| Customer Information |
Collection Boxes are mail receptacles where customers can deposit outgoing mail. USPS® collection boxes are typically blue, freestanding units, located at post offices and other strategic locations. See below for a list of types and locations of mail collection boxes.
Types of Collection Boxes
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Name
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Description
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Snorkel Collection Box Receptacle
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A United States Postal Service® collection box that is placed at the curbside and is fitted with a chute to receive mail deposited by motorists. This is also referred to as a courtesy box or motorist mail chute.
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Priority Mail Express® Collection Box Receptacle
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A specially marked white collection box receptacle for the public deposit of properly prepared and prepaid Priority Mail Express items.
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Mail chute
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A glass-fronted tube with a mail slot on each floor of a tall building. Letters are dropped for collection through the chute into a box on the ground floor.
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Lobby Drop or Wall Drop
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A slot or opening where customers deposit mail.
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Package Drop Units (PDUs)
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A new form of collection receptacle that the Postal Service™ has installed to better assist business/volume mailer with their shipping needs using prepaid postage. The PDUs are only for acceptance of packages meeting proper restrictions and for which the postage has been prepaid using one of the following: Click-N-Ship® service, PC Postage, Postage Meter, USPS Returns® service, and Parcel Return Service.
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Standard Collection Box Receptacle (Blue Box)
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A blue painted street box with the USPS® logo used by the public to deposit mail.
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Cluster Box
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A centralized unit of more than eight individually locked compartments sized to accommodate the delivery of magazines, merchandise sample and several days accumulation of mail. In addition, collection mail may be deposited in a designated compartment.
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Rack
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Rack collection boxes are cooperative mailing racks that may be installed in office buildings.
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Firm
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Generally in High Rise buildings - businesses i.e., Sears Tower, John Hancock bldg.
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Hub / Depots
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Not physical boxes but points on a collection route
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Receiving Box
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Business type, not available to the public.
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Other
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A pick up/scan that is not available to the public.
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What can be mailed in a collection box?
Because of transportation security regulations, not all mail and packages may be placed in United States Postal Service® collection box receptacles.
- Mail deposited outside of the guidelines below will be returned to sender.
- Competitor items (including FedEx and UPS) placed in USPS collection boxes will be picked up by that competitor at their convenience.
- Service guarantees or commitments for Priority Mail Express items will not take effect until the item has been picked up from the collection box and receives a valid USPS acceptance/mail processing scan event.
The following exhibit explains additional restrictions on deposit of certain types of mail in collection boxes.
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COLLECTION BOX CONTENTS
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The following mail items are allowed in a USPS Collection Box
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The following mail items are NOT allowed in a USPS Collection Box
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Domestic mail (including Priority Mail Express®) weighing 10 oz. or less and measuring 1/2-inch in thickness or less (including items with online postage)
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Domestic stamped mail (including Priority Mail Express®) weighing over 10 oz. or measuring more than 1/2-inch in thickness
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Domestic mail (including Priority Mail Express®) with metered postage or PC Postage
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Domestic Business Reply Mail (BRM) – ALL
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Priority Mail Express International® and Priority Mail International items that were prepared (completed shipping label; customs declaration form generated and data transmitted electronically; and postage paid) online.
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Any international mail with a customs declaration that was not completed and submitted online, OR international mail requiring a customs declaration that bears postage stamps.
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International mail (stamped or metered) – Meeting all of the following:
- Weighs 10 oz. or less
- Is 1/2-inch in thickness or less
- Does not require a customs form
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International stamped or metered mail weighing over 10 oz. or measuring more than 1/2-inch in thickness.
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Priority Mail Express International® items weighing 16 oz. or less, paid with online postage or postage meters or information-based indicia (IBI), and bearing an electronically generated PS Form 2976-B with data transmitted electronically to USPS.
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Priority Mail Express International® items that don't have PS Form 2976-B.
