New post office services and features are available at 8,400 competitive post offices. A competitive post office means the USPS provides some of the same services offered by its competitors at comparable prices. Here are some new services for PO Boxes that are available at many of these 8,400 post offices:
- Baker’s Dozen: 13 months of service when a customer pays for 12-months for a new PO Box.
- Key Deposit: No deposit is required for the first two keys to a new post office box.
- Expanded lobby hours.
- Signature on File service for receipt of Priority Mail Express Mail, Insured mail over $200, Return Receipt (electronic) and Signature Confirmation.
- Street Addressing: Mail can be addressed to a customer via either the PO Box or the street address of the post office, along with the PO Box number.
- Real Mail Notification: Customers will receive emails or text messages every day to let them know that there is mail in their PO Boxes.
- Hours: Mail will be available for pick up earlier in the day.
In the USPS 2014 Annual Report to Congress, the Postal Service noted that new PO Box services, along with field outreach, generated more than $1 billion in total revenue for PO Boxes. That was a new milestone and a 2% increase in revenue over Fiscal Year 2013.
Source: USPS 2014 Annual Report to Congress, page 48-49.