USPS’s free mail-preview service gives you daily previews of incoming mail before your carrier arrives. You get grayscale images of letter-sized mail and package tracking updates each morning — no cost, no subscription required. Here’s how it works, how to sign up, and how to use it effectively.
What Is Informed Delivery?
This is a free USPS service that lets residential and business customers digitally preview incoming mail and packages. Once enrolled, you receive a daily email or mobile app notification showing the exterior of letter-sized mailpieces scheduled for delivery that day. For packages, you get tracking status updates and, when available, ride-along images or links from senders.
The images aren’t created just for this service. USPS already photographs mail as it moves through automated sorting equipment at processing facilities. It takes those existing scans and delivers them to you before the physical mail reaches your mailbox. For broader insight into how this fits USPS’s tracking ecosystem, understanding USPS tracking and Informed Delivery integration reveals practical use cases for daily mail management.
For address-level visibility beyond the standard service, USPS mail tracking by address explains how address-based tracking complements what you see in your daily digest.
How Does Informed Delivery Work?
As letter and flat-sized mailpieces enter USPS processing and distribution centers, automated sorting equipment photographs the front of each piece. Those images are stored and linked to the delivery address. Once mail is sorted and assigned to a carrier route for the day, USPS compiles all scanned images for your address into a single morning notification.
The notification typically arrives before 9 a.m. local time. For packages with tracking numbers, USPS pulls status updates from their tracking network and includes them alongside the mail images. You can receive these notifications three ways: daily digest email, the USPS.com dashboard, or the USPS Mobile app. The dashboard retains up to seven days of history.
Pairing this service with USPS tracking alerts gives you proactive updates at every stage of a package’s journey, not just a morning summary. If you rely on email-based shipment updates, USPS tracking email shows how to layer those alerts with your setup for complete visibility.
When a package has no tracking number attached, you’re not completely in the dark. USPS tracking without tracking numbers covers how to locate a shipment using the address-based information this service already surfaces.
Who Is Eligible for Informed Delivery?
This service is available to most residential and business customers in the United States with a deliverable address. To sign up, your address must be eligible — USPS determines this based on whether your address is served by automated mail processing equipment. Not every address qualifies, particularly in rural areas where mail isn’t processed through those machines.
You must be 18 or older to enroll. Only one account can be the primary account per address, but USPS allows additional users at the same address to sign up through a secondary verification process.
How to Sign Up for Informed Delivery
Signing up takes a few minutes at USPS.com. Here’s the process:
- Go to informeddelivery.usps.com or the USPS website.
- Create a USPS.com account or log in to an existing one.
- Navigate to the notifications section and click “Sign Up for Free.”
- Enter your address and verify it against USPS records.
- Complete identity verification — USPS uses online verification or, if that fails, sends a physical verification code to your address by mail.
- Once verified, you’re enrolled. Notifications typically begin within a few business days.
The identity verification step prevents someone from enrolling at an address they don’t live at — which would expose your incoming mail to a third party. If you encounter issues during signup, the complete USPS Informed Delivery setup guide walks through troubleshooting common enrollment problems.
What Does Informed Delivery Show You?
The daily digest shows grayscale scanned images of the front of letter-sized and flat-sized mailpieces arriving that day. Standard envelopes, catalogs, and magazines typically appear. Packages don’t generate images in the same way — instead, you see tracking status information for parcels with tracking numbers.
Not every piece of mail generates an image. Oversized items, parcels, and mail processed manually won’t appear in the digest. USPS also notes that not all mail travels through facilities with imaging equipment, so occasional gaps are normal.
Senders — including businesses and mailers using USPS marketing mail — can attach “ride-along” images or interactive content to their pieces. When you see a mailpiece in your digest, there may be a color image or a clickable link alongside the grayscale scan. These are paid add-ons for mailers, not something you configure as a recipient.
Using Informed Delivery for Small Business
If you’re running an e-commerce operation or shipping regularly, it works as an early-warning system. You can see checks, invoices, and important correspondence before they hit the mailbox — useful for cash flow planning and avoiding missed payments.
