To reach USPS customer service, call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), Monday through Friday 8 AM to 8:30 PM ET and Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM ET, or send a request through USPS’s Get Help Online form at emailus.usps.com. USPS also runs separate lines for tracking (1-800-222-1811) and USPS.com technical problems (1-800-344-7779), and some issues, like missing mail and claims, go fastest through their own online forms.
Picking the right channel first saves a lot of hold time. This guide lists every main USPS contact option, what each one can actually do, and how to escalate when the first answer doesn’t solve the problem.
What Are the USPS Customer Service Phone Numbers?
USPS publishes several phone lines on its Contact Us page, each for a different kind of problem. The main Customer Care Center line handles most issues, but the specialist lines get you to the right team without being transferred.
| Line | Number | Use it for | Hours (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Care Center | 1-800-275-8777 (1-800-ASK-USPS) | Delivery problems, complaints, general questions | Mon–Fri 8 AM–8:30 PM; Sat 8 AM–6 PM |
| Domestic and international tracking | 1-800-222-1811 | Questions about a tracking number | Mon–Fri 8 AM–8:30 PM; Sat 8 AM–6 PM |
| Technical support | 1-800-344-7779 | USPS.com accounts, Click-N-Ship, online claims, PO Box online tools | Mon–Fri 8 AM–8:30 PM; Sat 8 AM–6 PM |
| Stamps and Postal Store orders | 1-844-737-7826 | Stamp and Postal Store purchases | Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM |
| Free shipping supplies | 1-800-610-8734 | Ordering free boxes, envelopes and forms | Mon–Fri 7 AM–11 PM; Sat 7 AM–6 PM |
Callers who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired can dial 711 to reach their state’s relay service. For menu shortcuts and tips on getting a live agent, see our guide to the USPS customer service number.
How Do You Contact USPS Customer Service Online?
The Get Help Online form at emailus.usps.com is USPS’s main written channel, and it gives you a case record to refer back to. USPS says the form also includes a chat feature, but for technical issues with USPS.com services rather than for lost or delayed mail.
Online forms are also the fastest route for several common requests, because they go straight to the team that handles them:
- Missing Mail search at missingmail.usps.com, from 7 days after mailing
- Insurance claims through USPS.com, no later than 60 days from the mailing date
- Redelivery, Hold Mail and Change of Address requests, each with its own form on USPS.com
- Informed Delivery problems, through USPS’s Informed Delivery inquiry form
Your local Post Office is the other direct option. Staff there can deal with carrier and delivery issues on your route, items held for pickup, and PO Box questions in person.
Which USPS Contact Option Fits Your Problem?
Most USPS customer service calls fall into a handful of problems, and each has a channel that can resolve it fastest.
| Problem | Best channel | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Package delayed or stuck | Tracking line, then Missing Mail search after 7 days | Tracking number, mailing date, both addresses |
| Marked delivered but not received | Local Post Office, then Missing Mail search | Tracking number, delivery date and time |
| Damaged or lost insured item | Online insurance claim | Receipt, proof of value, photos of the damage |
| Wrong address on a package in transit | Package Intercept (sender only, online) | USPS.com account, tracking number |
| Website, label or account error | Technical support, 1-800-344-7779 | Screenshots or error messages |
| Carrier or Post Office complaint | Customer Care Center or emailus.usps.com | Address, dates and specifics |
Where do tracking questions go?
Questions about a specific tracking number are handled by the 1-800-222-1811 line, though USPS notes its agents see the same tracking information you see online. Before you call, our guide to USPS tracking support explains which tracking problems an agent can and can’t fix, and our full USPS tracking guide decodes each status message.
If the tracking number turns out to belong to UPS rather than USPS, USPS can’t help with it; our guide to UPS tracking and delivery covers that side.
How Do You File a Missing Mail Search?
If a package or letter hasn’t arrived and tracking shows no progress, USPS accepts Missing Mail search requests starting 7 days from the mailing date. Submit it at missingmail.usps.com with the sender and recipient addresses, the container type and size, the tracking number or mailing receipt, a description of the contents and photos if you have them.
USPS sends a confirmation email and periodic updates while it searches. It doesn’t promise a timeframe and notes it sometimes can’t find missing items, so if the item was insured, file a claim as well, no later than 60 days from mailing. For services with a money-back guarantee, such as Priority Mail Express, you may also be able to request a postage refund when the guarantee was missed.
What Can You Do If USPS Customer Service Doesn’t Solve the Problem?
When a first call or online request goes nowhere, escalate in steps rather than starting over. Keep your case number from each contact, because every later step will ask for it.
- Follow up on the same case through emailus.usps.com or the Customer Care Center, and ask for the issue to be escalated.
- Ask for the postmaster at your local Post Office for problems with your route, carrier or local facility.
- Report mail theft, fraud or tampered mail to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, USPS’s law enforcement arm.
- Report employee misconduct or waste to the USPS Office of Inspector General hotline.
- Raise an unresolved service complaint with the Postal Regulatory Commission, which oversees USPS service.
How Can You Spend Less Time on USPS Problems When Shipping?
Many customer service calls start with a package that went out without a good acceptance scan or with a typo in the address. Handing packages to a clerk or scheduling a carrier pickup gets them scanned right away, and checking the address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup before you print avoids the most common delivery problems.
If you ship regularly, ParcelPath is a free way to buy USPS and UPS labels, with up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS and free USPS pickups. You can compare rates for USPS Ground Advantage, Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express in the ParcelPath rate calculator, and our overview of USPS shipping services and tracking explains how they differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the USPS customer service hours?
The USPS Customer Care Center at 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time and Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM Eastern Time. The tracking line (1-800-222-1811) and technical support line (1-800-344-7779) keep the same hours. Agents aren’t available on Sundays, but the online help form at emailus.usps.com accepts requests anytime.
Does USPS customer service have live chat?
Only for some problems. USPS says the Get Help Online form at emailus.usps.com includes a chat feature for technical issues with USPS.com services, such as accounts or Click-N-Ship. For lost, delayed or misdelivered mail, use the written help request, call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), or submit a Missing Mail search after 7 days.
How do I talk to a real person at USPS customer service?
Call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) during staffed hours, weekdays 8 AM to 8:30 PM ET or Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM ET, and follow the prompts for an agent. Calling early on a weekday usually means shorter waits. Have your tracking number, mailing date and both addresses ready so the agent can pull up the item quickly.
How do I file a complaint with USPS customer service?
Submit a written complaint through USPS’s Get Help Online form at emailus.usps.com, or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), and keep the case number you’re given. For problems with your local carrier or Post Office, ask to speak with the postmaster. Mail theft and fraud go to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service rather than customer service.
Can USPS customer service refund a late package?
Only for services with a money-back guarantee, such as Priority Mail Express. USPS says you may be able to request a postage refund when that guarantee isn’t met. Priority Mail and USPS Ground Advantage delivery times are estimates rather than guarantees, so late delivery alone doesn’t qualify, though an insured item that’s lost or damaged can be claimed within 60 days of mailing.
Sources
- USPS: Contact Us (phone lines, hours and online help)
- USPS: Missing Mail
- USPS: Package Intercept
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service
- USPS Office of Inspector General, uspsoig.gov
- Postal Regulatory Commission, prc.gov
Part of our USPS Services guide. Related: Ground Advantage, USPS Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express.
