Everyone has had that moment.
When will I get that tax check?
Where is my Victoria's Secret catalog!?
Well, what if you could see what was coming in the mail BEFORE it showed up in your mailbox?
Now you can.
The U.S. Postal Service has a new feature, called "Informed Delivery," a program that was launched on a limited basis in 2014 as a test.
Informed Delivery is for residential mail customers only (no P.O. Boxes) and it's something you have to sign up for via the website.
But, when you request it, the post office will:
- Digitally scan the address side of a first-class envelope
- Send you a daily email notification that shows you 10 images of your first class mail to be delivered that day. (If you have more than 10 pieces of first class mail, you can click a link to view the rest.)
If you see a piece of mail to be delivered that day, and you don't get it in your mailbox, all you have to do is file a report via the website that you didn't receive the mail, and they can start the process of finding out what happened to it.
So, why is the USPS doing this?
According to NBC News:
"The U.S. Postal Service is searching for ways to remain relevant and increase revenue. Mail volume has dropped dramatically during the last 10 years.
Informed Delivery gives it a way to reach the growing number of Americans who have shifted to digital communications."
So far, it seems to be working, a survey done by the USPS found that 90% of people who signed up, checked their notifications daily.
The USPS says the program will be rolled out nationwide in mid-April.