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PrePaid Priority Mail Flat-Rate Envelope (with postage printed directly on the envelope)
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Official mail* (penalty by a government agency**) except for mail requiring a customs form***
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Free Matter for the Blind – ALL
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APO/FPO/DPO mail weighing 10 oz. or less and measuring 1/2-inch in thickness bearing only postage stamps and not requiring a customs form
Note: Priority Mail Express to APO/FPO/DPO must bear a PS Form 2976-B, regardless of the weight, value, or contents
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APO/FPO/DPO mail weighing over 10 oz. or measuring more than 1/2-inch in thickness and bearing only postage stamps as postage
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APO/FPO/DPO mail paid with methods other than postage stamps, weighing less than 16 oz. and not requiring a customs form
Note: Priority Mail Express to APO/FPO/DPO must bear a PS Form 2976-B, regardless of the weight, value, or contents
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Notes:
- *The term penalty mail refers to official mail, sent by U.S. government agencies, relating solely to the business of the U.S. government, which is authorized by law to be carried in the mail without prepayment of postage.
- ** Government Agency = Federal, State, or Local government agency.
- ***All APO/FPO/DPO and international mail 16 oz or over must have customs forms affixed. For mail less than 16 oz. see Individual Country Listing for customs form requirements.
- Customs Forms - The Basics has further information on where mailpieces can be deposited based on the methods of customs declaration.
- Mail deposited incorrectly will be returned to sender.
- All mailpieces that are not acceptable for deposit in a collection box must be taken to the Post Office for processing.
Can Packages with Online Shipping Labels be Deposited in a Collection Box?
A mailpiece may be deposited in a Collection Box with online Shipping Labels with PC Postage® service affixed if it meets the following criteria:
- Items with postage meter strips can be deposited in collection boxes when:
- The correct postage, fees, and labels are affixed
- Return information is on the mail piece
- Items weighing 10 oz. or less and measuring 1/2-inch in thickness or less with postage stamps can be deposited in collection boxes when:
- The correct postage, fees, and labels are affixed
- Return information is on the mailpiece
Note: For APO/FPO/DPO and international requirements see the exhibit on the previous page. Mailpieces bearing only postage stamps for postage and either weighing more than 10 oz. or measuring more than 1/2-inch in thickness must be brought to an employee at a retail service counter in a Post Office.
Can Mail with Signature Confirmation or USPS Tracking® Be Deposited in a Collection Box?
To use a Collection Box for a mailpiece with Signature Confirmation or USPS Tracking, it must meet the following:
- If the postage for the item is from a postage meter strip (including an online Shipping Label with PC Postage service), the item must:
- Have the correct postage and fees affixed
- Include the return information on the mailpiece
- If the postage for the item is from postage stamps, the item must:
- Weigh 10 oz or less
- Be 1/2-inch in thickness or less
- Have the correct postage and fees affixed
- Include the return information on the mailpiece
Note: Mailpieces bearing only postage stamps for postage and either weighing more than 10 oz or measuring more than 1/2-inch in thickness must be brought to an employee at a retail counter in a Post Office.
How to find collection box pickup times
- Collection, or pickup, times for the collection box are posted on the label. Please note that Pickup Times may vary depending on the day of the week. Occasional changes in transportation may result in adjustments to collection schedules. And in some cases, such as the day before a holiday, normal collection times may not apply. If a mailpiece is deposited in a Collection Box receptacle before the last pickup time, it will be collected but not guaranteed a postmark that same day.
- QR (Quick Response) Codes are also on Collection Times label. Scan these QR Codes with a mobile device to open USPS Mobile® and find the nearest Post Office location with the address, hours of operations, and distance.
- To search for alternate collection boxes and drop off locations click here.
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Collection Times Label for a Standard Collection Box
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Collection Times Label for a Priority Mail Express Collection Box
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Can Flyers be placed on Collection Boxes?
No. USPS® Collection Boxes are the property of the United States Postal Service®. Customers are not allowed to affix anything to them, including fliers, signs about missing animals, and advertisements.
Collection Box Installation and Removal
- The number of street collection boxes installed, their location, and the frequency of collection service depend primarily on the mailing patterns and the volume of mail generated by the individual community. As these and other local conditions change, collection service is modified and adapted accordingly. For decisions on specific collection boxes, Post Offices™ will apply the applicable Postal Operations Manual guidance.
- The Postal Service reviews collection box density every year on a routine basis to identify redundant/seldom used collection boxes as First-Class Mail volume continues to decline. Based on the density testing, boxes are identified for potential removal and notices are placed on boxes to give customers an opportunity to comment before the removal decision is made. This process is one of the many ways the Postal Service makes adjustments to our infrastructure to match our resources to declining mail volumes.
- If you have any questions or concerns regarding collection boxes, please contact the postmaster or manager of your local Post Office.
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