It is offered by the United States Postal Service and is only accessible to residential and qualified customers, who benefit by being able to sight what is coming to their mailbox at any time and place even when traveling using computers, tablets, or mobile devices. In the United States, Informed Delivery is available in the majority of Zipcode locations.
Informed Delivery is updated once per day usually before 9.00 p.m. It only gives an update of mails due but no update if there is no mail to be delivered. Informed Delivery mail does not give updates on Sundays and Federal holidays. It is intended to positively impact the way that individuals sight and respond to direct mail and is convenient and easily used.
To sign up for informed delivery, one must be able to verify their identity and must live in an eligible Zip code location. If one is in an eligible Zip code and their mailbox is not uniquely coded, they cannot sign up. A unique coding helps to identify the images provided to each user and makes sure that customers view emails meant for their address only. Customers sign up on the USPS.com account. Addresses in highly occupied areas are not uniquely coded.
How an Informed Delivery Updated.
United States Postal Services, through digital means, images the front of a letter-sized mail. When a letter-sized mail runs through automated mail sorting equipment, its front is imaged. The images are used in providing digital notifications to customers before they receive the mail physically.
Emails are received in the user’s personal USPS.com account. Emails contain grayscale images of the exterior address side of up to pieces of incoming letter-sized mail arriving soon. The images can also be accessed at informed delivery USPS.com on the informed Informed Delivery Updated. The first 10 pieces of mail appear in the email while the rest are viewed on a dashboard, to limit the size of emails being sent to users.
The delivery status for items with USPS tracking such as Certified Mail and registered mail can be viewed in informed delivery notifications. From the Dashboard, users can give instructions, manage notifications, and schedule redelivery. By use of a different email, customers can receive updates for incoming packages. The mail images are displayed on the dashboard for seven days.
The Security of Informed Delivery.
The secrecy of the customer mail is well taken care of and measures are adhered to protect all own material. Practices are being followed by the USPS to verify customer identity. They include the use of a mail-based verification letter. Scanned mail images show only the exterior, and address side of letter-sized mail pieces. As for the package notification, no images are found but information on the delivery status of a package.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has the role of securing all U.S. postal service systems employees and customers included. Privacy requirements of the Privacy Act are put in place by the Federal Government to control when and how personal information is shared. The U.S. postal service adheres to this.
The possibility of spam in the notification emails is a no since emails from the U.S. postal service originate from their mail system. Contents are images associated with the user’s delivery address or notification for packages arriving soon.
What are the Benefits of Informed Delivery?
Reliable and secure cloud storage. Customers get to have a general idea of what to get every day. Merging physical and digital channels. There is a discount given to use the facility. An opportunity for direct mail marketers. Ability to reach consumers digitally only with mailing addresses. There is a likelihood of increasing return on investment on mail spend. Ability to generate many views from one mail piece through email, online portal, and mobile app. Ability to engage the customers and get responses. The U. S. postal service can stay relevant in a digital age.
What are the Limitations of Informed Delivery?
Not all details that are scanned have a preview image coming up for them. It is not 100% accurate. The accuracy is 95%. It is only available to eligible and residential consumers. Those without a uniquely coded mailbox cannot sign up. It limits those in highly occupied areas.
Conclusion.
To be clear on the accuracy of an Informed Delivery, customers need to know that mailpieces can be delayed in getting to the user’s mail carrier or a mailpiece could be misdelivered hence an allowance of seven days of delivery after receiving the notification. Informed Delivery is recommendable.
