To schedule a USPS pickup, book a free Package Pickup on USPS.com (or through your label provider) by 2:00 a.m. Central Time on the day you want it, and your carrier will collect your prepaid packages during their next delivery. Package Pickup is free no matter how many items you have, as long as at least one is Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, a return or an international package.
USPS also sells Pickup on Demand, a paid option that lets you choose a two-hour window. Most shippers don’t need it, because standard Package Pickup covers next-day collection at no charge. The rules below come from USPS’s Package Pickup FAQ and scheduling page.
Is USPS Package Pickup Free?
Yes. USPS describes Package Pickup as “free (regardless of the number of items scheduled for pickup).” Your regular carrier collects the packages at any time on the scheduled day, usually while delivering your mail, so there’s no fee and no minimum package count.
Pickup on Demand is the paid alternative. It guarantees a time within a two-hour window, must be booked by 5:00 a.m. local time on the pickup day, and its fee is listed in USPS Notice 123 under Domestic Other Services and Fees. Unless a package must leave at a specific hour, free Package Pickup does the job.
Which Packages Are Eligible for a USPS Pickup?
Your carrier can only pick up mail with prepaid postage or return merchandise. To qualify for free Package Pickup, the request has to include at least one package from an eligible service, and other prepaid mail can ride along with it.
| Mail type | Free Package Pickup? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Mail Express | Yes | For the money-back guarantee on a specific item, USPS says it must be handed to a Post Office acceptance employee |
| Priority Mail | Yes | Includes Flat Rate boxes and envelopes |
| USPS Ground Advantage | Yes | Qualifies on its own, no Priority Mail item needed |
| Returns | Yes | Prepaid return labels |
| International (Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International, First-Class Package International Service) | Yes | Label, customs form and postage must be completed online |
| Other prepaid mail (for example Media Mail or First-Class Mail) | Only with an eligible package | Rides along in the same pickup |
| Items over 10 oz or 1/2 inch thick paid only with stamps | No | Must be presented at a Post Office retail counter |
Each item can weigh up to 70 pounds and measure up to 130 inches in combined length and girth. Packages with handwritten customs forms can’t be picked up. Not every address is eligible for Package Pickup, and the USPS scheduling tool checks your address first.
Older guides, including an earlier version of this page, said Ground Advantage packages needed a Priority Mail item in the same pickup. USPS’s current FAQ lists USPS Ground Advantage as an eligible service in its own right. USPS Media Mail and First-Class Mail pieces can go in the same pickup as an eligible package.
How Do You Schedule a USPS Pickup?
On USPS.com, the Schedule a Pickup tool takes four steps: enter your address, say where the packages will be, list how many of each service you have with an estimated total weight, and pick a date. Signing in to a USPS.com account speeds this up and unlocks the Recurring Pickup tool.
- Check your address. Enter the pickup address so USPS can confirm Package Pickup is available there.
- Choose the package location. Options include in or at the mailbox, the porch, the front, back or side door, a mail room, an office or reception. If you live above the ground floor, USPS asks you to bring packages to a secure ground-level spot.
- Enter package counts. List the packages by service and give an estimated total weight so the carrier comes prepared.
- Pick the date. Pickups run Monday through Saturday and can be booked up to six months in advance. If you choose a Sunday or holiday, the pickup happens on the next delivery day.
You’ll get a confirmation number. Use it with your email or phone number to change or cancel the pickup on USPS.com.
How Do You Schedule a USPS Pickup in ParcelPath?
ParcelPath includes free USPS pickups, so you can book one from the same dashboard where you buy discounted labels.
Step 1: Click “Create Pickup”
From the ParcelPath dashboard menu, click Create Pickup to open the pickup form.
Step 2: Select USPS as the carrier
Choose USPS from the carrier menu. ParcelPath also schedules UPS pickups, which follow different rules and charges. Our guide to UPS pickup scheduling options explains how UPS handles them.
Step 3: Enter the pickup address and location
Add the address and tell the carrier exactly where the packages will be, for example “front porch” or “side entrance.”
Step 4: Enter package counts and confirm
List how many packages you have for each service, review the request and confirm it. Accurate counts help the carrier collect everything on the first stop.
ParcelPath is free, with no subscription, per-label fees, minimums or contracts. It offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS, and Shipsurance coverage is available if you want protection beyond the included amount. Read USPS insurance rates and coverage to compare options. To check a label price before you book the pickup, compare live USPS and UPS rates for your package in the ParcelPath rate calculator.
What Time Will USPS Pick Up Your Packages?
USPS doesn’t promise a time for free Package Pickup. The FAQ says it “can occur at any time on the scheduled date,” usually when your carrier runs your route, and our guide to what time mail gets delivered gives a sense of typical route times. If a package must leave by a set hour, book Pickup on Demand, which typically arrives within two hours of the time you chose.
Have packages ready and in the spot you chose by the start of the day. If you miss the pickup or don’t qualify, drop them at a Post Office or another location from our list of where to drop off packages. Small items paid with a printed label can also go in a USPS collection box. Check Post Office hours before you go.
Can You Change or Cancel a USPS Pickup?
Yes. You can change or cancel a free Package Pickup until 2:00 a.m. Central Time on the pickup day, using the confirmation number on USPS.com. Pickup on Demand requests can be changed until 5:00 a.m. local time that day. After the cutoff, the request is locked, so schedule a new pickup for the next delivery day if plans change.
If you’re going away and need USPS to hold incoming mail instead, that’s a different service. Read how USPS Hold Mail works and how long USPS will hold a package. Our USPS shipping hub covers every other USPS service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it free to schedule a USPS pickup?
Yes. USPS Package Pickup is free regardless of how many items you schedule, as long as the pickup includes at least one Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, return or international package with prepaid postage. Only Pickup on Demand, which sets a two-hour window, carries a fee, listed in USPS Notice 123.
Can I schedule a USPS pickup for Ground Advantage packages only?
Yes. USPS’s Package Pickup FAQ lists USPS Ground Advantage as an eligible service on its own, so you don’t need to add a Priority Mail package. Each item must have prepaid postage, weigh no more than 70 pounds and measure no more than 130 inches in combined length and girth.
What is the deadline to schedule a USPS pickup?
For free Package Pickup, you can schedule, change or cancel until 2:00 a.m. Central Time on the day of the pickup. Pickup on Demand has a 5:00 a.m. local time cutoff. You can book either one up to six months ahead, for any day Monday through Saturday.
Can USPS pick up packages paid with stamps?
Only small ones. USPS says stamps may be used on items weighing 10 ounces or less or no more than 1/2 inch thick. Heavier or thicker stamped items must be presented to an employee at a Post Office retail counter, so print a postage label if you want them picked up.
Sources
Part of our USPS Locations guide. Related: USPS Shipping: Rates, Tracking & Services, USPS Collection Box.
