USPS Informed Delivery Setup
Free emails with photos of your mail — before it lands in your box.
What it is
A free USPS service. Each weekday morning you get an email showing photos of the letters arriving that day, plus tracking for packages.
Why it matters: If a thief steals your mail (Medicare cards, Social Security letters, tax forms, checks), you'll know within hours instead of weeks.
What you'll need
- Your home address (must be a residential address USPS delivers to).
- An email address you check daily.
- About 10 minutes — including a quick identity check.
- A driver's license or state ID handy for the verification step.
Step-by-step setup
- Go to informeddelivery.usps.com.
- Click the big "Sign Up For Free" button.
- Type your address. If your address is eligible, you'll see a green checkmark.
- Create a usps.com account — pick a strong password.
- Verify your identity. Two ways:
- Online (fastest): Answer 3-4 questions only you would know (past addresses, etc.).
- By mail: If online doesn't work, USPS mails you a verification code in 3-7 days.
- Once verified, daily emails start within 24-48 hours.
After it's set up
- Each weekday around 9 AM, you'll get an email with photos of the letters coming.
- If you see something in the email but it doesn't show up in your box — that's a red flag. Report it.
- You can also see package tracking, request delivery instructions, and forward mail.
- Reports of theft go to your local Post Office and the Postal Inspection Service.
Bonus: identity-theft protection
Sign up even if you don\'t plan to look at the photos. The reason: scammers sometimes sign up for Informed Delivery using your address, then watch your mail to commit fraud. Once YOU\'ve claimed your address, they can\'t.