Trips to the post office add up. Our latest survey reveals that 78% of small business owners make frequent trips to mailing locations, and 68% regularly interrupt important work to handle mailing tasks.
Between parking, waiting, and juggling packages, those trips eat into your week faster than you’d think. But here’s the thing—you don’t actually need to go. You can schedule USPS pickups directly from your home or office—and with Stamps.com, the process becomes even simpler.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about the USPS pickup service, including how to schedule a USPS pickup, what packages qualify, and how Stamps.com streamlines the entire experience.
USPS pickup service allows your mail carrier to collect packages directly from your home or business during their regular delivery route. Think of it as reverse delivery. Your mail carrier is already coming to your address—USPS pickup service just means they grab your outgoing packages while they’re there. Leave your shipments on the porch, at the front desk, or wherever works for you. Done.
The service covers most domestic and international shipping needs. Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, USPS Ground Advantage®, and international shipments all qualify for USPS home pickup. You can even arrange a USPS return pickup for prepaid packages you need to send back to retailers.
The pickup itself? Free. Doesn’t matter if it’s 2 packages or 20—USPS doesn’t charge for carrier collection during regular delivery. You’re already on their route.
To qualify for free USPS pickup, your shipment must include at least one package using a premium service like Priority Mail®, Priority Mail Express®, or First Class Mail International®.
If you need a specific time window, USPS offers Pickup On Demand for $25. This premium service lets you choose a two-hour window for collection.
One thing to know: pickup scheduling is a premium feature in Stamps.com. If you’re not seeing the option in your account, that’s probably why. You’d need to upgrade your plan to access it.
The most significant time-saving feature of Stamps.com is the ability to schedule USPS pickups directly from your account—eliminating the wasted productivity of driving to and waiting in line at the post office.
Here’s how to schedule a USPS pickup online through Stamps.com:
Step 1: Print your shipping labels. Using Stamps.com, create and print labels for all packages you need shipped. Make sure the weight and dimensions are accurate.
Step 2: Navigate to Schedule a Pickup. Log into your Stamps.com account, go to the History tab, and select “Schedule a Pickup.”
Step 3: Review your packages and add instructions. The pickup request pop-up is pre-filled with your eligible packages. You can also leave special instructions for your mail carrier—like where you’ll leave the packages or any access notes.
Step 4: Create a SCAN form. For businesses shipping multiple packages, create a Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice (SCAN) form. This generates a single barcode that your carrier scans, recording all your packages as accepted into the USPS system instantly. It streamlines the collection process and ensures every package gets tracked from the moment it leaves your hands.
Step 5: Place packages in your designated spot. Leave your labeled packages in the location you specified—whether that’s your porch, front desk, or inside a lobby.
Your mail carrier picks up the packages during their normal route, typically around the time they deliver your regular mail.
There’s no set pickup window. Your carrier collects packages during their normal route, which depends entirely on where you fall in their day. Most routes finish by 5 PM, but your actual pickup time could be anywhere from late morning to mid-afternoon.
You can schedule pickups Monday through Saturday. With Stamps.com schedule pickup features, you can typically request a pickup up to 2 AM Central Time for same-day service—making it highly convenient for businesses with a high volume of outgoing mail.
Need to plan ahead? You can also schedule pickups up to three months in advance. For businesses with regular shipping volumes, USPS also offers recurring pickup options.
Yes, USPS does pickup on Saturday. You can schedule USPS pickups for any day Monday through Saturday, excluding federal holidays. Saturday pickups follow the same process as weekday collections—your carrier grabs your packages during their normal delivery route.
Keep in mind that Sunday pickups aren’t available. If you request a pickup on a Sunday, USPS schedule pickup processing will schedule it for the following Monday.
A few things can cause this. Rural routes sometimes have restrictions. If your address doesn’t get regular mail delivery, carrier pickup won’t work—there’s no carrier stopping by to grab anything. Multi-unit buildings can be tricky too, especially if there’s no central drop point the carrier can access.
Most shipping services qualify for the USPS pickup service.
If you’re shipping Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, or Ground Advantage, you’re covered. International services like Priority Mail International and First Class Mail International qualify too. Same with USPS flat rate boxes and prepaid return labels. The main services that don’t qualify on their own are things like Media Mail—you’d need to bundle those with an eligible package.
Remember: to qualify for free pickup, you need at least one package using a premium service. If you’re only shipping Media Mail or other non-premium services, standard free pickup won’t be available.
A few other restrictions apply. Packages weighing more than 70 pounds aren’t eligible. Items using only stamps as postage and weighing more than 10 ounces must be taken directly to a post office employee.
Getting the most from USPS home pickup requires a little preparation.
Make your packages easy to find. Carriers are moving fast—if they can’t spot your packages quickly, they might assume there’s nothing to pick up. The special instructions field exists for a reason. Use it. “Behind the planter on the front porch” beats “outside” every time.
