If you or your business have moved to a new address, the USPS Mail Forwarding Service (also known as USPS Change of Address) can be an extremely helpful service to use. Changing your address with the USPS will set up temporary mail forwarding. this is a great security measure to catch any mail that may be sent to your old address, especially since it can take time to transition all your old addresses to a new address.
In this article, we answer the questions: what is mail forwarding, how does mail forwarding work, and how to set up mail forwarding?
what is mail forwarding?
The United States Postal Service (USPS) Mail Forwarding Service is a way to redirect your mail when you or your business have changed addresses.
This means that if you forget to notify a friend or business associate of your new address and they send mail to your old address, your mail will automatically be forwarded to the correct address once it goes through the USPS internal system. this is a useful service to use if you receive paper bills, notices, packages, etc. from senders who may not be aware of your new address. Some senders (ie banks, irs, state departments, etc.) may also have a delay period in updating your address.
note: this service is an optional service provided by usps and you are not required to submit a change of address request if you do not wish to use mail forwarding service.
how does mail forwarding work?
If you set up mail forwarding with usps, the process will be simple. if first class, priority, or periodic mail is sent to your old address, usps will detect it once it enters their system, add a yellow forwarding label containing your new address, and automatically redirect it so you can receive it at your new address . this can sometimes delay the delivery of your mail by a few days, but for the most part, it’s a great way to catch any mail being sent to an old mailing address.
limitations with usps mail forwarding
It is important to note that a USPS mail forwarding service is not a secure way to change your mailing address across the board because it has its limitations. For example, if the mail is not sent to you or your specified company name on file, the USPS internal system may not detect that the mail should be forwarded.
also, setting up a usps change of address mail forwarding service will only redirect mail that is sent via usps. this means that mail sent via ups, fedex, dhl or any other mail provider will not be forwarded.
For these reasons, a USPS mail forwarding service should not be the only action you take when changing business addresses or your private residential address. You should also consider changing your address directly with the providers or services you work with.
More information on how long mail forwarding lasts and how to extend it here.
how to configure mail forwarding?
There are two ways to set up a general us post office mail forwarding service. uu.
submit a usps change of address online
The easiest way would be to visit the usps online change of address website. Here, you can submit information about who is moving (ie, individual, family, or business), their old address, their new address, and their contact information.
usps change of address fee to ship online is $1.10.
Note: This fee must be paid with a card that has your old or new address as the billing address. This is to help USPS verify your identity when verifying your card billing information with the issuing bank.
More detailed instructions for completing the USPS Change of Address form can be found here.
file a usps change of address in person
The second way to set up this service so that USPS can forward mail to a new address is to submit a PS Form 3575 in person.
since you can no longer print this form on your home computer, you will need to visit your local post office, request a “move guide” that will contain ps form 3575 and instructions, complete it, and then submit it in person.
Note: There is no charge to complete this form in person and you can also set up forwarding to an international address this way.
More information on how to submit a ps 3575 form can be found here.
conclusion
Moving places and changing addresses is stressful! However, using services like the USPS Mail Forwarding Service is a great way to minimize the headache that changing your address can cause, especially if you don’t want to miss any important business or personal mail.
If you still have questions about forwarding mail to new addresses, feel free to email us at hello@usestable.com.
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At stable, we provide virtual addresses and permanent mailboxes so you never have to worry about mail or changing addresses again. We’ll digitize all the mail you receive here and you can scan, forward, shred (and even deposit checks!) from anywhere in the world.
start stable here if you want a virtual business address + mailbox in less than 3 minutes.
disclaimer: stable is not a legal or accounting firm, therefore we cannot provide legal or tax advice. You should consult legal and tax professionals for advice on meeting ongoing obligations that apply to you and your business.