For outbound shipments, the service doesn’t help directly since it focuses on incoming mail. That’s where your shipping platform matters. ParcelPath gives small businesses access to USPS and UPS rates at 60–89% off retail, with no subscription fees or monthly charges. Combining discounted shipping costs with this mail-preview tool for your incoming mail creates a tighter, lower-cost shipping operation overall.
Businesses that send direct mail campaigns can use this feature as a marketing tool — attaching digital ride-along content to physical mailpieces so recipients see your message in their daily digest before the physical piece arrives. This can increase response rates for direct mail campaigns.
Informed Delivery vs. Package Intercept
This service tells you what’s coming. Package Intercept lets you stop or redirect a package that’s already in the USPS network. These two services work well together — when you see something in your daily digest that you need to redirect, you can immediately log in and request a Package Intercept before the piece delivers.
Package Intercept is not free — it costs a fee plus applicable postage — but it’s far better than trying to return a package after delivery or dealing with a missed delivery of something time-sensitive.
Common Issues and Solutions
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No daily email arriving | No mail scanned for your address that day, or email in spam | Check spam folder; confirm enrollment in USPS dashboard |
| Address not eligible | Address not served by automated sorting equipment | No workaround — USPS does not process all addresses through imaging |
| Images missing from digest | Mail processed manually or at non-imaging facility | Normal; not every piece generates an image |
| Enrollment failing at identity verification | USPS can’t match your info online | Request a physical verification code mailed to your address |
| Wrong address showing | Account linked to old address | Update your address in USPS account settings |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Informed Delivery really free?
Yes. It costs nothing for recipients. USPS funds it through the existing mail processing infrastructure. The only paid component is optional: businesses that want to attach ride-along digital content to their mailings pay a fee to USPS as part of a marketing mail campaign — that’s a cost for senders, not recipients.
Can I use it for a PO Box?
Yes, PO Box addresses are eligible for this service. The signup process is identical. You’ll see scanned images of letter-sized mailpieces addressed to your PO Box, along with package tracking updates for parcels with tracking numbers. Not every item will generate an image, just as with residential addresses.
Does it work for packages?
For packages with USPS tracking numbers, it shows tracking status updates rather than scanned images. You won’t get a grayscale photo of the outside of a box the way you do with letters. If you want full tracking details for a specific package, checking the tracking number directly on USPS.com or the app provides more complete information than the daily digest.
How early does the daily email arrive?
USPS sends the daily digest early in the morning, typically before 9 a.m. local time. The exact time varies. On days when no mail is scanned for your address — due to no delivery, no qualifying mailpieces, or processing in a non-imaging facility — you won’t receive a digest that day.
Can multiple people at the same address enroll?
Yes, but there are limits. One account is the primary account for an address. Additional residents can enroll through a secondary process that requires verification. Each person gets their own account and sees the mail for that shared address. This is designed for households or shared business addresses where multiple people need visibility.
What if I move?
When you file a change of address with USPS, your account should update to reflect your new address after processing. It’s worth logging in to your USPS account after a move to confirm the address is correct and that the service is still active at your new location. New addresses may have a brief gap in service during the transition.
Is it secure?
USPS requires identity verification during enrollment specifically to prevent someone from accessing your mail images without your knowledge. The verification process is the main security layer. If you suspect someone has enrolled at your address without your permission, contact USPS directly. You can also report the issue through the USPS help center for this service.
For the complete setup walkthrough and benefit breakdown, the USPS setup guide covers everything step by step.
Sources
- USPS Mail Preview Service Overview, usps.com
- USPS Official Enrollment Guide, informeddelivery.usps.com
- USPS Package Intercept Service Guide, usps.com
- USPS Mail Processing and Delivery Standards, usps.gov
- USPS Customer Support Documentation, usps.com
Part of our USPS Services guide. Related: Ground Advantage, USPS Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express.
