To ship without using your home address, put a PO Box, a private mailbox (PMB) or a business address in the return-address field, then drop the package off at a Post Office or The UPS Store. To receive packages without giving out your home address, have them sent to USPS Hold For Pickup, a UPS Access Point location, a PO Box or a private mailbox.
All of these are legitimate. Carriers still need a real, deliverable return address on a package; it just doesn’t have to be the place you live.
What Address Can You Use Instead of Your Home Address?
The right option depends on whether you’re sending, receiving or both, and on which carrier is involved. The table compares the five legitimate choices.
| Option | Use as return address? | Receives USPS? | Receives UPS? | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS PO Box | Yes | Yes | Only with Street Addressing, at participating Post Offices | Application plus two forms of ID |
| Private mailbox (CMRA) at a pack-and-ship store | Yes | Yes | Yes (it’s a street address) | PS Form 1583 plus two forms of ID |
| Business or work address | Yes | Yes | Yes | Your employer’s permission |
| USPS Hold For Pickup | No (receiving only) | Yes: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Ground Advantage | No | Photo ID at pickup; held up to 15 days (5 for Priority Mail Express) |
| UPS Access Point location | No (receiving only) | No | Yes | ID at pickup; held up to 7 calendar days |
If you only need a return address for occasional USPS packages, a PO Box is the simplest choice. If you send and receive with both carriers, a private mailbox’s street-style address works for everything.
Can You Use a PO Box as a Return Address?
Yes, for USPS mail and packages. A PO Box is a full, deliverable address, so a returned USPS package lands in your box or at the counter for pickup.
UPS is different. The UPS Tariff says UPS does not deliver to P.O. Boxes, so a UPS package returned to a PO Box address has nowhere to go. For UPS shipments, use a private mailbox or a PO Box with Street Addressing, which pairs the Post Office’s street address with your box number so private carriers can deliver to it.
USPS requires two forms of acceptable ID to rent a box, and Street Addressing is available only at some locations. Ask your Post Office before you rely on it.
How Does a Private Mailbox Work?
A private mailbox is a box at a commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA), such as a UPS Store or an independent pack-and-ship shop. You get the store’s street address with your box number, written as “PMB 123” or “#123,” and the store accepts mail and packages from every carrier for you.
USPS rules (DMM 508.1.8) require the store to have you complete and sign PS Form 1583 and show a primary and a secondary form of ID before it can receive mail for you. Your address must include the PMB or # designator, or mail may be returned.
Because the address looks like an ordinary street address, it works as a return address on both USPS and UPS labels, and as a delivery address for online orders.
How Do You Ship a Package Without Putting Your Home Address on the Label?
- Choose your return address. Use a PO Box for USPS, or a private mailbox or business address for either carrier.
- Enter it as the ship-from address when you buy the label. The return address must be complete and deliverable, because that’s where an undeliverable package comes back.
- Drop the package off instead of scheduling a pickup from home. With USPS Label Broker, the Post Office scans a code and prints your label at the counter. With UPS Mobile Barcode, The UPS Store does the same.
- Keep the tracking number. If the package is refused or can’t be delivered, you’ll see it heading back to the return address.
This is common for people who sell from home, like resellers who ship clothes to buyers and don’t want a home address on every order. With ParcelPath, labels are free to create, with no subscription or per-label fee, and you get up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS. Compare both carriers for your box in the ParcelPath rate calculator.
How Do You Receive Packages Without Using Your Home Address?
For USPS, ask the sender to use Hold For Pickup. Under DMM 507.3, the sender chooses it when creating a Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail or Ground Advantage label, and the package waits at the Post Office you pick. You’ll get a notice if the Post Office has your contact details, and you’ll need a primary photo ID to collect it.
For UPS, choose a UPS Access Point location (a participating store, The UPS Store or a locker) at checkout, or redirect a package there. The UPS Tariff says Access Points hold packages for up to seven calendar days, then may return them as undeliverable, and staff can ask for government-issued ID. Our guide to UPS locations and Access Points explains how to find one and what each type accepts.
If a UPS package needs a signature and you’re never home, rerouting it to an Access Point is often easier than waiting for another attempt; see what happens when a UPS signature is required and you’re not home. To redirect packages already on the way, a free UPS My Choice account helps; here’s whether UPS My Choice is worth it.
Does Shipping Without a Home Address Hide Your Identity?
It hides your home address from the recipient, not your identity from the carrier. USPS requires ID to rent a PO Box, CMRAs keep your PS Form 1583 on file, and the UPS Tariff lets UPS require verification of the shipper’s name and address before it accepts a package.
The return address itself must also be real. Leaving it off a package isn’t an option with USPS package services, as our guide on whether you can mail something without a return address explains. If you want the recipient not to know who sent a package at all, see how to ship anonymously, legally.
For valuable items, keep insurance in mind: claims go to the shipper, so the return address you use needs to be one where you can receive mail. Our overview of parcel insurance options covers how claims work.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I ship without using my home address?
Use a PO Box, a private mailbox at a pack-and-ship store, or a business address as the return address, then drop the package off at the Post Office or The UPS Store instead of scheduling a pickup at home. The return address must be complete and deliverable, because that’s where an undeliverable or refused package is sent back.
Can UPS deliver to a PO Box?
No. The UPS Tariff states that UPS does not deliver to P.O. Boxes. If you need UPS packages at a PO Box, ask whether your Post Office offers Street Addressing, which combines the Post Office’s street address with your box number so private carriers can deliver. Otherwise, use a private mailbox or a UPS Access Point location.
How long will a package be held for pickup?
USPS Hold For Pickup items are returned to the sender if they aren’t picked up within 15 days, or 5 days for Priority Mail Express, under DMM 507.3. UPS Access Point locations hold packages for up to seven calendar days unless the shipper chose a different time. Check tracking for the exact last pickup date.
Do I need ID to pick up a held package?
Usually yes. USPS requires an acceptable primary form of identification to collect a Hold For Pickup item, and UPS may require government-issued ID before releasing a package at an Access Point location. A private mailbox store will know you from your PS Form 1583 and the two IDs you showed when you opened the box.
Sources
- USPS: PO Boxes and Street Addressing
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 507: Hold For Pickup (3.0)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 508: Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies and PS Form 1583 (1.8)
- USPS Domestic Mail Manual 602: Return address requirements (1.5)
- UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions of Service, United States (P.O. Boxes, UPS Access Point locations)
Part of our Best Way to Mail Important Documents guide. Related: Can I Ship Tax Documents to the Irs, Precious Metal Shipping, What Is the Best Way to Send a Passport.