Use a SCAN form for multiple packages. If you’re shipping more than a few items, always generate a SCAN form through Stamps.com. The carrier scans one barcode and all your packages are instantly logged as accepted—no individual scanning required.
Know your USPS last pickup time. If you miss the morning pickup, your packages will wait until the next scheduled day. Plan accordingly if your shipments are time-sensitive.
Check the weather. Rain, snow, or extreme conditions can affect both label quality and carrier access. Consider using a covered area or waterproof packaging during inclement weather.
Stamps.com turns USPS pickup scheduling into a seamless part of your shipping workflow. Beyond requesting carrier collection, you’ll access discounted postage rates—up to 88% off USPS and UPS shipping costs—plus tools to compare rates across carriers and track every package from one dashboard.
You get your afternoon back. Your packages still go out on time. Everybody wins.
Ready to skip the lines? Start your free trial of Stamps.com and schedule USPS pickups today. Learn more about multi-carrier shipping options with our complete guide for small businesses.
Yes, when you are configuring your label, all you have to do is enter your recipient's email address to ensure they receive tracking information for their package. This email includes the delivery address, mail date, mail class, estimated delivery date, special services, a customizable personal note, and a link with the tracking number.
Drop off your shipment 24 hours a day, seven days a week at one of the 60,000 UPS dropoff locations across the United States. This includes UPS Stores, UPS Drop Boxes, CVS, Michaels, and Advanced Auto Parts.
You can log into your app and visit your "history" page to view real-time tracking information for every item you send. You can also enter your tracking number on the UPS website to see tracking updates.
No. DHL Express typically does not deliver on Sundays in most regions. However, Sunday delivery may be available in select areas or for time-definite international shipments with specific service upgrades. Check with DHL directly for regional availability.
USPS Ground Advantage delivery time is typically the slowest for domestic shipping services, taking two to five business days depending on the destination.
UPS 2nd Day Air guarantees delivery by the end of the second business day. For time-critical shipments, you can choose UPS 2nd Day Air A.M., which delivers by 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, or 2:00 PM (depending on destination) on the second business day.
UPS Standard generally delivers within 1 to 5 business days, with residential deliveries typically occurring between 9 AM and 9 PM. The exact delivery time depends on the distance the package travels and the specific destination.
UPS Next Day Air offers guaranteed delivery by 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., or end of day on the next business day, depending on the destination and specific service selected. Deliveries are made Monday through Friday, with Saturday delivery available in select areas for an additional fee.
UPS Ground tracking uses a system of scans to update customers on the location and status of their packages as they move through the UPS network. Each package is assigned a unique tracking number, and as it travels, it's scanned at various points, including when it's received, when it's transferred between facilities, and when it's out for delivery.
UPS Ground typically takes 1 to 5 business days for delivery with 90% of UPS® Ground packages being delivered in 3 days or less.
UPS Standard is generally faster than UPS Ground Saver, as it has a typical delivery window of 1-5 business days compared to Ground Saver's 2-7 business days.
UPS Next Day Air is significantly faster than UPS Second Day Air, delivering packages by the next business day, while UPS Second Day Air delivers within two business days. It's the fastest standard overnight service offered by UPS.
UPS Ground Saver is typically slower than UPS Standard, with delivery times ranging from 2-7 business days, whereas UPS Standard generally delivers within 1-5 business days.
UPS 3 Day Select is generally faster than UPS Ground Saver, offering guaranteed delivery within three business days, whereas Ground Saver can take 2-7 business days and has no guaranteed delivery time.
UPS 2nd Day Air is faster than UPS 3 Day Select, offering guaranteed delivery by the end of the second business day, while 3 Day Select provides guaranteed delivery by the end of the third business day.
UPS 3 Day Select guarantees delivery by the end of the third business day after the package is picked up, with deliveries typically occurring Monday through Friday. It's a reliable option for shipments that aren't time-critical but need to arrive within a specific timeframe.
UPS Ground Saver typically delivers packages within 2 to 7 business days across the contiguous United States.
UPS Worldwide Saver guarantees delivery by the end of the business day, one day faster than UPS Worldwide Expedited. This service connects major business centers in over 220 countries and territories with time-definite delivery and customs clearance included.
USPS Priority Mail typically takes one to three business days, depending on destination, to deliver. You can easily check for a delivery time estimate on USPS’s Priority Mail Delivery Map.
The Shipment Confirmation Acceptance Notice (SCAN) form ensures that your packages are scanned by the USPS when they are dropped off or picked up by a mail carrier, so your customer can feel confident that their package is on its way.
Using Stamps.com, you’ll be able to create a SCAN form with a few clicks. Then, hand the form to the clerk or mail carrier, and they will scan the barcode on the form. This scan records an Acceptance event for all the packages associated with the form without having to scan each package individually.
Yes. Your packages may be inspected to ensure compliance, as USPS is very strict about what items qualify for Media Mail.
