Informed Delivery is the digital preview service that lets you see what's coming in your mailbox before it arrives.
If you're looking for actionable ways to boost campaign visibility, align direct mail with digital channels, and measure results effectively, USPS Informed Delivery can help you do it all.
Whether you want to track a tax refund check, know when your online order arrives, or just stay on top of your mail, Informed Delivery puts you in control. The service is completely free and optional, so you decide how much visibility you want into your mail delivery.
You'll discover exactly how this service works and what features you can expect when you sign up.
The USPS Informed Delivery service captures grayscale images of your letter-sized mail during processing and sends them to you digitally. You'll see the front of each envelope or postcard that's headed your way, usually by 9 AM on the day it gets delivered.
Here's what appears in your daily email or dashboard:
The images aren't perfect—they're grayscale scans taken during mail processing. But they give you enough detail to identify bills, personal letters, or marketing mail before you get home.
Not every piece of mail shows up in Informed Delivery. Large envelopes, catalogs, and magazines often don't get scanned. The service works best for standard letter-sized mail that fits through automated sorting machines.
You can view your mail previews through three different ways:
Daily email notifications arrive in your inbox each morning (when mail is coming) with thumbnail images of your expected mail and any package updates.
The web dashboard at informeddelivery.usps.com lets you log in anytime to see current and past mail images, manage your account settings, and track packages.
The mobile app gives you the same features as the web version but optimized for your phone. You can download it from your device's app store.
The USPS Informed Delivery dashboard shows your mail images in a simple grid layout. Click any image to see a larger version. Package information appears separately with tracking numbers, status updates, and delivery estimates.
Informed Delivery doesn't just handle letters—it also tracks your packages. When you have packages coming through USPS (including those handed off from other carriers), you'll see updates right alongside your mail previews.
Package features include:
The Informed Delivery packages feature works automatically once you're signed up. You don't need to enter tracking numbers manually—the system recognizes packages addressed to your registered address.
Some mailers include interactive elements that only work through Informed Delivery. These might be special offers, QR codes, or links that take you to personalized landing pages.
When you click on certain mail images in your dashboard, you might see additional content from the sender. This could include:
Not all mail has interactive features—it's an optional tool that some businesses use to enhance their direct mail campaigns.
Your Informed Delivery account keeps a history of your mail images for easy reference. You can scroll back through past days to find images of mail you might have missed or thrown away.
The archive includes:
This history feature helps when you're looking for a specific piece of mail or need to confirm when something was delivered. The images stay in your account for about a week before being automatically removed.
Getting started with Informed Delivery takes just a few minutes online. Head to informeddelivery.usps.com and click the sign-up button.
The registration process includes:
USPS uses identity verification to make sure only authorized people can see mail previews for each address. You'll answer questions about your financial history that only you would know.
Once approved, you'll start receiving daily email notifications when mail is coming your way. The whole process usually takes less than 10 minutes.
Informed Delivery uses several security measures to protect your mail information. The identity verification process helps ensure only authorized residents can access mail previews for each address.
Security features include:
If you're concerned about privacy, remember that Informed Delivery only shows you mail that's already addressed to your home. USPS doesn't share your mail information with other parties or use it for marketing purposes.
You can also opt out anytime by logging into your account and deactivating the service. This stops all future mail previews and package notifications.
Both the Informed Delivery mobile app and web dashboard offer the same core features, but each has some unique advantages.
The mobile app works better for:
The web interface offers:
Most people use both—checking the mobile app for quick updates and using the web dashboard when they need to search through mail history or get detailed package information.
How do I see who else has Informed Delivery at my address?
You can't view who else at your address uses Informed Delivery. USPS keeps this information private for security reasons.
How do I see which packages are coming to my home through Informed Delivery?
Log into your USPS Informed Delivery dashboard or mobile app to see package tracking information alongside your mail previews.
Is USPS Informed Delivery being discontinued?
No, Informed Delivery continues to operate normally. USPS retired an older mobile app version in 2023 but replaced it with an updated app.
Does everything show up on Informed Delivery?
Not every piece of mail appears in Informed Delivery. The service captures most letter-sized mail but may miss large envelopes, magazines, and items that don't go through automated sorting.
How Lob helps marketers harness USPS Informed Delivery for real results
You can use Informed Delivery as part of your direct mail campaign strategy. When you send mail through our platform, you'll automatically benefit from additional opportunities to track engagement across channels.
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