How to Sign Up for USPS Informed Delivery

Every morning, before your mail carrier arrives, you could already know exactly which envelopes and packages are on the way — without leaving your home. USPS Informed Delivery is a free service from the United States Postal Service that sends you an email each morning with grayscale photos of every piece of mail scheduled to arrive in your mailbox that day, plus tracking updates for any packages.

This guide walks you through how to sign up, what to expect, and why this service is especially useful for seniors who want to keep an eye on checks, Medicare correspondence, prescriptions, and other important mail.

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What Informed Delivery shows you

When you sign up for Informed Delivery, you receive a daily email (or app notification) every morning — usually between 7 AM and 9 AM — that includes:

• **Grayscale photos of letter-sized mail and flat envelopes.** You can see the sender's name and address on each piece before it arrives. This lets you know whether something important is coming or if you can expect an ordinary day.
• **Package delivery notifications with tracking.** Any packages scheduled for delivery that day are listed with their expected delivery window and a tracking link. You can click the link to see the full tracking history.
• **Email previews from senders who participate.** Some companies and government agencies add a "ride-along" to the Informed Delivery email — a color image or clickable link that gives you more details about what is in the envelope. For example, your Medicare plan or a bank may show you a preview of the letter's purpose.

What Informed Delivery does **not** show: the inside of envelopes, the contents of packages, or mail that is not processed through USPS mail scanning (such as hand-delivered items or neighborhood association flyers).

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Why this is useful for seniors

• **Know when a check is coming.** If you are expecting a Social Security check, a refund, or a payment from a family member, you will know the exact day it arrives — instead of checking the mailbox repeatedly.
• **Track Medicare and insurance correspondence.** Enrollment letters, Summary of Benefits, and other Medicare documents are easy to miss. Informed Delivery tells you they are coming before they arrive.
• **Know when a prescription arrives.** If a medication is mailed to your home, you will receive a package notification so you know to retrieve it promptly — especially important if the medication requires refrigeration.
• **Spot missing mail.** If you receive a notification that a check or important letter was supposed to arrive today but it is not in your mailbox, you can contact USPS quickly rather than waiting and wondering.
• **Confirm mail has not been stolen.** Mail theft is a real problem. If you see in your morning email that a check arrived but it is not in your mailbox, you can report it to USPS and your local post office right away.

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How to sign up for USPS Informed Delivery

Step 1 — Go to the Informed Delivery website

Open a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari) and go to **informeddelivery.usps.com**. You will see a blue "Sign Up For Free" button. Click it.

Step 2 — Create a USPS.com account

You will be taken to the USPS.com account creation page. Fill in your name, address (the address where you receive mail), email address, and a password of your choice. Your address must match the address where you want to receive mail previews. Click "Continue."

Step 3 — Verify your identity

USPS requires identity verification to make sure that only the actual resident at an address can see the mail for that address. This is an important security step. It prevents someone else from signing up to see your mail.

USPS may verify your identity in one of two ways:

• **Online verification:** USPS may ask you a few multiple-choice questions based on public records (for example, confirming a previous address or a vehicle you have owned). Answer the questions and click "Verify."
• **Mail verification:** If online verification does not complete, USPS will mail a verification letter to your address with a code. When the letter arrives (usually 3–7 business days), go back to USPS.com, sign in, and enter the code. After you enter the code, your account is activated.

Step 4 — Set up your notification preferences

After verifying your identity, sign in to your USPS.com account and go to your account settings. Under "Notification Preferences," choose how you want to receive your daily Informed Delivery digest:

• **Email:** A daily email is sent to your registered email address each morning. This is the most common choice and works on any device.
• **USPS Mobile app notifications:** If you download the USPS Mobile app (available free on iPhone and Android), you can receive push notifications on your phone instead of, or in addition to, email.

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How to set up the USPS Mobile app

The USPS Mobile app lets you see your Informed Delivery photos and track packages directly on your phone — without checking your email.

Step 1 — Download the app

On an iPhone: Open the App Store, search for "USPS Mobile," and tap "Get" to install it (it is free). On an Android phone: Open the Google Play Store, search for "USPS Mobile," and tap "Install."

Step 2 — Sign in

Open the app and tap "Sign In." Enter the same email address and password you used when creating your USPS.com account.

Step 3 — Allow notifications

When the app asks if it can send you notifications, tap "Allow." This enables the morning Informed Delivery alert on your phone.

Step 4 — Track a package

From the app's home screen, tap "Track" or "Packages." You can type in a tracking number manually, or if you are signed in, your Informed Delivery packages will appear automatically. Tap any package for its full tracking history and estimated delivery time.

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Often asked questions

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