You may have heard of the trade association between USPS and FedEx, which has been around since 2001.
but what about usps and ups? do you have any working association where the two can be used interchangeably?
ie can you leave usps in ups? have you ever been able to do it? here is the answer i found.
can you leave usps in ups in 2022?
Currently, it is not in the best interest of customers to leave their USPS packages with UPS, unless the sender is a member of the UPS Mail Innovations returns program. however, in the event a package is delivered by mistake, ups strives to get packages into the hands of usps for regular shipping.
for more information on what happens if you mistakenly deliver a usps package with ups, whether usps customers can use ups access points, and even what happens if the opposite happens (ups box to usps) , read on!
what happens if you put the usps package in the ups mailbox?
Short answer: Your package will most likely be back in USPS hands, but it could take a few extra business days.
Not only that, while the packet is being transferred, it is totally at the mercy of its handlers, with no way of tracking it or knowing where it is.
(or at least won’t until you get back to usps and they scan it into their system, thus starting the package’s recorded history).
but let’s back up.
Let’s say you’re out driving around, taking out shipments, and you accidentally leave a USPS package in your local UPS mailbox.
Since reaching back into the container is not advisable, you should trust ups to get it into the hands of the right carrier.
And the good news? For the most part, UPS will accomplish this, with only minimal disruption to your estimated delivery date.
This is because these types of errors are much more common than you think.
and to handle these common mistakes, all major carriers (ups, fedex, usps) have made it a part of their routine to pick up packages destined for themselves.
but what if you do it on purpose, because you think the two chargers are interchangeable?
Unfortunately, they are not, and while you may still have success using ups as a substitute for usps delivery, you are ultimately making your recipient uncomfortable.
That’s because it safely adds at least one additional business day, to account for the time it takes to transfer ownership of the package from UPS to USPS.
and, in fact, the transfer can take even longer; so you’re just prolonging your recipient’s wait time.
worse yet, it increases the time during which the package is not found, since package deliveries leave it without a receipt or proof of ownership with ups.
If a package is lost after an incorrect UPS delivery, there is almost no way to recover it. all the normal ways to find it (your travel history, for example) are non-existent.
so ultimately the smartest course of action, for both you and your recipient, is to cut out the middlemen (ups) and simply drop off your usps packages with usps.
They will be scanned into the system much faster and if they are lost, it will be much easier to locate them.
can you put the usps package in the ups access point?
ups access points are not an alternative to leaving a package at the post office.
This is because UPS access points (ups-associated retailers and other businesses that accept ups packages for drop-off and pickup) tend to be manned service counters.
for example, there’s one at kohl’s in my town, and you just go to the customer service counter to pick it up or drop it off.
so while it’s fairly easy to mistakenly (or otherwise) leave a usps package in a ups mailbox, with a person at the ups access point, the mailbox is less likely to be accepted.
Unless the associate isn’t really paying attention, they’ll realize you’re trying to use the wrong carrier.
especially since a usps barcode is not the same as a ups barcode.
what if you drop a mailbox at the post office?
As I mentioned, carriers are not interchangeable, but experience has led them to assume that mistakes will be made and your packages will end up in each other’s hands.
so, if you deliver a box ups with the postal service, you can expect the same as when the situation is reversed.
the ups will eventually come along and get their wayward packages, but until they do, that box will be in la-la-land, untraceable and untraceable.
now, there’s a blatant exception to the blatant “don’t leave your ups boxes at the post office” rule.
And that is if you are the recipient of a package from a shipper that participates in UPS Mail Innovations Returns.
This program is specifically aimed at regular shippers (small e-commerce businesses would be an example) who also make regular returns.
This appears to be the latest iteration of an ups program implemented in 2010, called ups return flexible access.
offers recipients hassle-free returns, where the sender provides the paid label and the package can be dropped off at any post office.
or you can just leave it in the mailbox for the postman to deliver.
The best part is that with this program the package is scanned into the system upon receipt and is fully traceable on its return journey.
but this is the only case where it is advisable to deliver an ups package to the postal service.
To learn more about USPS, you can also read our posts on what happens when a USPS package is stolen, if USPS takes FedEx, and if USPS packages are insured.
conclusion
It is not advisable for customers to use UPS for their USPS packages, no matter how convenient it may be.
While UPS and USPS can send packages to each other for delivery, those packages are largely untraceable until the correct sender can scan them into their system, leaving them vulnerable.