Can You Drop Off USPS At A UPS Store? (Detailed Information!)

Drop Off USPS At A UPS Store

UPS does not want to be held liable for returned packages that are supposed to be delivered by USPS and it is not in their best interests to hold these packages. If someone accidentally drops off a parcel with UPS, they try to send the package on its way using USPS.

The USPS and the UPS are both popular shipping services among online sellers, but they have unique advantages that set them apart from one another. The two services are comparable in price and reach. With affordable domestic and global shipping options, sellers can maximize their reach to new markets in the US or around the globe! But then, can you drop off the USPS package at a UPS store? In this article, you’ll find out whether that’s possible. 

What Happens If You Put USPS Package In UPS Drop Box?

UPS Drop Box

You can probably count on your package making it back into the hands of USPS, but it might take a few extra business days. As previously mentioned, not only that, while the package is being transferred over, it’s totally at the mercy of its handlers, and you have no way of tracking it or knowing where it is. (Or you won’t at least until it makes it back to USPS and they scan it into their system, thus starting the parcel’s recorded history.)

Imagine that you are running around, getting shipments out, and all of the sudden you drop off a USPS package at your local UPS dropbox. We know that looking inside the bin is ill-advised so we trust that UPS will get it into the hands of the appropriate shipper without any incidents. This is crucial and thankfully, for the most part, UPS will achieve this with only minimal disruption to your estimated delivery date!

This can be confusing, and cumbersome, but with a little more information it seems as if we are able to simplify many concepts that may seem otherwise.

 For example, some folks don’t understand the difference between the United States Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx since they all provide similar services for the shipment of goods or items. They have the same policies – in terms of returning packages to their rightful owner – but when you pass off your package to be shipped to another recipient who has already been serviced by these shipping companies then you will likely get stuck footing the bill for restocking fees.

FedEx and UPS are not the same things. While customers may use them interchangeably, they aren’t the same thing. For example, with FedEx, you’re guaranteed to have a package arrive within the date range you choose while with UPS it ultimately depends on their own internal processes in getting packages to their destinations. 

Unfortunately, shipping delays occur more often than they should and while your recipient might be fine using them as a USPS drop-off substitute, remember that your recipient might be inconvenienced when they haven’t gotten their package by the expected delivery date even after reaching out to both courier companies several times. 

Ultimately, the best way to handle your packages is to bring them directly to the post office instead of trusting a shipping company to do so. The USPS will be able to access their status much faster than outside companies can, and if anything happens with the package you’ll be guaranteed a refund or retrieval of the lost item.

Can You Put USPS Package In UPS Access Point?

UPS Access Points are not an alternative as they are both manned and self-service, at the same time. A UPS Access Point must be staffed to receive your package (unlike a mailbox at the post office), but the employee manually scans the label on the box which creates time and cost savings for you. There are about 2800 locations across the country where you can send your UPS shipment. Regardless of whether the associate really isn’t paying attention, they are bound to notice you’re using the wrong shipping service. Compare for example a USPS barcode with a UPS one.

What If You Drop A UPS Box At Post Office?

Drop A UPS Box At Post Office

Like we said earlier, the shippers are not interchangeable, but experience has led them to assume that things will go wrong and their packages will end up in the wrong hands.

If a package is shipped via the Postal Service, UPS will likely be tasked with retrieving it for their business. In the unlikely case where UPS hasn’t gotten around to recovering the parcel within a week, clients can do as much as possible to identify its whereabouts using GPS tracking technology specific to this sort of situation so they are better informed about an undelivered item until UPS picks it up and hands over the missing parcel.

Now, there is one exception to the exception as indicated in the above mentioned, “Don’t go dropping your UPS boxes at the Post Office” rule, and that is if you are receiving a parcel from a sender who participates in the UPS Mail Innovations Returns service.

The UPS Returns Flexible Access program is specifically geared toward businesses that take care of regular shipping and regular returns of their shipments. Some examples of these kinds of shippers would be small e-commerce businesses with a central warehouse that also tend to deal in regular returns. The program appears to be the latest iteration of a program that UPS rolled out in 2010, which was called the UPS Returns Flexible Access. This program offers recipients hassle-free returns, where the shipper provides the paid-for label and the package can be dropped off at any nearby Post Office location. Or it can just be left in the mailbox for the mail carrier to take.

The good thing about this program is that, with it, UPS will be able to scan each parcel into our system upon its arrival so we can fully track how it goes through the home delivery process. But we only recommend doing this because in this particular case you receive an additional service with your parcel.

Where To Drop Off USPS Packages 

You can drop off your USPS packages through the following services. They include; 

USPS Mail Box

There are certain important things you should know about mailing a package through USPS. You can mail packages at the local post office or through their website, USPS.com. All USPS mailboxes are blue and they can be found in the lobby drop-off slots or on the building mail chutes. In the United States Postal Service mailbox, you’re not allowed to deliver any type of hazardous material which includes ammo, spray paint, fireworks or sometimes tear gas even though it’s non-toxic can be considered as a weapon according to the U.S. Post Office Department regulations. The following packages are standard-size items that will not be delivered via US Post Mailbox: 

1. International or Domestic Package that weights over 13oz

2. International or Domestic Package that doesn’t have a proper custom declaration 

Contract Postal Units And Kiosk

There are many ways to drop off a parcel depending on where it needs to go and what schedule works best for you. In this case, we’re going to cover a popular option that you can use at the post office or another nearby shipping place: contract postal units & self-drop-off kiosks! Here’s how they work: Step 1: Package Your Items. Make sure your package is taped closed with no items falling out of it and don’t forget to affix the shipping label where it should go! Step 2: Drop Off Inside A Kiosk. Drop off inside a Kiosk in one of your local post offices or other locations using these service times. Once again remember that these times may vary at other locations, so always be sure to check for further details online before deciding your best course of action!.

 

Conclusion

Some companies have come up with the idea to use UPS for their USPS packages, which might seem like a smart move, but we do not advise it. While UPS and USPS can accept packages from each other – so long as there is a co-operation agreement in place between them – they cannot label those packages as actually being shipped via the specific company until they are scanned into their network when they are one hundred percent complete. In other words, your package would be vulnerable until that last leg of its journey is made.

Last Updated on March 20, 2022 by

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