verification fails, try phone, mail, or in-person verification instead. These methods can help when there are gaps or mismatches in credit or public records.
  
  
• Missing mail images: Informed Delivery only shows letter-sized mail processed through participating facilities. Some pieces and some facilities will not generate previews.
  
  
• Email not arriving: Check your spam or promotions folder and add noreply@usps.gov to your contacts. You can always log in to your USPS account to view mail images directly.
  
  

How Lob enhances your direct mail strategy

If you are a marketer or operations leader running direct mail campaigns, understanding how customers use Informed Delivery gives you another way to extend your reach.

When customers are enrolled in Informed Delivery, they see a preview of your mail before it arrives in their mailbox. That preview can act as an extra impression and touchpoint in the journey, especially when paired with digital channels. Studies of how successful Informed Delivery is show that it can lift awareness and response when used well.

With Lob, you can:

• Coordinate digital campaigns with expected in-home dates
  
  
• Treat Informed Delivery impressions as one more datapoint in your reporting
  
  
• Use it as an additional touchpoint in your marketing funnel
  
  

This kind of integrated approach helps you get more value from every mailpiece while keeping messaging consistent across channels.
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Want to see how Lob can streamline your direct mail and make programs like Informed Delivery easier to leverage?

Book a demo to talk with our team.

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